Michigan Gov. Blasts News Story About Her Physical Appearance During State of the State Speech
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called out a TV news story yesterday that wrote about online reactions to her physical appearance while she delivered her State of the State speech earlier this week. Detroit station Fox 2 wrote about social media reactions during the speech in a story called, "Social Media Focuses on Whitmer's Dress -- Not Her Address," that compiled comments that included explicit posts about her body parts, including "nice rack" and "heavy up top."
Whitmer, a Democrat who was just elected governor in November, tweeted, "Boys have teased me about my curves since 5th grade. My mom said, 'hold your head high and don't let it bother you.' That @Fox2News story was way out of line. I'm tough, I can take it." She also said, "In an era when so many women are stepping up to lead, I'm hoping people will focus on our ideas and accomplishments instead of our appearance."
Fox 2 News Director Kevin Roseborough said in a statement, "We were taken aback by the number and nature of many inappropriate Facebook comments on the governor's physical appearance. We chose not to ignore the comments, and to instead examine them through person-on-the-street interviews and an expert’s opinion on the double standard faced by female leaders. This is not a subject that should be turned away from."
(Pulse Networks)