News Anchor Stands Up For Herself On Live TV
| October 2, 2012 | Posted by Katy under Current Events, Debates, Inner Musings, Inspiration |
Tonight I don’t have a Training Tip Tuesday post because I really wanted to share and pass along this video if you have not seen it already.
In La Crosse, Wisconsin, WKBT News 8 This Morning Anchor Jennifer Livingston did something (in my eyes) incredible.
Last week, she received a letter from a viewer who criticized her about appearance and weight. The letter stated that she should not consider herself to be an example for those in her community because of her weight.
She said that she initially tried to shrug it off but after her husband and fellow news anchor for the station posted the letter on his Facebook page, the responses supporting Ms. Livingston started flooding in.
I’ll let the video do the talking but I do think it was a bold move for her to address it publicly over the airwaves.
I really think that she is sending a powerful message to not only to her community, but to everyone at large.
I know that I have been put down about my weight more times than I can count. Most of the comments came when I was bullied all through middle school and continued through high school (although a lot more behind my back). I’ve even received comments as recently as a couple of months ago. Comments like “You work out but don’t look like it” or “You run so much but don’t look like a runner” hurt. I am still working on trying not to let a number on a scale define me but let’s face it, it is not an easy mindset to change.
I think Ms. Livingston is a beautiful woman, inside and out and I applaud her for making a stand and being a good example, especially for her daughters. I know that I wish that I had stood up for myself and confronted my bullies because I truly think that I would not have had as many issues with my body image today (but that is for an entirely different post). What provokes a person to make rude comments to someone about their weight (either directly or indirectly) is beyond me.
Although I know that she will never see this, I want to thank Ms. Livingston for standing up for herself and sending such a powerful message. It definitely struck a chord and resonated within me.
Please share this video to everyone you know. I hope more people will see this video and spread Ms. Livingston’s message to children and adults everywhere!
What are your thoughts and reactions to the video? I’d love to hear them!
My name is Katy and I am a 23-year-old living, running, and cycling in and around the Washington, DC metro area. This blog chronicles my life, inner musings, and fitness adventures as I try to navigate this crazy thing called life!
Wow I can’t believe the nerve of that guy to send that email to her. I am completely impressed with her ability to make such a positive example out of this. What really hit home to me was how she mentioned that when people say something in front of their children in their homes, their kids turn around a repeat those attitudes at school and to other kids – I think that is completely true! I applaud her for standing up for herself! I will definitely be sharing this on facebook – I know a few people who could stand to hear this from her!
Thanks for sharing Katy!!
I actually felt very conflicted about this situation. After reading the story and watching her video, I almost felt that she was bullying the man who wrote the letter.
I am in no way against her, or her message, but how did this “fix” anything? She spent a lot of time on a news show to talk about something personal, very subjective and not at all objective. That’s not fair. Now, if she had gotten the man to come in and they could have an adult conversation, then maybe I could see it as a true news story.
I definitely see where you are coming from because I did have some of the same thoughts when I initially saw the video. However, (and this is just my opinion so feel free to disagree!) I do feel like she was not going to say anything about the situation. But when her husband posted it on his Facebook and got such a huge response, then I think that she did feel like she had to address it. In some ways, I don’t feel like it was her bullying the man who wrote the letter, but rather her husband who posted it on Facebook.
I don’t really think she was trying to really fix anything, but rather just make a stand. Could it have been handled in a different way? Absolutely. But at the same time, I also feel like there needed to be some sort of message sent, especially since it was already posted online for many people to react to.
I don’t know if this rambling made any sense, but I guess where I stand is that I do agree with her message and for bringing awareness to bullying, but I will admit that it is definitely a bold and (somewhat) drastic way to do it.