Skin Deep: Britt McHenry

source

If you haven't seen the video with ESPN reporter Britt McHenry berating a parking garage attendant last weekend, I warn you, if you had any opinions, good or bad about about McHenry it is sure to plummet after:

 

Anyone who has seen McHenry can see she is an obviously physically attractive individual however, her behavior and what I can only consider her apology, not because she thought she did something wrong but because she got caught, are so appauling and for some reason, I find myself extreemly bothered by her behavior.  Is her meltdown the worst thing that has happened this year?  Not even close.  Is is typical of certain spoiled, self important members of society?  Of course. The moments when Britt not only expresses how she could do the attendant's  job if she didn't have teeth, all the way to the parting 'Lose some weight' are so obnoxious.  Nearly as obnoxious and her calling the attendant "Honey".  This was someone doing thier job. 

source

I think what is particuarly upsetting to me is that as a female who at one time wanted to go into sports reporting, a time when females did not go into the lockeroom (it was the 1980's when I had to decide on a college major and the real sports reporters at that time, were all men)  I am annoyed that this pretty face who is clearly hired as much for her blonde hair, long legs, and big um, eyes, is about as nice a human being as a thug on the streets or some of the NFL players she talks to on the sidelines.   I am not the only one.  I have seen female reporters on Twitter expressing the belief that ESPN, in suspending McHenry for a week, did not come close to making a statement.   The reporters all want her fired. These are women who are her peers.  These are women who theoretically, know what she goes through on a daily basis.  These are women who are pretty in their own right and have no reason to be jealous.  These are successful reporters.  They are the ones saying McHenry should be fired.  I stand with them.   Am I being harsh? Maybe.  Maybe she did just have a bad day.  We all have them.  I have them about once a month.  Even on my worst day, I have never, ever gone into a place of buisness and personally attacked an employee.

Maybe it is because in my job, I have been on the receiving end of a telephone call, more than once, that was about as personal and disrespectful as the incident with Britt McHenry.   People are willing to tell you exactly how evil, mean, horrible, rotten ect, they think you are even though they don't know you.   I have had people attack my race, religious faith, moral values, and family status but never, have any of them said it to my face.  I always have the ability, when they start off this way, to remind them that I will disconnect the call when it becomes too personal, and I have.  The fact that McHenry went off like that in public is what is so telling.  Even after she was warned she was being taped, she went off.   This is who this woman is, in life. I know this is only my opinion so take it for what it is worth.  She didn't care she was being taped because she didn't think she was being wrong.  She felt that parking lot attendant was unimportand and she is on TV.  She is the big shot and the attendant is a nobody who can only be hired to sit in a trailer.  Britt, 'Honey', without people to do those silly little jobs you take for granted, you would have none of the things in life that mean so much to you, including that car that was towed because you parked illegally. 

The reality is, in our society we are judged by what's on the outside until what's on the inside becomes so appauling that we have to face the facts, Beauty is only skin deep.    You can be a pretty, young blonde anything, but if you are hateful, spiteful, and mean, eventually, that is going to show up and people won't like you.   When people don't like you, Britt, 'HONEY', it doesn't matter how pretty you are, or that you are or use to be on TV.   

One final thought, I saw this video played over and over on Headline News this morning and the very pretty female reporter would say over and over "Wow" and something along the lines of she is just shocked by the video every time she sees it.  She was appauled.  I was appauled, Normal people are appauled.  Basically, we learned in this one instance anyway, what's on this very pretty girl's inside is very ugly indeed.   Hopefully, that is a lesson we take to heart and start spending more time looking at who a person is inside and less on how big their...eyes are.  

Happy Friday!