Meanderings: A leg up on the competition
In these days of war and economic uncertainty, it's good we spend time discussing something really important, like Paula Zahn nekkid.
Zahn is a high-powered journalist and host for CNN. A recent, and extremely short-lived, promotional campaign made those exact points, but then called her "a little sexy, too" and included what sounded like a zipper being pulled.
Zahn (and more importantly, the guy who writes the promotion department's paychecks) was offended. The ad was pulled. While we haven't heard anything official, it's virtually certain that some resumes were updated in the department.
Whenever I've watched Zahn, she's always been professional. She dresses attractively, but I don't think I've ever seen any cleavage, and I've never seen her pulling a zipper in the midst of an interview with, say, Henry Kissinger.
On the other hand, to say Zahn has no sex appeal would be wrong. Part of a national news person's job is to be attractive to as many people as possible. They hope the public watches to learn things, but if somebody with a ratings box clicks on CNN because Zahn has legs that go up to there, they won't turn him away.
I recall watching an Oklahoma City station a few years back, where a television reporter delivered a story live while standing in a public pool, wearing a string bikini.
Admittedly, her story had something to do with pools or summer or water, so her outfit was appropriate. And it wasn't like the camera moved slowly up and down while she talked. But she sure didn't have to wear a bikini in the pool. Did she deliver every report in a bikini? No. Did she regret a single Nielsen rating the next day? I suspect not.
Anyway, there's more to sexy than just good looks. I will set the video recorder to watch a show featuring Susan Swain, who works for C-SPAN. She asks fascinating questions of many guests, can switch topics and deal with callers without a hitch, and her voice has something in it that sets my inner ear aflutter.
But for pure, honest, torchbearing desire, you can't beat Sharon Resultan, an on-air meteorologist on The Weather Channel.
See, in the time we've had The Weather Channel in Marion, Resultant has had a child or two. She stayed on the air through each pregnancy. Since on-air meteorologists have to turn sideways to show their map, you got to see her in profile, her tummy getting bigger and bigger each day.
Any woman with that much self-confidence definitely has sex appeal.
Now, who's this Suzanna gal on FOX, who keeps interrupting "The Simpsons" each night?
— MATT NEWHOUSE
