The physical appearance of a news anchor or TV show presenter can make all the difference between a viewer staying on a given channel or reaching for the remote. Importantly though, the viewer should not be distracted from what is being presented.
It's good to try and be trendy and fashion conscious, but showing too much 'unnecessary skin' on national TV is to go overboard, in my considered opinion.
Whereas there's nothing a presenter can do about biological features, save for going for cosmetic surgery, the mode of dressing is one element that can be used to either augment or diminish the visual appeal.
The killer looks might keep those with perverted inclinations, especially men, glued to the screen, but I can almost guarantee it that an overwhelming majority will not be concentrating on what the presenter is saying.
Granted, sex appeal sells. But to what extent should this be used to drive up ratings? Isn't there a safe middle-ground, where decency is not sacrificed at the alter of driving up viewership numbers?
But there is a catch. As a TV presenter or news anchor, you can hardly ever hope to please everyone. As brilliantly reflected in the online discussion wall of the BBC:
...there is no form of dress or level of personal grooming that a presenter can follow that won't meet with criticism. If they dress nicely, they get criticized, if they dress casually they get criticized. If they comb and style their hair they get criticized, if they don't they get criticized...
It nevertheless does not mean the presenters can get away with anything, especially in an African setting, where many cultures frown upon too liberal a public dressing code. Conformity or minimal deviations from existing societal standards in this case is desirable.
There are instances, where a media organization imposes restrictions on what is an acceptable dressing code. This strictness at times becomes too much a burden for the presenters to bear, like it happened with Al Jazeera, where five female presenters quit their jobs, after being pressed to tone down their mode of dressing.
The bottom line then, I think, is to avoid extremes, when it comes to dressing for television. Much as a female presenter might want to reflect the very latest trends, what needs to be covered up, should remain covered up, to avoid looking trashy.
9 comments:
Hey Albert, Thank you very much for your concern about my navel..Yes its Kirigo here...But let me correct you and let you know that that was not my navel but my belt. If you look closely you will see that I have a black camisole that covers up my tummy and the next thing you see is my belt. Yes it is brown and and has brass on it so please do not jump into conclusions. But I do appreciate your sentiments..
kirigo wassup?
Now how about that for a monumental mistake? My sincere apologies Kirigo. My eyes definitely deceived me and the fact that I'm a man with obvious little knowledge about female-wear did not help much.I have taken remedial measures and deleted all offending references. But like you pointed out, there are still valid points in my post so do allow me to still hold onto this particular post.
Mr Gachiri to quote you on "little knowledge" do not venture into something that you have no knowledge about.
There's no need to imply that my 'little knowledge' in a very specific instance, renders me incapable of knowledgeably commenting on the subject matter, in a wider journalistic context. And like I always like to say, there is no shame in being corrected, because nobody has a monopoly of knowledge.
Mr Gachiri excellence is a way of life lets refrain from saying things before they are confirmed....
It seems I'm not being let off this noose easily. Of course we need to try and verify our facts before saying anything, especially in journalism. But to some extent, I subscribe to the 'publish and be damned' philosophy. In my case, it could hardly have been practical for me to look for Kirigo, to cross-check with her about her attire, which was used as an entry point to my blog post. But once the mistake was pointed out, I did the needful. It's rather utopian to even imagine excellence as being a way of life, rather than something to aspire to, without necessarily having to achieve it at all times.
As you rightly pointed out, you are a man. Your imagination certainly went overboard. (Yes, the male imagination does that A LOT!)
Next time get a woman to look at a picture before you say anything about a woman's dressing.
The funny thing is that, I had a number of ladies look at the image in question and all appeared convinced the mid section was exposed. But hey, this whole article is not about a picture, whether having a real or imagined navel. It's scope is much broader. And yes, there is no denying my 'male' imagination did a number on me. It was an honest mistake with no intended malice.
Post a Comment