Barbara Walters has been an icon in American journalistic history for a long time. People all over the world these days see her as a pioneer for women but to me she can be seen as more than a pioneer for only women but she helped shape styles for both genders. Her impact on the lives of people in the television industry will be felt for generations to come. She has accomplished many things in her life that many people her profession could only dream of doing.
Jack Mirkinson from the Huffington Post describes her as, “Television news looks the way it does today in large part because of her. She was one of the first people to so fully fuse journalism and celebrity, often looming larger in her interviews than the people she was talking to. And,
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most importantly, women are taken seriously on TV because people like her battled their way through a deeply sexist world. Walters was the first, and, because she triumphed, there will never be another like her.” Being a TV anchor takes sacrifice. On the surface it seems like a glamorous job but for those who have worked in the industry know it is just the opposite. There is, however, no other job like it in the world. If you like deadline pressure, doing something new every day and making a difference it may be the job for you. At the end of the day you will be proud of yourself and sometimes encourage young people to work together. But before you can start there are steps you have to take and during the early career of Barbara Walters she was going to jump on every opportunity that was out there for her to take. “There’s only one Barbara Walters,” ABC News President Ben Sherwood said. But when you think about it, there is more than one Barbara Walters because the hand print she has all over the way TV news anchors create an interview and the methods of how to create a reputation for mind like hers. The great status as both a national celebrity and the recipient of numerous awards from journalists, television broadcasters, as a result of all of this a changing notion of the nature of news in the television era will never change. Walters’ interviews have not been limited to figures embroiled in the matters covered by “hard news” subjects like politics and war; many of her more popular specials have been celebrity interviews and chats with more tawdry news figures. In my eyes she is the blueprint for any successful career. For someone like Barbara Walters she was introduced to the world during the 60’s which was heavily a male dominated job.
One of the most inspiring things about the journey of Walters is the mental mind set you have to have going into the type of situations she had to go through. The mindset of knowing you are great at what you do but the peers you have around you are thinking the complete opposite just because of the way you looked. This really strikes me to my core. Personally as a Black man in America, I know how it is to be perceived as something you aren’t just from the outside. The way she handled herself when she went on to be a co-anchor for ABC the world shook because this was unheard of during this time. Even with critics speaking loudly all around she just continued to become great in her own lane. This lane would pave the way for many people not just women. While women still face an uphill battle when it comes to breaking the corporate glass ceiling, many women are finding success these days as TV super stars, building their own brand without those ceilings to hold them down. The growth rate of women in the business world on TV has climbed steadily, even as they continue to face challenges with getting the financing and other assistance they need to succeed. However, there's no doubt that women anchors are, as a group, innovative and highly successful because of the lane Walters
created. TV super star anchor Dan Rather said that Walters deserves to retire after decades of working against gender discrimination in the TV news industry. “Barbara is a marvelously determined person. But a lot of people had the dream, and even had the determination, but they don’t have the work ethic that Barbara has had,” he said. “And can you imagine how difficult it was for any woman to break through on television? Barbara did it. A few other women have broken through, strictly on the entertainment side, but Barbara was the first one in news who really climbed to the top of Everest.” I believe some people are born to be famous and on camera so when Barbara Walters describes herself as not being herself caught my attention. For the type of person who has been on camera millions of time and seems to be the top of class when it comes to doing a captivating interview really makes you take a step back when Walters describes herself; in an odd way she’s a different person. “I’m different on camera,” says Walters. “I have guts; I have no doubts; I have no fear when I’m working.” Her friend Joyce Ashley says, “She has enormous courage, and part of that is her curiosity.” Her ability in drawing people out, understanding the situation and to make it as clear as possible during interviews has attributed to her success. Important figures impact generations but not many mode it after their own image like the great Barbara Walters did for television journalism. The power of her words from interviews to writing and coming up with concepts on different topics is huge on the foundation she has made for this ever so changing industry. Her legendary work will live on throughout interviews and TV program specials forever because of her unique charm on camera.
