entertainment

The real reason Melissa Doyle got a promotion has nothing to do with her weight.

A woman gets a new job. Must be because she is skinny.

Congratulations to Melissa Doyle on her promotion. A big bunch of flowers to you.

A colleague hers of has resigned, and Mel has been offered her fantastic job. She deserves it. Good on her.

But you know how she got it, don’t you? She got it the same way women in high-profile jobs always get their gigs – by some means of sneaky deception.

Maybe she slept with the boss? Absolutely not? Okay, then, maybe she got it because she stabbed her competitor in the back with nail scissors. Not that type? Oh, okay, then, she definitely, absolutely, got it because of what she looks like.

Don’t believe me?

Please take a moment to read the reaction to the news of Mel’s new role presenting two prime-time TV bulletins and the Sunday Night current affairs show. It was in today’s paper, written by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph‘s Annette Sharp:

Yes, she looks amazing. She looks like a woman whose children are a little bit older, a little less dependent, who has a little more time for herself. She looks like a woman who no longer has to get up at 4am. She looks like a woman who has decided to take advantage of some savvy advice about her hair, her clothes, her style.

But most of all, she looks like a woman in control of her own destiny. A woman who has worked hard to earn her compassion, her insight and her grit.

She looks like a woman who understands that the route to where you want to be is not always a straight line.

Congratulations, Mel. Getting to where you are was a lot harder than losing 10 kilos. And a lot more important.

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Melissa has done quite a lot in her career… (Post continues after gallery).

Melissa Doyle.

Top Comments

Chillax 9 years ago

Melissa Doyle is a hardworking smart journalist. Maybe that's why!
I really dislike the way stories of dramas within TV stations leak out. I'm sure it's like any workplace, not everyone gets along but you have a job to do so you just get on with it. Inflated egos in TV land possibly don't do them any favours..


fightofyourlife 9 years ago

Wait, hold on. We've all heard about how hard it is for women who don't fit into the narrow societal standards of beauty to gain employment or advance in some industries, including television. No one would argue with that, would they? There may be some women who don't but they'd be the minority. So why wouldn't the reverse be true? That some women gain an advantage in the workplace because they are traditionally attractive?

I'm not saying it was the only reason Melissa Doyle got this job. She's never particularly impressed me but I'll leave that judgement to people who have seen more of her. But it seems a bit rich to say "no, she got the job because she's talented. End of story.", when we all know she likely wouldn't have got the job if she'd put on 10kg or if she'd decided to let her hair go grey. Her appearance most definitely helped. It shouldn't have but it did.