Ep. 32 - Bailey's Big Break

April 13, 2016

Writer: Steve Marshall

Director: Will MacKenzie

Original Air Date: December 10, 1979

It is easy to see this episode as a companion piece to last week's episode in which the ratings came out and Andy was upset he had not made more changes to the station. The very first shot is of Andy, sitting in Les' chair while the two of them listen to audition tapes. Les obviously doesn't want the help so it must be Andy driving this change.

We also know this because of Andy's exclamation at the end "I can't get anything DONE around here!" Andy finally wants to get things done!

Have you ever heard of "vocal fry"?

In this age of podcasting, it gets discussed more, but it that growly sound when a speaker doesn't put enough air or strength into the end of a sentence. But if you Google the term, what you will find is female podcasters get called out on this as an annoying trait far, far more often then their male counterparts.

What I mean to say is that in 2016, there are still a lot of people who will find more flaws in a female broadcaster's voice than than in a man's voice. This has made it difficult for women to move into those jobs. This episode shows us that the same excuses have been used for 40 years.

In an historic moment, the most competent is going on the air of WKRP

The voice of a woman not having the authority to present the news is the excuse Les tries to give to Andy and Andy is so determined to get things done at the station, and so ready to fight for Bailey's rights, he believes that is Les' reason for being so upset. Andy profiles that Les will be a sexist in this matter and misses the real cause of Les' distress. We as the audience are led into profiling Les this way as well.

However Les' real concern is that the news is all he has. There is no family at home. There is only his commitment to ten (!) news updates each and every day. News that is presented the Nesman Way - starting with farm reports even though they are in the city and reorting on swim meets that occur in water.

Okay, all you Bailey lovers - here are her legs

It's been a while since we've had Richard Sanders really chewing up the screen like he did so much in the first season but hear he is at his mood swinging best. Whether swinging wildly from mocking Bailey, pouting to Mr. Carlson or crying in his office, it looks like the return of our worst Les Nesman. It takes an episode about gender parity in the work place and turns Les into a sympathetic saint just for doing the thing he should have been doing since the beginning of the episode.


Other notes: This is the second episode in a row in which Andy's hair gets mussed. One day on the job and Bailey has a phone interview with Ted Kennedy? Someone please create the meme (or better yet, the T-shirt)  of Herb Tarlek saying "I do everything on the basis of sex"

Roy