Ethel Waters overcame a very tough childhood to become one of the most well known African American entertainers of her time. Her story, The Eye on the Sparrow, goes into great detail about her life and how she evolved from taking care of addicts to becoming the star of her own show. Ethel was born by her mother being raped at a young age. Her father, John Waters, was a pianist who played no role in Ethel’s life. She was raised in poverty and it was rare for her to live in the same place for over a year. Ethel never fit in with the rest of the crowd; she was a big girl, about five nine when she was a teenager, and was exposed to mature things early in her life. This is what helped shape Ethel to be the strong, independent woman she is.
One famous quote from Barbara Jordan is “If you’re going to play a game properly, you’d better know every rule .” Barbara Jordan was an amazing woman. She was the first African American Texas state senator. Jordan was also a debater, a public speaker, a lawyer, and a politician. Barbara Jordan was a woman who always wanted things to be better for African Americans and for all United States citizens.
Booker T. Washington named her, “one of the most progressive and successful women of our race.” Walker demanded respect from men, and encouraged women not to rely on their husbands, but to become independent. She’s inspired so many people with her willingness and ambition to be successful. She encouraged black women to develop their own natural beauty and self-confidence and to love themselves. She wanted her people to pursue their dreams and to not limit themselves to what they can accomplish.
Woman around the world can thank Hazel W. Johnson for all that she has done for herself as well as the female society. Her contributions helped to strengthen the female society as a whole. She encouraged females to follow their dreams and she made it known that it is possible to do whatever it is that you put your mind to. All it takes is determination and hard work. Hazel Johnson Brown is now an idol whom we look up to and admire.
...er contributions to society to a 5 page paper. She did amazing things to improve society as a whole. During her lifetime she was an, author, philosopher, women and children’s rights activist, humanitarian, scholar, sociologist, social worker, social leader, and founder of many programs still in place today. Her ideas continue to influence social, political and economic reform all over the world. I think it would be fair to say it is a blessing she was born in a time that made her type of work more difficult. She worked tirelessly to produce much needed changes that we benefit from today. Often times as Americans we take for granted the freedoms and protections are given to us, not taking into consideration the backbone that was necessary to make them happen. I am thankful for the opportunity to study and become more familiar with such an amazing woman of history.
“A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world.” This quote from actress and women’s rights inspiration and icon, Louise Brooks, accurately describes her life. The quote means being independent and relying on your own ability is what will get you ahead in life. This is how Brooks lived her seventy nine year life. She is best known for her many films in Hollywood. Between the years 1925 and 1938 she was in twenty four films. Not only was she a Hollywood actress, she was also a dancer and a Broadway performer. But, Louise Brooks is also known for other things beside her performing. Louise Brooks was the most influential person of all on
I chose this video because it raised my awareness by questioning the difference between positive role models, such as The Cosby Show, and positive images for all African-Americans. The issues discussed and comments made by the cast piqued my interest and helped change my perspective on the history of African-American representation in the media, especially in the realm of television. Color Adjustment contains more than just endless ‘talking heads’ – it has elements of fact, history, and professional opinion all blended together in an engaging format. It was extremely exciting to hear the TV producers like Hal Kanter and David Wolper talk about their own productions in retrospect. Most importantly to me, Color Adjustment changed my perspective on African-American representation in the media by challenging me to think about images...
