I
Craft decision gives
‘mutts’ warm feeling
The Emerald applauds the District Court finding for
Christine Craft in her sex discrimination suit against
Metromedia — but doubt it changes the attitudes of TV
news directors regarding women journalists.
The federal jury found Metromedia guilty of fraud and
awarded Craft $375,000 in actual damages and $125,000 in
punitive damages. The jury also recommended that the
judge find that Metromedia committeed sex discrimina
tion. If that recommendation is accepted Craft could
receive more damages against Metromedia.
Will the Craft suit signal a warning to TV news ex
ecutives that they must significantly change their at
titudes toward women newscasters? Maybe, but it’s
unlikely.
TV, like motion pictures, is a medium in which
physical attributes are placed on an equal ranking with
other qualities such as professionalism and intellectual
abilities. TV news, while not by strict definition entertain
ment, has evolved more and more into a format where the
qualities of entertainment are utilized.
Craft was caught up in the whole rigmarole of TV
news as entertainment. She was hired not so much for her
talents as a journalist but as a mannequin that, with pro
per clothing, well-applied cosmetics and a voice practiced
on poetry, would attract and hold viewers. And because
TV is so demographically-oriented the station sought to
sway the viewer with the most power in the household or
who contribute the largest share. That viewer was male
and Metromedia took pains to pander to the whims of
male viewers.
The reasons Craft was demoted — and the reasons
ultimately that abetted Metromedia’s guilt in the suit —
were that she was “too old, unattractive and not deferen
tial to men.”
Craft said she has no illusions that the verdict would
make a change in TV news programing or the attitudes of
news directors. That’s more than likely true. Still, the Craft
decision is a small victory for civil rights, a tiny step for
women’s rights and it may be the first whisper that could
grow into an angry scream.
opinion
An open letter
to Gov. Atiyeh
Say, how ya doin’, Vic?
This letter is to welcome you to the University and
Eugene. We hope Eugene's perpetual gray ceiling has
cracked and the sun is shining.
The reason we’re writing is to give you our thanks for
nudging along the funds for the four capital construction
projects scheduled for the University this year. The
University is sorely in need of construction and rernova
tion of its buildings.
We were sorry to report the news concerning the
Legislature’s cuts to your 1983-85 budget recommenda
tion for higher education. After the budget left your office
the Senate Joint Ways and Means Committee pared $21
million from your recommendation. But then, you know
that. Hey, a tip of the hat for trying to maintain the quality
of higher education in Oregon.
Sometimes this newspaper will be saying, um,
unkind things about you, Vic. Then again, sometimes we
will be praising you. In either case you can expect a fair
evaluation of your actions from the Emerald. Well, that's
the life of a politician. So listen, enjoy the day at the
University — and be careful out there. All our best to
Delores and the kids.
The Emerald editors
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in
editor’s note
debbie howlett
The strike against AT&T has become a
family affair, at least in my family it has.
First I should explain how AT&T even got
into the family. My mother began working for
the “phone company” over 20 years ago. Three
years ago my twin sister was hired as an
operator, a year after that, my younger sister
was hired as an operator, and has since moved
to a Portland PNB business office.
Now if you think your family is boring dur
ing the holidays, let me tell you what it’s like to
hear the majority of your family discussing
divestiture over Thanksgiving dinner. Boring.
But in this family there is a twist that is
likely to make a Labor Day get-together a little
less boring than divestiture at Thanksgiving.
It’s not only that AT&T has been struck by three
of its unions, it has to do also with my mother,
in management, and my sisters, who are union
members.
I called my younger sister recently, I was
curious to see how she felt about the strike and
walking picket lines. She had more than a few
harsh words. I believe the best term she used to
describe the company was “pigs.”
Now the crux of my sister’s complaint, as
well as most of the other union members, has
to do with AT&T’s $7.2 billion profit. It’s not that
she begrudges the company profit, it's that she
would like to share some of it through pay in
creases — which she supposes she helped to
earn.
My mother, on the other hand, wasn’t
about to jeopardize her job by spilling her guts
to her psuedo-joumalist daughter, (I was kind of
flattered she thought we were so well read).
She referred me to the company’s media
rep in Eugene. Unable to get through to the
Eugene rep, because the lines were busy, I
went a few steps higher.
"We’re confident what (the union) wants is
what we want, a fair settlement, not a long
strike,’* said Rex Reed, AT&T’s vice president
for labor relations. The same recording that
gave Reed’s canned quotes said the issues of
pay and pension had been offered at increases
and the issue of “job security” was "on the
table."
Now my twin sister wasn’t as adamant
about the strike at the onset. She's since
changed her tune. A lot of it has to do with go
ing without pay for more than a couple of
weeks.
“It scares me,” Virginia said. "I don’t want
to be on strike for a long time, I’m not prepared
for it.
“Sure they've got to cut costs,” Virginia
said. “But I think they should come a little
closer (to the union’s demands), job security is
an important thing.”
They’re taking this strike business serious
ly. I only hope the picket lines aren’t up at home
when I get home for my next visit, otherwise my
laundry will never get done and I’ll have to sleep
in my car.
Speaking of family affairs, you’ve probably
noticed the public display of unclothed bodies
on the front page of this paper. Three of the
Emerald’s more voyeuristic staff (sorry, Mark)
had a chance to visit a Lane County nudist
camp this week.
We intrepid souls uncovered this family
oriented lifestyle through a press release and
invitations to a naked luncheon, sponsored by
the American Sunbathing Association. The
Willamettans, the local ASA group, even ex
tended us an invitation to visit their camp, and
discover the naked truth for ourselves.
But we weren't about to do a cover-up on
this story, no siree, and I hope none of the
photos offend anyone (however, l think
somewhere, someone is already drafting a let
ter that begins “Dear smut-mongers... ”).
The camp seems like a good idea for those
fofks who like traversing the forests in the buff.
And at first their claim to naturalism seems like
a very good reason to become a nudist.
But I didn’t like the camp for the reason I
don’t like a lot of camps. The swimming pool,
jacuzzi, saunas and snack bar didn’t really
mesh with my naturalist ideal of communing
with nature.
letters
Pro-Fast
Your "Opinion'’ column
referred to the "Fast for Life"
hunger strikers as “dead
fools." If arms build-up con
tinues. who among us is not?
You say the “large demonstra
tions" in Europe "will wield
significant influence." When?
Have you been in the
demonstrations? Do you plan
to be? Are there enough poe
ple in the streets protesting
nuclear proliferation?
True, it is hard to imagine
that the war-mongers with
their fingers near the button
would be moved by a hunger
strike (Though, some political
leaders might be). But the
“fools" speak not to politi
cians, rather to every other
human being. They speak to
the people who have yet to
take action, who need to take
action on this issue. It is pro
bable they will inspire such ac
tion. But whether they do or
not, one’s willingness to risk
the loss of his or her life for
the sake of humanity, for the
sake of the earth, is not
something to “deplore.”
There is no set formula for
saving the earth and its
denizens. There is no way to
measure the personal convic
tion of those who try. Any at
tempt to judge such personal
conviction should be preced
ed bu some self-examination.
These "fools” risk death in the
worthiest cause. That is
honorable and deserves our
thanks, at least.
Many Willow
oarth first