If you were wondering how it feels to be publicly labelled “mindless bimbo” by another member of your profession, now you know. It feels shattering.
A column over the weekend written by respected TV journalist, Virginia Haussegger, has left Sunrise host Samantha Armytage feeling “shattered, actually”.
In an exclusive interview today for Mia Freedman’s No Filter podcast, Armytage said that despite the public backlash over the Sunrise segment that offended Sex and the City star and UN Ambassador, Kristin Davis, “we women should stick together”.
To hear more about what happened, listen to the full interview here:
Listen on iTunes here.
Armytage said she was shocked to wake up on the weekend and find a whole column by Haussegger, a fellow TV journalist, accusing her of “disgracing feminism” and being “daft” and a “mindless bimbo”.
“I’m a journalist of 18 years. You can’t be stupid to do what I do,” Armytage said. She added, “I did have to google her [Haussegger] to find out who she was.”
Armytage says she was particularly hurt that it was a fellow female journalist who criticised her in those terms: “It’s one thing to get it from anonymous people on the internet… but to have an entire column from a reputable media organisation, written by a dedicated member of your own industry, who is a woman in television… to use such base, vile and derogatory words, it was hurtful”.
Armytage says she knew the Sunrise skit was lame, and she was unaware they were going to use the “poo” scene from SATC (the only clip Sunrise ran of Davis from SATC was where she had explosive diarrhea).
Watch more of Sam’s candid conversation with Mia here:
“This is commercial morning TV, not the ABC,” Armytage said. “If you want to complain about it, go work for the ABC.”
Confused about what the fuss is all about? You can watch the entire Sunrise skit below. Post continues after video.
The debate about women in media started last week when Sunrise enlisted Kristin Davis to participate in a skit about Sex and the City. Davis was disappointed and shared that disappointment on Twitter.
On the weekend, veteran ABC TV presenter, Virginia Haussegger, penned a column for Fairfax out of frustration where she said Armytage had “disgraced feminism” and called Armytage a “mindless bimbo”, “daft” and head of the “bimbo brigade”.
Haussegger argued that breakfast TV reinforces the whole dumb woman sidekick routine at the exact same time women’s “knowledge, wisdom and expertise” on television has gone MIA.
“It was not her idea. It was not my idea,” wrote Bartholomew. “But we all did sit there and follow through with it. Do I regret that? Hell yes. Am I making excuses? Hell no.”
“I never expected to be referred to as a ‘dumb chick’ or a ‘mindless bimbo’,” she continued. “I expect to be criticised in this job — I write back to a lot of it because I want you to know I read it and register it.”
To hear the full interview between Mia and Sam, subscribe now to No Filter in iTunes, and it will appear in your feed as soon as it drops.
Top Comments
"i'm a journalist of 18 years" who didn't know who virginia haussegger was? oh, honey...
Exactly, Sam is a twit, she was having a cheap shot.
The real bully was Sunrise and unfortunately Sam was front person for the team in the attack by participating. To give a guest no other opportunity but to participate in a silly skit or face looking like she wasn't part of the sisterhood or have a sense of humour is bullying plain and simple - passed down the line. Accountability and knowing when to say "You know what - we could do better is the getting of wisdom. Sure, we all like to think we have a sense of humour but hopefully we use wit and a bit of respect along with it."