Like many other African-American families of the past, Peggy would insinuate herself into a family. While the white community may see this family structure as lacking because there is a lack of a nucleus or male leadership, in Gender, Economy, and Kinship, we discover that much of the African-American community do not see the lack of a nuclear family as a detriment, but “Rather a source of strength, not weakness, in surviving structural adversity and disadvantage (Blumberg 2005). I would have to agree, for it would be the strength of community that would allow Peggy and her husband Paul to take in a child who was not their own and teach her the value of community. This community or “good segregation” as June calls it, would give June a place to be herself without having to question where she fit. June would eventually say that it was Peggy’s rules and decorum that would shape her ideals and open her political consciousness of race. Peggy would use the story of the Ugly Duckling to cement in June’s consciousness that while race was binding, class could be overcome. Much like June Jordan’s mother in Patricia Hill Collins article Shifting the Center, Peggy would also show June the value of hard work in creating a new line of work for up and coming black women, while providing for June the opportunities to “Pursue the privilege of books”
Through out her life, Eleanor Roosevelt had served the world. She helped so many people by doing simple work with Human Rights. She put her heart and soul into her work and gave the world, especially the United States, a new respect for both women and African Americans. From her years as a United Nations delegate, she gave over one hundred lectures a year, wrote daily newspaper columns, contributed to magazines and wrote three autobiographies. She hosted a weekly television interview show and broadcast a daily radio commentary. She was the most influential First Ladies to date, and continued her well doing for years until her death.
Winfrey’s early life was filled with arduous hurdles from the beginning, she was raised in a small podunk town in Mississippi that was anything but safe for a young girl, but on top of that she was raised by a single mother who was not around nearly enough. However the most formidable part of her upbringing was, she was sexually abused by ‘family friends’ and relatives on multiple occasions starting from the age of just nine. At twelve she was sent away to middle Tennessee to live with her father, there she realised her passion, she began giving speeches in front of her church and ultimately came to the conclusion that she wanted to speak for a living. Without her parents divorce Winfrey might have never figured out her passion of speaking to people until it was too late, this was a hidden advantage in the making of her success. However all too soon she had to leave the comfort of her father’s home where she could pursue her interest and journey back to her mother, where she was sadly yet again
... she addressed many problems of her time in her writings. She was an inspirational person for the feminism movements. In fact, she awoke women’s awareness about their rights and freedom of choice. She was really a great woman.
The documentary Miss Representation describes the struggle of female leadership. It is based on the way the women look, the way they carry themselves, and the way they brutalize themselves to fit in with others. This documentation allow different women to tell their ways that the media have slashed them, and allow others to stand up for women. Women portray themselves to fit as the image that has been altered with to get it to look that way. Margaret Cho explains that her show All American Girl was cancelled because she had problems with the network who aired the show because they constantly said was not thin enough. That is a prime example of today's problems with pursuing your dreams as an actor or pursuing your dreams as a model. You have to change your physical features to fit in, and if you do not you won’t get in.
It is because of Ann that I am in the position of a figure skating instructor, today. She is an incredible person and her family history has given women a beautiful reputation. Women like Ann are what make the struggles that women went through in our history worthwhile.
Marilyn Monroe will always be the most iconic sex symbol of her time. She was able to face hardship in her life, not knowing her mother so well, and not knowing her father at all. She was able to come for rags to riches, and receive the fame, and fortune she dreamed of. However, her battle with depression, and addiction was a lost she will forever be known as an esteemed actress, a talented model, and a beautiful singer. Inspiring to women to be comfortable with themselves, and achieve goals that most women of her time couldn’t have without condemnation. She symbolizes the ambition that female should express. Marilyn Monroe lived a short life, but she was able to accomplishment some much. Being nominated twice for a Golden Globe, and has a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame.
Oprah Winfrey is an African American woman who is known as a U.S. media celebrity. She has done so much to contribute to society as we know it and her legacy will forever live on. Mrs. Winfrey is well known and she uses her platform for positivity and love, which is a huge reason for her success. She is an intelligent leader who worked hard for the spot she has in life and strives to encourage others to be successful also. Mrs. Winfrey has written books, acted and produced films, hosted an infamous television show, and given to charities. Her hard work and dedication has made her one of the most influential women of all time. She strived for greatness and accomplished what she wanted out of life, despite various obstacles that had been in the