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Amanda Congdon and ABC News: Disappointing and a disgrace to women
Written by Allen Stern - December 14, 2006
I have added a new post about how controversy has possibly helped or hurt Amanda and the ramifications for all video bloggers -- read the article
Update: Friday 8AM, Just to be clear, my issues below with Amanda's video show, are less about her tshirt, and more with the ditzy appearance (overall look, tone, hair swoops, etc.) of someone who is on a respectable news channel. I apologize if that is the way it appears. The tshirt comment just adds fuel to the fire. Someone on another blog called her the Suzanne Sommers of video blogging, that is fine, move it to a network suitable for that. In addition, how many mainstream people know what JavaScript is? If this is a video show for male geeks, then again, move it somewhere else.
Friday 10AM, Check out my post on female video blogs I like.
I don't know Amanda Congdon. Never met her, never heard of her or until now, her former show Rocketboom. And after yesterday's "show", I hope I don't have to see her again. She launched a new video show (it is a show), on abcnews.com yesterday. When I think of ABC News, I think of important stories, both in the U.S. and abroad. I think of Charlie Gibson reporting from Iraq. Yet, now on the homepage of ABC News sits Amanda.
So now let's talk about her show and then follow that up with why I think it does a horrible service to women online, both news reporting and blogging. She is sitting behind a desk in a t-shirt. A tight t-shirt that is tight for one reason. We all know that sex sells, but c'mon, this is a freaking NEWS show. And then, what made the show absolutely stupid, is these quick hair swoops to move from camera 1 to camera 2. Let's see her chest move in slow motion! There is no fast-forward button, no reverse. Just sit and watch her fly around as she moves on the camera. And the show she says is about things that interest her. I can't believe she (or anyone frankly) would be ok with the produced version of this premiere show. Embarrasing Amanda, and disappointing at the same time.
Side note: Her form to submit videos, has no way to actually submit a video! might want to get someone to check that JavaScript :)
For a woman who has received so much fame (I guess), I am shocked that she can actually sit behind the desk looking like a sex object for a few dollars. And shame on ABC News, I know that I won't be tuning in anymore to the nightly news. Sorry Charlie. I sure would love Katie Couric's and Bambi Francisco's opinion on Amanda's show.
Could this be a good/decent show with some value? Yep. Put on a business suit, or something else more respectable, and act like a reporter. Doesn't mean you can't have fun with it. But this belongs on E! at best and certainly not on ABC News.
Now let's talk about why this is such a poor display for women online. There have been lots of discussions about women and blogging, reporting and so forth and the beliefs that men dominate the space and keep it a "white boy club." While I disagree with this statement somewhat, things like Amanda's video show, just widen that gap. There is no reason that women can't be sexy and smart at the same time (men too). What all of this does, is make it harder for other women to avoid the short skirt (tight t-shirt), no brain mentality. There are so many better women (and men) for the job, heck as much as I hate to say it, the Technorati BuzzTV gets my vote over this. And you all know how I feel about that one!
For example, on the blogs discussing her show, here are a couple of the comments:
- thedetroitchannel -- “nice set”. yep, looks like a d-cup!
- moses -- nice rack, can you set them up higher next time?
- I wish my news items were as hefty and substantial.
- Those breasts need their own agent. Or, maybe, an agent for each one.
- Not so much marveling at the tits as their power to create a career out of what appears to be not much of anything else. But then, that's hardly news.
- why is she all swiveling around on her chair, and why is she speaking to the camera like the audience is full of 5 year olds? and, as such, what the fuck is the target demographic for this?
- They look fair and balanced to me. Ba da bum.
And want to know what's sad... Amanda's video show will have high ratings and will be a huge hit because she will draw in all the pre-pubescent boys will be all over her. Maybe that's what ABC News wanted?
Our Partners
anyone remember him?
infinitely better and more cerebral than this puerile rubbish.
is this what unlimited home bandwidth is for?
hi ho.
This blog post is just an obvious "troll" post by either 'Amanda, or NBC dudes' to get reaction from people-or to get this topic out of the way.
If it is not, then it must be said:
Dude who posted this blog. You obviously don't get it. Don't try to take something fun, and twist it into a serious topic, move on gandpa.
This blog post is just an obvious "troll" post by either 'Amanda, or
--- NBC dudes---(*correction ABC dudes)' to get reaction from people-or to get this topic out of the way.
If it is not, then it must be said:
Dude who posted this blog. You obviously don't get it. Don't try to take something fun, and twist it into a serious topic, move on gandpa.
I can assure you that this post (and this site) is not run by Amanda, NBC, or ABC. And yes, I do get it. I am not a grandpa either!
Hi Allen,
Since, as you mention in your post, you don't know me... I thought I'd introduce myself.
