KTLA to weather reporter: Cover Yourself!

[EyeQueue]

Over the weekend, KTLA weather reporter Liberté Chan was given a sweater on-camera from a male colleague and told to cover up because they were getting a lot of emails apparently complaining about the sleek cocktail dress she was wearing.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/male-ktla-anchor-forces-meteorologist-to-cover-her-dress-were-getting-a-lot-of-emails/

When I first saw this come across my FB newsfeed, I was thinking, "Utah is at it again." But this is Los Angeles. Seriously--who the fuck is complaining about something like this in LA?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with what she was wearing. What does it matter?!? The station needs to grow a pair of balls and tell those people who emailed that her attire was completely fine.

If we keep letting people like this pick away at women's attire (and some of the other things we discuss on this forum), where will it end?

ETA: OK, I've just found a clarification. The station didn't require her to put on the sweater. There *were*, however, emails about her dress being in appropriate, but her male colleague gave her the sweater as a way to poke fun at the pearl-clutchers. Still, to know that there are people trying to police these things is frustrating.

http://lifeofliberte.com/personal-thoughts-on-the-sweater-incident-that-went-viral/

[PennySycamore]

I'm a bit torn over this.  I don't think her dress was inappropriate because it was "immodest" but it did not fit the occasion.  When my daughter was studying meteorology, she usually wore a dress blouse and a suit jacket for her broadcasts even though the student TV station was really local.  A cocktail dress just doesn't have the seriousness that a professional woman needs.  If Liberte wants to be considered more than a "weather girl" she might want to remember that.

The hour that she was broadcasting might also have made a difference.  It was 8 in the morning!  Wearing a cocktail dress at that hour is too much like a "walk of shame" dress.

 

[Suz8710]

I disagree with the appropriateness of her attire. Call me old fashioned, but that dress is not professional in any way shape or form. I do think it was handled poorly - they should have just let her finish out her segment, sans cardigan. 

[sparkles]

Calling her out on-air was as inappropriate as her attire. No excuse for either.

Men have little leeway in their on-air attire since it's going to be a suit unless they're reporting from the field. Women have a lot more freedom and some of them really abuse it, IMO. I remember one NYC weather reporter (a woman who's well into her 50s and has a habit of sketchy attire—mostly suited to women half her age) who showed up for the morning segment wearing a skimpy black lace cocktail dress with a nude lining. Like @PennySycamore, all I could think of was "walk of shame." Did she look great? Yeah, for a night out on the town. It was completely inappropriate. Even Mr. Sparkles asked "WTF is she wearing?"

And FTR, I'm so over women wearing sleeveless dresses regardless of the season. Nothing like watching a report about a record-setting blizzard delivered by someone dressed like she's doing a remote from the Bahamas.

Yes, I'm an old fud.

[Suz8710]

@sparkles I couldn't agree more with your post. Guys have such a restrictive dress code compared to girls in many industries. The dress shirt and tie ensemble, tucked in for men, yet it's acceptable/equal for females to wear leggings as pants, among other things...smh.

Many of my peers (and even some of the oldest females in my office) wear sleeveless tops around the office like it's nbd. I have never felt comfortable in anything less than modest dress in the workplace. In my area, all the news anchors are professionally dressed, save for the low budget independent station where most of the female anchors appear to have just come from or are going to a nightclub.

[catlady]

you're all spot-on here.  there is nothing indecent about the dress itself; it's all about the context of the occasion.  if she wore it at 6 or 11 pm on new years eve, probably no one would have batted an eye (if i wore it to my office on a tuesday to process payroll, my boss might have something to say about it). and her colleagues had no excuse for raising the point on-air.

@PennySycamore, i laughed out loud at your "walk of shame" comparison!!

[EyeQueue]

I'm not opposed to the attire because ZOMG!!!11 skin (pearl-clutch), so that's why I would have been disappointed had the news channel caved to viewer complaints.

I do, however, think that attire like that contributes to the inequal treatment of men vs. women. Men can wear suits, look old, etc., but women are expected to be young-looking and show some skin.

I've also seen some of my FB friends discussing this and I had no idea the "cocktail dress" look was starting to get seen frequently for weather casters. Very bizarre.

Also, if you read the second link, she shows the dress she was originally going to wear, but they nixed it b/c it looked weird in front of the greenscreen.

[Coconut Flan]

It's KTLA.  You can expect some weirdness.  I can't even say that's the most inappropriate dress I've seen in that newsroom. 

[sparkles]

Google Linda Church WPIX and check out the images. Klassy with a Kapital K. And those are some of her subtle outfits.

[Coconut Flan]

The thigh high boots were a real crowd pleaser.

[Geechee Girl]

7 minutes ago, sparkles said:

Google Linda Church WPIX and check out the images. Klassy with a Kapital K. And those are some of her subtle outfits.

That is worse! Who let her on tv in those hideous outfits?

The devolvement of office professional to body con/cocktail attire does a disservice to the industry. The women are reduced to eye candy. The SoCal meteorologists are starting to look the same with spray tans, extensions, cocktail dresses, and platform stilettos. To me, they look like pageant contestants. 

[Suz8710]

Wow @sparkles you may have given me a run for my money! I was gonna suggest googling Darya Folsom KRON, but i think Darya may be slightly more modest than Linda! 

 

[sparkles]

Yeah, I'm particularly fond of Linda's shiny black halter top and the red-and-white go-go outfit. Because nothing says professional like an outfit that makes you look like a cage dancer at Cafe au Go Go circa 1965. Bear in mind that this woman is 55. Her attire is embarrassingly inappropriate.