NYP: MSNBC wants to femme up Rachel Maddow

Did they makeover ELLEN?

Course we all knew her looks from before she came out. ... and blonds are always more feminine right?  I loved the pick of Rachel in the open collared white silk shirt and slacks... Really Really nice.  and All who go under cameras need some makeup to take away the bleaching of the lights.  Skirt??? I have 4 sisterinlaws in their 50's who have never worn a skirt, that I know of.They are outre except for 'big business' folks. 

"If the time isn't ripe, we have to ripen the time."
DOROTHY HEIGHT

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by: Orion45 @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:11:26 AM CDT

Glasses

"she has been asked not to wear her Drew Carey-esque glasses again"

I guess I haven't seen her in those.  But, if they do for her what Joe Scarborough's glasses do for him, then I'd have to side with MSNBC - and emphasize that that has nothing to do with butch-femme; I love Rachel just the way she is.

Kat

>^..^<

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by: KatRose @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:21:38 AM CDT

I Don't Think It Is So Much a Lesbian Thing

I think it is more of a female thing. Female news anchors have always been made to look pretty and feminine. They're made up, dyed, etc. all for looks. I'm 29 and I can still only name one female news anchor that I have ever seen gray hair on and that's my local CBS affiliate's news.

Some older women journalists can get away with it because they've paid their dues.

It is probably along the lines of what Murphy Brown made fun of this in an episode where she got mad about an appearance clause in the contract and got her hair cut in violation of it.

Jon aka The Angry Fag

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by: TheAngryFag @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:23:54 AM CDT

but she's been before the cameras now for a while

No one seemed to have a problem before now with Maddow's appearance. Does getting a show mean you have to wear gender-conforming clothes and femme up when you're already well-known as you are?

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:52:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

New Ball Game Though

I've only seen her subbing which is a while different thing in their eyes. She's an anchor now and by extension of that a new product and brand of MSNBC's.

Jon aka The Angry Fag

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by: TheAngryFag @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:08:56 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

MSNBC

seems to be going conservative on us.  They're dispensing with Olbermann and Matthews as anchors of their election coverage in favor of Rove crony David Gregory, for instance.  Trying to "femme up" Maddow, even though she's been on the air for a while, may be part of that.

The bit that has me really scratching my head, though, is the skirt.  Won't she be sitting behind a desk, like every news anchor everywhere in the world?!  She could wear bloomers, longjohns or nothing at all and we'd never be the wiser.

Americans suffer from an ignorance that is not only colossal, but sacred.  --James Baldwin

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by: QScribe @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 16:20:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Maddow should stand her ground and be herself

I think she should claim her short hair and choice of clothing as her trademark on-air persona, much like Olberman's pinstripes or Tucker's bow tie. And if NBC does not like that.... I think it is safe to say that Maddow has plenty of other options.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt

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by: TechBear @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:39:17 AM CDT

NBC has bigger appearance problems that Maddow

Seriously, Bulk Hogan's weathered hide is more unsightly than a no-BS kinda Lesbian not turned Lipstick for the cameras.  After 25-plus years as a fan of my local NBC affiliate, it may be time to boycott anything NBC-Universal if they persist in this foolishness....unless Tim Gunn is asked to do the makeover for a Bravo special! EG

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by: greatwhitebear @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 09:59:25 AM CDT

I also believe it's more female host rather than lesbian host

They allow these dumb ass focus groups to rip in to any woman's appearance and the cowardly networks buy all this tedious crap hook line and sinker. They b*tch about their weight and age, and if their eyes look tired. Rachel looks terrific just as she is.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:01:59 AM CDT

Just seat Rachel between Bay and Pat Buchanan

They'll make her look STUNNING in comparision.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:03:57 AM CDT

Not True, Thank Goodness

In a chat last week with Media Bistro, Maddow said this wasn't true: "I think it's hilarious that Page Six just runs stuff that they make up.   What a great job that must be!"

She discussed the issue further with TV Week's The Insider:

The Insider: Now that you're officially a TV personality, are there any cosmetic or sartorial suggestions that you've had to fend off or consider from friends, family, bosses?