I too am disappointed by the news coverage that revolves around women's looks. I feel similarly to the Heretik: http://theheretik.us/2006/12/13/damned-media/
I am a casual person and I like to wear t-shirts... I'm not sure why that's a big deal and I don't think the steely dan shirt is particularly revealing in any way. I got it at one of their concerts this summer. Big fan.
As for the design and interface issues, I am totally with you. I'm actively working on these things with ABC. The good news is that we are making progress! Improvements will be made, hopefully, each week starting with an iTunes subscription feed next week. I write about my experiences here: http://amandacongdon.com/. The full blog will be up in the next couple days.
Best wishes.
Thanks for posting Amanda. As I said at the top of this post, I would be happy to discuss this with you further by phone or email, etc. Please feel free to email me or use the feedback form.
It is unfortunate that you did not address my bigger issue about women rather than the tshirt.
I love to wear tshirts and sweatpants when I work. I am casual like you. But if (or hopefully when) I go to work for ABC News, would I show up and sit in the anchor chair in this outfit? No. Dress for the occasion. I would be happy to give you some outfit suggestions if you would like. Things that maybe will help you get away from the "ditz" that appears to be what most took away from your first show. I am pretty sure you are not a ditz.
I assume that ABC News hired you for your talents, not your looks, right? Correct me if I am wrong. But if I am right (I sure hope I am), then why not show off your talents instead of jumping from cam 1 to cam 2, and flicking your hair like Paris or Lindsay? You are now in the big time, you need to look and act big time. Mainstream people watch/view ABC News. Respect the chair.
I hope we can chat further. On a side note, your blog looks horrid in IE 6. Might want to have the JavaScript developers look into it :)
Don't listen to this tool. He's just a sorry wannabe web 2.0 blogger.
If you think ABCNews is somehow "above" this you haven't been watching Good Morning America...or hell, the news in general.
ok so I watched the video show and the only thing that caught me off guard: is this a joke or real? the whole setup "feels" so extremely fake that it reminded me as to when we were kids and tried to exaggerately act in front of the camera. this is more like a "look bill, there's even more" or "if you order now, you get another 2 pair of abflex trainers"...
Yes, Tim, this is for real. Ain't it great. I am sure it makes other countries look at us and laugh for thinking this is real news.
I would SO LOVE an Andy Rooney spot on 60 minutes about Amanda.
ok, so I found a video for my previous commenthttp://www.1938media.com/yue-reviews-amanda-congdon/
With all due respect, your comments are ridiculous.
You seem as obsessed with Amanda's breasts as all the juvenile commenters, only in more of a grandfatherly "cover those up!" sort of way.
That's the way Amanda looks, and that's the way she dresses. Get over it.
To couch your disapproval of her casual style in faux-feminism is particularly off-base considering Amanda is co-producer of her show and has complete script control. I'd call that a victory for women, and you should too.
Sorry Chuck I disagree. Amanda is doing a disservice to herself, ABC News and to women in general. ABC News is supposed to be a reliable news outfit, and this does not belong there. If this was on TMZ or the like, maybe then it would be "ok". Comedy Central perhaps, maybe (and thats a big maybe) even ABC's main site. But don't put hair flips with supposedly real news.
Frankly I am not sure why the execs at ABC News chose to put this where they did. I asked Amanda to do an interview as part of my interviews collection, but she has not replied. Naturally Amanda will do well, because sex sells better than anything else.
And, you know what you are right about one thing. That is the way she dresses. I know a lot of women who dress that way. They wouldn't go on CNBC that way. Tell me the last time you saw Maria interview someone in a super clingy tshirt and flip hair.
And you also won't catch a young person watching CNBC or anything like it on youtube. One of the goals (I'm sure, obviously, I don't represent ABC) is to get young (Internet-connected) people interested in checking out a news site by and giving a show and creative control to a young, already famous (in that demographic) person.
Katie Couric doesn't have the gravitas of Dan Rather, but then, news outlets aren't going for that, because.... wait for it... that's not what people want!
While I personally prefer a more serious tone in news reporting, I also understand that most people my age (20something) find it stodgy and boring. I'm interested and excited to see news networks reaching out to people that otherwise might not care to learn anything about current events.
I can see being critical of her placement on ABCnews.com. But I argue ABC's audience is getting more information online and spending more time learning about things from blogs and videoblogs -- so this is a space they need to explore. Hiring Amanda for this experiment is probably the fastest, most high-profile way they could delve into this world.
You continue to equate Amanda's very existence with "sex" - guess I'm not going to change your mind on that odd fact. As for the way she dresses and the style, don't you think ABC News would do well to attract a younger audience?
