Not Your Typical TV Babes
March 12th, 2009 © by Susan Swartz
I started watching Rachel Maddow during the presidential campaign after “The Nation” reported on a new, novel TV personality who was a Rhodes Scholar and an AIDS activist. She was also a much-welcomed political ally last fall and not nearly as noisy and smirking as some of her MSNBC colleagues.
However, I didn’t expect her to become a regular in our living room. More of an occasional after-dinner treat, like a bowl of mint chip. But now we indulge almost nightly. I still require the more green veggie type of news served up by the reliable Jim Lehrer and his troupe on PBS. I particularly like it when Judy Woodruff is there reporting on politics or filling in as anchor.
A really good night for me is to get Judy first and then Rachel. It’s not the same as having a woman elected president in your lifetime, but if you can remember those years of catfights over who will be the new pretty blonde head sharing the podium with a silver-haired newsman, it’s still thrilling to watch a woman get to the top of her field because of brains and talent. As President Obama noted, in creating his White House panel on women’s and girls’ issues, the fight for gender quality is not over. And while I’m not sure we can say that that this particular glass ceiling has been thoroughly cracked, at least it’s widened enough to allow us to look forward to more Judys and Rachels.
They don’t have to cross their legs in short skirts to fill the camera.
Of different styles, Judy’s the big sister in terms of gravitas, and Rachel’s the brazen newcomer. But I can see them going out to dinner, laughing it up and getting into what they really think of Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers.
Rachel often says she has the best job in the entire universe, and I bet Judy feels the same. “Very cool stuff,” Judy exclaimed one night after what I remember as a complicated debate on climate change. Rachel gets to pop off in a more colorful way, recently commenting on the “junior high whining” of a former president.
The other thing about these women is they don’t have to cross their legs and wear short skirts to fill up the camera. That doesn’t mean their looks aren’t part of their appeal. Rachel, often in Johnny Cash black, favors an unadorned tailored jacket over modest tank top. She’s called herself “not a typical news babe.”
But neither is Judy, even though she’s a former Georgia beauty queen. Judy looks like she put on whatever just came back from the dry cleaners and spent the last 30 minutes before show time going over GM’s annual report rather than getting a comb-out.
But we notice when she does. The other night my husband looked over and said, “Hey, Judy got a haircut.”
Tags: Judy_Woodruff, Juicy_Tomatoes, Rachel_Maddow, Susan_Swartz
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March 12th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I totally agree with you, Susan. Haven’t seen Rachel too much, but Judy Woodruff and I met years ago. She was the keynote speaker at a conference on women’s health in Baltimore. She was so easy to listen to. You saw that she was very smart and that she welcomed ideas. We sat for a drink together with other women and she fit right in, never seeking the spotlight or parading an ego. I’ve followed her ever since. Congrats, Judy!
March 13th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I gotta say, what about Margaret Warner? She’s an erudite, quick, and thorough “not your typical TV babe.” In my humble opion the best on PBS, by far.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I like Margaret too. She looks like she’s finally having a good time when they spring her to go to Pakistan or some other war-torn spot. And Gwen Ifill, as well, is pretty cool.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
hey penny: glad to hear you got to appreciate Judy close-up over a drink. Now, who do we know who’s had a drink with rachel??
March 14th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
those PBS women are all wonderful– so calm, so prepared with relevant questions. Rachel is always fun to watch, and so much better than her male colleagues, who just make me cringe with their constant interruptions and hysteria.