Saturday, December 31, 2022

Barbara Walters has died

So Barbara Walters has died at 93. She was famous for being a first, a pioneer, and for her interviewing skills--she let the famous people talk instead of hogging the limelight. Today I heard that she was most proud of her legacy of paving the way for women in (TV) journalism. That's where I draw the line.

Next comes a very unpopular viewpoint, so you can leave this post and move on.

Women, particularly journalists whether news anchors on TV or "influencers" on Tik Tok have contributed little, at least no more than men who read lines written by others. The women of Fox at least have great legs and shoes. We've let the fake floozy Drag Queens show us how the world sees us. And unfortunately, their audience is often adoring, silly liberal women.

In fact, compared to the women of the 19th century big three (emancipation of slaves, temperance, and civil rights for women) the 20th and 21st century women pale by comparison. I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about our culture or world affairs in high school or college, but I can't think what women have done beginning with 2nd wave feminism (late 60s) that has changed the world for the better. It wasn't exactly the industrial revolution, the polio vaccine or DARPA (think Internet). Nope, sift through any cultural institution of the last 60 years--academe, entertainment, media, science, politics, literature and the arts--and women mostly are known for advocating to kill their own children--the weakest and most helpless humans in the world. I don't see that as a great legacy. The one thing men can't do and women became wannabe men.

As individuals women have gained a lot of freedom since the 60s, but often freedom is the enemy of freedom.

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