Cuddle Up with ‘Anchorwoman’ Tonight
Sleazy Enough for Men and Catty Enough for Women
Why do I even care? The truth of the matter is that it’s all Broadcasting & Cable‘s fault. The other day, the online publication had a whole article about the perceived ramifications of Anchorwoman, Fox’s latest scripted “reality” offering, which premieres tonight at 8pm EST. The series is about Phil Hurley, the owner of a small news station in Texas with the call letters KYTX, who decided to hire buxom former beauty queen and model Lauren Jones for the sole purpose of breaking his business out of a severe ratings slump and helping it catch up with the competition. Tension erupted, however, because the station’s unglamorous worker bees—such as the long-time reporters who appreciate the importance of having genuine training and experience in journalism before hitting the airwaves—revolted against the suggestion that the newcomer was competent enough to help improve Channel 19′s predicament.
There’s nothing exciting there, right, besides the prospect of ogling yet another inappropriately dressed female on TV. Well, according to Broadcasting & Cable‘s article “Lauren Jones: Anchorwoman or TV News Travesty?,” some real-life people in the news industry contend that the show actually presents a grave threat to “journalistic ethics.”
Why? Because the quick hiring of a pretty face—and hot bod—with no relevant work experience, not to mention the primetime airing of a television series based on it, seems to indicate that station owner Hurley favors ratings and money over old-fashioned integrity and hard work. Hurley, of course, vehemently disagrees, claiming hypocrisy while citing such facts as Diane Sawyer‘s own beauty-queen background; ABC’s resident, signature talking head was anointed America’s Junior Miss in 1963.
Interesting stuff for a little old TV show that’s only scheduled to last for five episodes this time around. My exasperated prediction? Fox has got another instahit on its hands.
Anchorwoman will air Wednesdays on Fox at 8pm EST
Anchorwoman photo courtesy of Fox
