I believe Ms. Storck has an excellent point. While I realize that being a Las Vegas showgirl is probably a lot of hard work physically, I am not sure that it is much of a mental challenge. Maybe it is- I don't know as I have never been a Las Vegas showgirl.
But this "switch" seems more than a little irritating. It is exactly this kind of proposal which perpetuates the stereotype that a librarian is a mousy, ugly, shy person and the idea of her becoming a Las Vegas showgirl would be incredibly humorous and bizarre and therefore would make great "infotainment." It is certainly not news in any sense of the word. Another stereotype that is perpetuated with this kind of proposal is the one that says all librarians
are female. Both these stereotypes are harmful and degrading to the profession.
I suppose the show is just looking for some shock factor, considering that the show itself is not a paragon of journalisitic integrity. If it were a show like "60 Minutes" who wanted to do a "day-in-the life" segment, then I think I'd be a bit more supportive as they would highlight a particular job and show what a rigorous job it is. In our case, it's a rigorous mental job. In the case of a showgirl, it's probably a rigorous physical job to keep in shape.
But something like Inside Edition is akin, in my mind at least, to the "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" show done by FOX. I know that some librarian somewhere will probably sign up for this silly travesty because they get an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas and get to be on television. But I sincerely hope said librarian doesn't then pretend that she was doing this "for the greater good of the profession." We all saw what happened to Dana Conger and I
say she got exactly what she asked for.
Just my two cents on a rainy Friday.
Amy
"Storck, Mariann" wrote:
> Good Morning,
> I have been thinking about yesterday's message re Inside Edition's search for a librarian to switch places with a Las Vegas Showgirl to dispel the stereotypical image of librarians. I am surprised that this group, which is so contentious when it comes to librarian qualifications and who is or isn't a "librarian", hasn't asked AALL to write a letter of protest to Debra Norville asking her why she thinks a Las Vegas Showgirl can do the job of a librarian.
>
> Just something that crossed my mind . . .
> Have a great weekend!
> Mariann Storck
> Legal Information Specialist
> Department of Justice
> U.S. Attorney's Office
> 1225 Seventeenth Street, Suite 700
> Denver, CO 80202
> 303-454-0225
> FAX: 303-454-0403
> mariann.storck@usdoj.gov
-- __________________________________ Amy Hale Janeke (619)531-4437 Reference Librarian (619)238-7716 (fax) San Diego County Public Law Library ahale@sdcll.org http://www.sdcll.org
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