I am a huge fan of late night talk shows. I watch them all the time with my dad. When I'm home we never miss Jay Leno, and I love Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. But here's the thing, where are the women on late night talk shows? It really bothers me. I mean, what would be so bad or different about having a woman hosting a late night talk show along side the big boys?
In this article, Linda Lowden discusses the issue. She asks the question, how long will we have to wait until there will be a female late night talk show host? I know that at one point, there weren't even female anchors on news networks, and that changed at some point, so when will the networks that show these late night talk shows follow suit?
The thing is, its more than just women not being on the screen as hosts on these late night talk shows. It's also behind the scenes, there is a huge lack of women. Ok. Maybe I can't say that for all talk shows, but I went to a live recording of the Colbert Report over break. I was appalled at the fact that I hardly any females on the set of the show! I was so surprised too! The only women I saw were the ones who touched up Colbert's makeup, showed the interviewees to the set, and there was one woman who was handing a lynx that was on the show too. That's it.
It made me so fucking angry because I am interested in television and movie production, and I love being behind a camera! There are women in the TV-R majors! Are they ALL going to be the makeup girls? What's the deal? Where are the female producers? Directors? Writers? where the fuck are they?
If by the time I'm 40 there isn't a late night talk show hosted by a female, I will do all that is in my power to make it happen.
I will be that woman. But really, I want to work for the Daily Show...that is my dream. Now, there is Ellen and Rachel Maddow, but coincidentally, both of them are lesbian. I'm not saying anything against them being lesbian, in fact that's fantastic because they are a strong cause for LGBT rights. BUT where are the women? Really? Both Ellen and Rachel are strong-willed and independent, but they are the only two I can even think of. I almost want to say that since they challenge "social norms" they speak their mind without caring if they are questioned. But what about the other females? Where are the comediennes? Why are they afraid to speak out? Or is there something else involved? Is it because the media thinks they aren't controversial enough to attract attention? After all that's what Chelsea Handler is, but she's just abrasive... What about the funny, endearing, smart females? Why don't they have a show?
ReplyDeleteThat sentence should be "Where are the OTHER women?" Ellen and Rachel are definitely women, too...
ReplyDeleteIt might not so much be a thing about sex as much about age. A lot of the established talk show hosts have been on forever or more (I mean, Letterman's been on TV since the 6th day of creation) and I think it's one of those things where because there are so many of these established old guys who still get ratings that people aren't willing to risk a talk show on anybody who's a young up-and-comer.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, lots of young and women comedians might not be willing to take a talk show just because of the stigma that's associated with it ("You mean you're going to get people to write FOR ME but still give me MORE MONEY?")
Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers. Gotta watch A Piece of Work!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting point. I think it stems from this idea that at night the woman is cleaning up the kitchen, putting kids to bed, and sitting in bed reading a nice feminine novel before bed with cup of tea. And we think of the man coming home from work after a "long hard day" and eating dinner, getting relaxed, and watching some television before bed. The men are no longer the only ones relaxing by the television at night, and women although they may enjoy watching the late night shows that are on now, would probably get a kick out of watching someone who they can relate closer to. I know even with stand-up comedians, I always enjoy a female comedian above a male comedian because the issues they raise almost always relate specifically to my life as opposed to what I hear life is like.
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