Tits Up, Hair Back
/
The New York Daily News says that the Roger Ailes era of American journalism can now be summed up with four simple words: “Tits up, hair back.”
The paper writes that from his second-floor bunker filled with feeds of shows in progress, the former Fox News chairman frequently called the control room to make not-so-subtle suggestions, according to a report.
“The producer would say, ‘Second Floor says you need to change her hair or her blouse, have her hike up her skirt or put on more makeup,’” a former Fox News and Fox Business contributor told Forbes magazine.
“Roger watched everything… and during the day he would say, ‘T--s up, hair back.’ That was his M.O.”
The sexual harassment lawsuit that led to Ailes’ ouster last week highlighted just one example of the sexually-charged climate that thrived under his watch, staffers said.
Skirts were “a requirement,” said a former producer, who worked at Fox News for eight years. “I feel there was a lot of pressure at Fox to be younger, prettier, more attractive, a sex pot… it trumped journalistic chops.
If skirts were a requirement, so were fitted dresses and transparent desks. That made it easier to see the younger, leggy talent brought in to replace the anchors that were fired for living past the age of 50, Forbes said.
Ailes has denied the accusations made by Carlson, claiming her contract was not renewed due to low ratings.
