Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is the subject of an in-depth profile in the forthcoming issue of the New York Times Magazine, whose Jim Rutenberg examines how the feisty journalist is emerging as the face of Roger Ailes' network. Among those to weigh in on Kelly's rise was her Fox colleague Brit Hume, who lavished praise in her in about the grossest and most sexist way possible. Hume, you see, simply can't get over how Kelly can be both an "attractive-looking blond" and an authoritative on-air presence.
“Attractive-looking blond anchorwomen are not rare,” Hume told Rutenberg. “Attractive-looking blond anchorwomen who speak with a fierce authority are rare. In fact, attractive looking anybody who speaks with that kind of authority are rare.”
Oh, yes. "Attractive looking anybody" encounters suspicions about his or her mental acumen. We all remember the many, many times that commentators expressed awe that Peter Jennings and Brian Williams could be suave and smart at the same time.
Creepy and condescending as Hume's compliment was, this isn't the first time he's delivered it. In a "Time 100" piece on Kelly last year, Hume drooled over her in similar terms, noting her "great looks" and "authoritative yet cheerful presence and obvious intelligence."
Since we're dishing out praise, let us all now applaud Hume for managing to be both a complete Cro-Magnon and a fancy-pants cable news commentator.
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