An alert FrontBurnervian points out that Uncle Barky’s story about Debbie Denmon suing her employer hasn’t gotten much play. So let’s give it some play. Denmon claims that station management bypassed her for a weekday anchor position because she’s too, er, full figured. Apparently Dale Hansen has been deposed, because, you know, come on! Hansen’s not exactly slim himself.
Listen, people who work in the TV news business know what they’re getting into. Pulchritude is a prerequisite. People are hired based on their looks and how they come across on camera — especially anchors. And, yes, there is a double standard. It’s easier for a man to put on 15 pounds and keep his job than it is for a woman. (Oh, God, how I wish I could read a transcript of Hansen’s deposition.)
Personally, I like Denmon. I think she’s easy to look at and I think she reads a teleprompter well. But if management asked her drop a few, a lawsuit seems the wrong response.
21 comments
relating it to the real world now. Debbie can win that case.. there basically is nothing any more that an employer can ask of you that would set you apart from others in a different weight, color, gender.
Seeing Pan Am last night and having been a f/a 1964-2010.. girdle check, weight check, hair check, no males all that has gone by the wayside. my guess is she’ll win it’s life today.. in my opinion the most discriminated against person is a middle income, white male.. he has nothing to sue about… AGAIN MY OPINION.
“And, yes, there is a double standard. It’s easier for a man to put on 15 pounds and keep his job than it is for a woman.”
Hence, the lawsuit.
@Blake: But according to Uncle Barky’s post, Denmon’s not suing based on gender discrimination. She’s suing based on “weight discrimination” and how she she wasn’t given a promotion in favor of another, slimmer, female employee.
As weight isn’t a protected class under federal or Texas law, it’s an interesting argument.
@Tim I know Debbie Denmon personally; we used to work together. And, she wouldn’t have taken this tack unless it was the only way to get the issue addressed. And, from the story you linked to, it pretty much explains why she had to go this route: “Sources say that WFAA8 still has a contractual clause requiring any claims of discrimination to eventually be resolved by mandatory binding arbitration rather than in a courtroom.”
So, despite your implication that she is sue happy or committing job suicide, she is simply following the rules of the contract she signed in order to resolve an issue that has been happening since she was hired. And, she isn’t the first employee either.
@Blake.. I totally agree . I was pointing out that she can win. Men aren’t scrutinized as closely as women in those areas.. and she has a leg to stand on.
I’ve thought for a long time that if she was a white girl she would have been canned for being too “curvy” a LONG time ago. Sorry sweetie, but it’s television and all about appearance. You had to know that going in. She wasn’t pregnant so she can’t blame it on baby weight – the girl has just gotten bigger and bigger over the past couple of years. If it were me I’d be calling Jenny Craig and getting a trainer. I sure as hell wouldn’t want Dale Hansen getting in his two cents on my weight! Not to mention comments on blogs such as this.
If the suit has merit, I hope she wins.
Beauty is on the inside. Like if you spend every waking minute thinking about rescuing puppies: beautiful. Or maybe you’ve successfully become a mom and you interview prisoners on death row: beautiful. Or let’s say you’re an overweight, coarse-natured, petty-minded, selfish, cunning, shrill-voiced, drunken, self-pitying, chain-smoking, cruel-lipped little dolt who is unambiguously female and you make it clear that you’re available to spend the night with Daniel D. Daniels, citizen: beautiful.
Did I miss something? What younger, fitter, hotter sports anchor was that fat, balding Dale Hansen recently chosen instead of?
Channel 8 chose Shelly because she’s hotter than Debbie. Shelly’s hotter than Debbie because she’s not as fat.
Debbie has the same basis for suing Channel 8 over racism for choosing white Shelly over black Debbie that she has for suing them over weight, which means none.
Daniel, you make this blog ! Thank you.
I think that Debbie’s point (In the Uncle Barky article) is that her weight has kept her from being promoted. However, Dale has mentioned and commented on his fluctuating weight over the years on the broadcast.
Regardless of the industry, they are still protected under fedral law and therefore she has a case against her employer. It all comes down to verbage that may be in her contract. Some stations have those clauses, some don’t.
How about Debbie is just not as good a reader as Shelly and she should be glad she has a job? Honestly, Debbie brings nothing to the news cast….she is flat. Maybe Debbie should face facts instead of taking a cheap shot at the station. Just saying……
If by not much play, you mean that the Belo-owned Dallas Morning News hasn’t reported it . . . well, um, but of course. Otherwise it’s been picked all over the place. But I do appreciate the link from FrontBurner. So thank you very much.
Marisa, you’re kidding, right? Debbie is a thousand times better at reading the news than Barbie…er, Shelly. Debbie is believable. Shelly is not. Shelly reads like she just moved to town 2 days ago. Debbie and her dad both graduated from UNT.
This Shelley chick may be from the area but mispronounces at least once or twice per newscast. Debbie gets it right and is no ditz.
Ok then there is Candy Crowley on CNN…what do ya think?
Debbie happens to be a member of my gym (and its member advisory board). I used to see her there fairly often, but haven’t in quite a while. That’s not necessarily relevant (her schedule could certainly have changed), but interesting. Maybe with the law suit pending, it’s not in her best interest to slim down now. Purely speculation, but there it is.
As for the lawsuit, I think she’s probably got a good shot at winning. But it seems that winning would hurt her career, too. Hard to keep going to work when you’re suing your boss.
Will everyone just agree that the standards that women and girls are judged by are worse now than they have ever been?
I don’t know how this fact can be linked to this lawsuit, but women today are supposed to look extremely sexy even if they are pregnant or 60 years of age.
Yes, I would like to hear Dale discuss his weight in court, but he will never be judged on his appearance, like his co-workers.
Debbie is an awesome anchor! She is also very beautiful even though she holds a few extra pounds. Shelley can’t hold a stick to her. I hope she wins the suit. If you do a good job, it should not matter if you are a little overweight.
Leslie and Jed. Beauty is only skin deep. You all have a personal problem. its not all about looks or wieght with these people. catch my drift. its out there. and it is very noticable. Its always jealousy. you all pretend that you don’t no this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. It will be until the last day when God will say ,depart from me, I don’t know you. We have other things that we all need to focus on instead of all this thrash that people are dealing with. To much is happening in the world today. Start counting your blessings. God is not dead. Try putting a little love in your hearts.
Well I believe Debbie Denmon is a wonderful anchor person. She is beautiful and exremely capable. It is a shame that weight plays a large factor when you are in the media or on TV. Of course, I won’t even mention race or more specifically racism in Texas (very much alive and well in most industries).
Don’t know if I would have sued, but I certainly would have put up a fight.