Chuck, before I begin my replies to your comments/questions, have a look at this:
CrunchGear
Let's look at a couple of the comments:
Now, are you kidding me? Don't you think these type of comments are bad and really put the network in a bad light? What do ABC News and/or Amanda think?
And it seems others agree with me on the ABC News placement. ABC News (I think) is already in last place when it comes to news, this just makes it worse.
It's all about ratings Chuck - Amanda will get them ratings and buzz. But over time, I think it won't work. She said that she will be guest appearing on some of the traditional ABC News shows. Let's see what she wears.
Now let's talk about your "younger audience" comment - sure, pre-pub boys will be all over this. Better than a Sears catalogue! I am not sure who her demographic is, but somehow I doubt its 30 yr old males (or females frankly). So yes, she will do well to get a younger audience. And she will get that.
I dunno, I think you're putting ABC News on too much of a pedestal here. I don't watch TV news very often, but I appear on it regularly and I'm always dismayed by how little the on-air anchors and reporters and off-air producers and writers know about the subject matter they're covering, and also by how briefly and dismissively they'll tackle complex issues. Just yesterday I did a fifteen-minute taped interview for a news program here in NYC, and they pared it down to a ten-word soundbite that was used completely out of context. All they needed out of me was that one money-quote from an expert to support the angle of the story (which, btw, was completely off the mark), and who cares about context, accuracy, or the fact that the "expert" disagrees with the premise of their story?
Anyway, I don't see much difference between ABC News and E! News and Fox News, so seeing Amanda on an established news site doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, I'm impressed that a national news outlet now has an anchor who knows what JavaScript is!
And my wife made a good point after checking out Amanda's clip: She's fairly covered up by today's media standards, and any shirt she wore would have had roughly the same effect, except maybe a hoodie (Amanda, if you're reading this, wear a hoodie next time and report back on your traffic numbers!). And we should keep in mind that Katie Couric never turned down a chance to show off her legs, and no one's calling her an affront to feminism.
Anyway, just a few thoughts.
Amanda Congdon used to be the face and voice of www.rocketboom.com. She pioneered the vlog format and did a lot of interesting things for the medium. I'm interested to see what she'll do now that she'll be featured in a mainstream media outlet.
She's definitely cute and geeky, but that may be what it took to become the biggest vlog news show.
I can see where you're coming from, Allen, and I don't totally disagree with you that Ms. Congdon is a bit too sexy for a news show, but I think the issue lies elsewhere.
The issue is one of transplantation (Ms. Congdon from Rocketboom to ABC News) and a body (either ABC News or its audience) that don't really mix well together. I like Ms. Congdon, and my affinity stems from her time spent as an up-and-coming vlogger. Someone at ABC liked her enough after she was unexpectedly and sadly scrapped and decided to give her a show. What I see now, however, is a casual news delivery style that simply does not match the ethos everyone has come to expect from ABC (that's not a compliment, either).
There's nothing wrong with Ms. Congdon's t-shirt, with her ambitious turning to a new camera, or with her wild gesticulations. I don't think she's doing anyone a disservice. I simply think she's been placed in front of a crowd of people that cannot and will not appreciate her for her roots in citizen journalism.
Did you bother to google the tubes for Amanda? You might trip across this pretty successful vlog called rocketboom. Watch an old show or two and you might then start to "get it". Notice any similarities to the gig on ABC?
I find it ironic that you had to pull in sexist comments from other weblogs to buttress your argument that she's being sexist.
It's too bad I missed this quality show before. I have watched several shows, and wish I could get my time back. And my point is made even clearer - she belongs on E!, or some other non-news station. Talking about JavaScript on the home page of ABC News does NOTHING for the station. How many people in the mainstream know what JS is? I doubt many.
Watching Rocketboom episodes one after the other is not the way they were delivered, nor the way they were meant to be consumed. Quality of the episodes varied dramatically, as did topic, plot, effects, demeanor, dress, agenda, etc. Many worked, many didn't, some hit it outta the park.
RB was the daily cuppa joe that got your day started, a grand experiment in a new format using developing technologies and new forms of social interaction.
My first ep. was the one where Amanda was interviewing people in Central Park, asking whether they used Internet Explorer or Firefox. No agenda, no leading questions... just the one question asked and then Amanda stopped talking. And we got to listen to our fellow human beings talking about something we could relate to, (relatively) unfiltered.
I was hooked.
Perhaps rather than complaining about how Amanda doesn't fit your mold, you should see what shape this new venture will evolve into and what new ideas might spring from it. ABC almost certainly understands what its doing. Your gripes seem to stem from your own pre-conceptions of What This Show Should (and Should Not) Be.
Anything prurient perceived in the show stems from the watcher not the broadcaster, IMO.
Amanda - keep doin' your thing and we'll keep watching.