Ms. Maddow: Over the past four years or so that I have been doing TV, I have received a lot of advice. I initially tried to sort of control everything about my appearance because I was insecure about it. What I've learned over time, and particularly in the past year or so at MSNBC, is that as long as I'm baseline comfortable about how I'm presenting-I'm wearing a suit that I know isn't going to, you know, be a headline anywhere-I feel like they've sort of freed me up to not think about it very much.

It was interesting, though, when it became apparent that I was going to get this show, I sort of held my breath and asked the executives here: "Are you OK with what I look like? In asking this question, I cannot promise you I'm going to do what you say, but I want to know, is there something you want me to change about the way I look?" The answer was: "You look fine. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable." That was really nice. I'm not sure what I would have done if the answer had been any different.

I feel like if I'm doing my job, the story and the area of focus is not what I'm wearing, it's what I'm saying.

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by: pecola @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:11:02 AM CDT

skirt? on a seated newscaster?

i don't have a tv, so i've never watched her.  but don't newscasters sit behind desks unless a)they're talking in front of the weather map, or b) they're on location or c) they're "comfy couch" interviewers?  i didn't thing maddow was in any of the categories where even the hem of her shirt would be visible.  i hope she gets "option for presenting news in pj pants and flip flops" written into her next contract.

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners.

Lurleen on Twitter.

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:11:53 AM CDT

Dress What Shows

If the camera shot does not show what is below the table or waist then the anchors and reporters wear what they want.  Jeans, shorts, whatever.  

Pam,
This movie has been rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and destruction

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by: Blonde Pam @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 10:22:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Watch Rachel

Let's hope that this was a manufactured controversy to get more people to watch her show.  She's so brilliant people won't even remember what she was wearing.

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by: sammyseattle @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 11:38:05 AM CDT

I'm going to

I've been listening to Rachel since Air America Radio started up, including getting a membership so I could listen to her show on podcast. I cannot wait to see her on "the TV machine" tonight to see what she does.

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by: Kesnit @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 12:21:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I guess they want her to look as pretty

as Greta van Sustren (or whatever her name is).

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by: peacearena @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 12:13:41 PM CDT

Greta pretty?

Please, Greta may have been attractive in her day but she decided to be all hollywood (instead of professional) had some plastic surgery that made her look a bit haggard.

Maddow is blessed with a great sense of self and there's no need to change anything about her.

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by: ol cranky @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 17:14:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Rachael Maddow

I just hope she doesn't cave in. I can't begin to think what the dynamics of making her "sexier" involves and for whom.

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by: Robert M @ Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 15:11:04 PM CDT

Rachel M

Good lord, they put false eyelashes on her!  She couldn't keep her eyelids open when she was talking to KO.  Good show but I was so distracted by her makeup I couldn't listen.

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by: miss wild thing @ Tue Sep 09, 2008 at 00:04:36 AM CDT

That's what was wrong with her eyes?

I watched, but couldn't stop thinking her eyes looked awful. I thought it was just eyeshadow.

Overall, though, they didn't femme her up much. Standard hair style. Masculine suit (on top, she was behind a desk, so who knows if she was even wearing pants).

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by: Kesnit @ Tue Sep 09, 2008 at 10:22:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

too much whitening stuff around her eyes...

they glammed up her eyes but she wouldn't go for the red lipstick thing...looked unbalanced...

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Tue Sep 09, 2008 at 15:11:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bulk Hogan's weathered hide is more unsightly ...

Bulk Hogan's weathered hide is more unsightly than a no-BS kinda Lesbian not turned Lipstick for the cameras.  After 25-plus years as a fan of my local NBC affiliate, it may be time to boycott anything NBC-Universal if they persist in this foolishness....unless Tim Gunn is asked to do the makeover for a Bravo special!
club penguin cheats

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by: hankjmatt @ Sun Oct 04, 2009 at 21:19:02 PM CDT

Control who she is seeing too?

Looks like that's the issue. I guess some people are still very conservative about this kind of thing. I wonder whether they also control who she goes out with.

Julis - Master cleanse consultant

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by: JulisCoper @ Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 07:02:17 AM CDT