Katie Couric, 69, says a supportive male colleague taught her one of many largest life lessons after she skilled office sexism.
Throughout an look on Wednesday’s episode of “Call Her Daddy,” Couric opened up in regards to the challenges she confronted early in her broadcast journalism profession.
She recounted an incident during which an govt made a sexist comment about her throughout a manufacturing assembly.
“He mentioned one thing like, ‘That is not like Katie. She’s been profitable due to her laborious work, her writing abilities, and her breast measurement,'” Couric mentioned, recalling his phrases.
Couric mentioned the incident occurred at a “massive desk surrounded by male executives,” a number of whom have been “fairly younger.”
She mentioned the sexist comment left her feeling “flummoxed,” however a male colleague, the late former CNN anchor Don Farmer, stepped in to assist her after studying what had occurred. He urged Couric to confront the manager, and collectively they drafted a memo demanding an apology, she mentioned.
“He acquired on his little Smith Corona typewriter, and collectively we wrote this memo saying, ‘What you mentioned to me was inappropriate, insulting, sexist, and completely unacceptable. I anticipate an apology instantly. For those who try this, we will hold this between us,'” Couric mentioned.
Couric mentioned she did not even know whether or not there was a human sources division she might flip to to report the incident.
“However how nice that my pal Don Farmer mentioned, ‘You should not have to place up with that. We’re going to write him this memo,'” she mentioned.
Trying again, Couric mentioned Farmer’s recommendation and help stayed together with her lengthy after the incident.
“He helped me notice the significance of standing up for your self. So, it was a life lesson that prolonged method past that incident,” she mentioned. “I actually owe him so much, and I’ve at all times actually been grateful to him for that.”
Couric is not the one distinguished lady to talk publicly about navigating sexism within the office.
In a 2025 podcast look, the late primatologist Jane Goodall recalled how her Nationwide Geographic cowl prompted sexist remarks from male scientists, who advised she was featured due to her “good legs” and never her analysis.
“Again then, all I needed was to get again to the chimps. So if my legs have been getting me the cash, thanks legs,” Goodall mentioned.
In a 2025 interview, Scarlett Johansson mentioned most of the early roles she landed have been “deeply unfulfilling” as a result of they relied on her intercourse attraction.
“However after I was youthful, a number of the roles I used to be supplied, or I went for, had their ambitions or character arcs revolving round their very own desirability, or the male gaze, or a male-centered story,” she mentioned.
