Milwaukee Anchor Talks About the Gender Gap of Viewer Expectations

By Kevin Eck 

kim_dress_wtmjWhat’s the difference between men and women on-air? WTMJ morning anchor Susan Kim thinks the answer may be found on the scale.

Kim revealed that a female viewer messaged her on facebook to tell her she looked pregnant in a dress she was wearing on the show yesterday morning. “She also told me to tell Vince [Vitrano], ‘great tie,’ said Kim. “I passed the message on.”

“Here’s the thing. At first I laughed, no big deal, I wasn’t offended and thanked her for her feedback,” Kim wrote on her facebook page. “But the more I think about it, the more those comments make me feel bad for women… in general.”

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Kim said the emphasis on women’s weight makes her “sad.” She added, “Do we have to be so perfect… even if we’re on TV… that we have to have a flat stomach… and if we don’t… the observation is made that we look pregnant? I’m not looking for compliments. I’m just wondering if that’s really how women are viewed.” Read the entire post after the jump.

“A viewer messaged me on Facebook during the show this morning to tell me I look pregnant in this dress, especially when I hold my scripts below my belly. She said she was just trying to be honest and then… apologized that maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. Here’s the thing. At first I laughed, no big deal, I wasn’t offended and thanked her for her feedback. After all, we share our mornings on television… together… and I do appreciate that! But the more I think about it, the more those comments make me feel bad for women… in general. I’ve had three kids and gained 50-60 pounds with each. I was considered high risk…so much so that with my second… I had to take a lot of steroids and will forever have a big flap of skin because of the weight gain. And now, I’m in my late 40’s. Is it not OK for women with that kind of history to still have a ‘tummy?’ Do we have to be so perfect… even if we’re on TV… that we have to have a flat stomach… and if we don’t… the observation is made that we look pregnant? I’m not looking for compliments. I’m just wondering if that’s really how women are viewed. If yes, that makes me sad. She also told me to tell Vince, “great tie.” I passed the message on.

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