And no, not because of the T-shirts.
Jump to another channel!
Get over yourself - it's a T shirt.
And she's reporting on the internet, not nuclear physics.
If you don't like her unorthodox delivery and energetic style, don't watch.
You obviously never checked out Rocketboom. It was awesome. For its content.
You sound like cranky old man standing on his porch yelling at the traffic to slow down.
Uh, Dave, Rocketboom was NEVER awesome. It sucked. Hard. BECAUSE Amanda was there, not since she left. She's a talentless, unfunny hack who has been blessed with good looks and a fair drive to become famous. Her recent trip across America was one long "look at me!" fest that was both boring and obvious. Sorry Amanda, but its true. If you had one TENTH of the talent in Ze's pinky, I'd feel different, but you don't.
Someone pay this blog writer some mind! She's clearly suffering from Attention Defecit Disorder - which chronically strikes dumpy unattractive women when hot, smart girls appear on the scene.
The only way for dumpy chicks to even the score, of course - is not to get "better" (smarter, more eloquent, funnier, thinner, etc)...but to trash the competition. Sure, it works when we have to live with you everyday..but this is the internet. So on behalf of all men who have to pretend to tolerate you on a daily basis, blog writer: go to hell! Amanda rocks!
xoxoxo,
Anderton Gary
For a comparison, here is Amber Mac's new videoblog with CityNews (Canadian News Channel). Like Amanda, she was (and still is!) videoblogging and was hired by a news channel. Her gig at CityNews fits her perfectly:
http://www.citynews.ca/international/
It's sort of unfair because Amber's already familar with TV (Call For Help, The Screen Savers) but regardless, she's doing a fantastic job.
FYI, I posted about Amber yesterday. I would not put Amber and Amanda in the same category. Not even close, not by a mile (or km in Canada LOL)
Hehe, well, as you can probably tell I'm a new (subscribed) reader to this website :)
Welcome Anonymous :) I hope you will stay. Most of my posts are not as controversial as this one and I am disappointed that most people followed only my one sentence about her tshirt. There are bigger issues. I still would love to chat with her at some point (and it would NOT be a bash session) - and the more I have read, the more I agree that it came off as a SNL skit rather than a news show. See if she moved it to some entertainment network, I think it would be fine. Anyway, pull up a chair, we have about 300 pages of content so far, and more on the way!
Oh yea, and if you register you can set a link and some other information about yourself, plus then you wouldnt be Anonymous on the comments :)
Every bit of conjecture and opinion here is attempting to shove this 'show' back into the same mold and model as every cookie cutter show that's ever appeared on 'respectable' news networks.
This is not a TV show. This is not a news show. This is not any of those things. It's something different. It's not straight out of "how to make a TV news show" 101. There are no business suits and grumpy desk editors. That person in the vlog is _actually_ Amanda Congdon. Not a market sample response, not a demographic construct. She's an actual person that those who've followed her previous work know and understand. She's more like the barista at your local coffee shop, not Ted Koppel or Katie Couric. And when I talk to my barista about the world, I don't _want_ them to be Ted Koppel. I want them to be someone like me. And Congdon has gotten to where she is simply because the people who watch her like her and like interacting with her.
I'm sorry, but you're clearly not getting what this is about. You admit to not 'knowing' Congdon, but I submit that you don't really know vlogging either. The be all and end all of video blogs is not to one day grow up to be just like a 'real news' show. (well, except those poor souls trying to live out some News Anchor fantasy) What would be the point? ABC may not know what the hell it's doing with this (the website sucks, the first show was so-so, the player thing is laughable), but I have to say I never imagined ABC would be the ones to try and get a handle on the kind of things that will eventually kill off their 'respectable' cloned content.
For the record, I am in no way related to Congdon or ABC. I am, however, eagerly following the 'new media' revolution.
Amanada may fall on her face, or otherwise fail with ABCnews.com, but let her do it by doing what has brought her this far. If she and the producers were to employ the refinements mentioned, she would blend into the other forgettable personalities in the news media.
Amanda's look and tone is not appropriate for hard news, but given the subjects she pursues, her approach is not only appropriate but very engaging.
Granted, she's easy on the eyes, but people aren't watching her for her breasts. Guys can see that kind of thing and a lot more by navigating to some other Favorite on the web browser.
A word to Amanda: You can do better. You should be on Saturday Night Live or the Daily Show. These days satire gives us greater insights into the issues of the day than even hard news. You have our attention, now keep leading the way.
Pick up a copy of The Week sometime. Infinitely more interesting than your attempt at being relevant.
If you insist on being all Web 2.0y, you can check out the online edition at http://www.theweekmagazine.com/.
Witty, informative, and completely indispensable -- something you, sir, are most definitely not.