![]() The illness and death of her first husband, Jay Monahan at age 42 due to colon cancer, leaving her with their two young daughters to raise on her own, was a devastating loss right as her career was at a high point, during her 15 year stint in the co-anchor seat of the Today show. Two pivotal events occur that change everything for Couric. Men could age on camera, and it gave them more gravitas, a word Couric says is Latin for testicles. It made mentoring nearly impossible, since women’s shelf life was shorter than the men’s. ![]() ![]() There were so few on-camera jobs for women, that every woman was viewed as a threat, the next young cute thing. She describes the male anchors and correspondents, and the way they were taken seriously just based on their gender while women had to walk an impossible walk, serious enough not to be dismissed, but not so serious that they would be bypassed for their “bitchiness”. She mentions her competition with Deborah Norville, Diane Sawyers, and Connie Chung. Her career was part of the generation to follow Barbara Waters, who broke down the doors for Katie and all female journalists who were to follow. Katie reflected the choices we were all making those years, as we got ready for work and dashed out the door. Her hair styles, shoulder padded jackets, and changing skirt lengths paralleled my work hair and wardrobe choices. ![]() I can relate to Katie Couric- she is 65, and I am almost 62. ![]()
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