In news that will shock and horrify the nation, Lisa Wilkinson doesn’t burn her clothes after she wears them.
The Daily Mail has ousted Wilkinson, who was the youngest ever editor of Dolly at just 21, for the grub she really is. Not only did she wear the same shirt twice, no no, she wore it twice in just four months.
Wilkinson took to Instagram to explain – no doubt to prevent incessant demands for an apology, circa Kendall Jenner after that Pepsi ad.
In the most beautiful act of defiance we’ve seen since Saffiyah Khan laughed in an angry little EDL supporter’s face, the morning after the offending article, Wilkinson wore the shirt again today on The Today Show.
It’s almost as if she owns a washing machine.
Not only did Wilkinson wear the shirt, but Today Extra hosts Sonia Kruger and David Campbell did as well.
The subtle peek of chest hair really gets it across the line.
Wilkinson’s hashtag on her initial post, #someonegetmeajacket, most likely refers to LA weather presenter Liberté Chan being handed a cardigan on air to cover herself after “getting emails” about her dress.
Or maybe it’s a reference to Amber Sherlock’s leaked meltdown about the infamous white jacket, which maybe came about in fear of a Daily Mail article being written female talent daring to wear the same outfit on air.
In 2013, Wilkinson spoke about the pressure on women in TV during her Andrew Olle lecture.
“When you’re a woman doing breakfast TV, you quickly learn the sad truth, that what you wear can sometimes generate a bigger reaction than even any political interview you ever do.”
Good to see how far we’ve progressed so far in 4 years…
The most ironic thing about Daily Mail’s article is that we all remember Karl Stefanovic’s elaborate stunt of wearing the same suit every day in 2014 purely to highlight the different standards on which men and women are judged.
“I’ve worn the same suit on air for a year — except for a couple of times because of circumstance — to make a point,” Stefanovic told Fairfax Media at the time.
“Women are judged much more harshly and keenly for what they do, what they say and what they wear.”
Women like journalist Tracey Spicer, who walked off one of the most important reports she had ever done not to praise of her journalism, but to complaints about her looks.
“I’ll never forget walking off air after nine hours of rolling coverage of the September 11 attacks to read an email from a viewer criticising my ‘straggly’ hair and ‘inappropriate brown jacket, which did nothing for my colouring’.”
And women like Walkley award-winning broadcaster Virginia Trioli, who shared a very detailed letter insulting and criticising her on-air outfits.
The ABC Breakfast host laughed off the letter which presumed she shopped at “charity shops” and deemed her “definitely in need of a makeover”.
“This person obviously has strong views on style,” she told The Guardian at the time. “For every person who criticises you there is someone who pays you a compliment.
“My reaction is just to be myself and not let it occupy a tiny bit of my time. I can’t afford for it to be a distraction, I have to get through three hours of live TV every day.”
Trioli’s co-host Michael Rowland is never criticised – bar the occasional complaint that he should be wearing a tie…
One day, maybe what we say will be more important than what we wear. But for now – we applaud you Lisa Wilkinson.
