News Quote by Lynn Povich
““...at Newsweek only girls with college degrees--and we were called "girls" then--were hired to sort and deliver the mail, humbly pushing our carts from door to door in our ladylike frocks and proper high-heeled shoes. If we could manage that, we graduated to "clippers," another female ghetto. Dressed in drab khaki smocks so that ink wouldn't smudge our clothes, we sat at the clip desk, marked up newspapers, tore out releveant articles with razor-edged "rip sticks," and routed the clips to the appropriate departments. "Being a clipper was a horrible job," said writer and director Nora Ephron, who got a job at Newsweek after she graduated from Wellesley in 1962, "and to make matters worse, I was good at it.””
About This Quote
The passage illustrates how women were relegated to low-status, gendered roles in a newsroom despite their education, highlighting systemic sexism and the absurdity of labeling competent work as 'horrible.'
In simple terms: Women faced demeaning, gender‑coded jobs despite qualifications.
Key Takeaway
Workplace sexism reduces skilled women to menial tasks.
Themes
gender inequality
workplace hierarchy
historical labor
feminist critique
occupational segregation
Mood
frustration
irony
determination
Type
personal anecdote
historical observation
When to use this quote
- female graduates entering journalism
- women assigned to clerical duties
- women navigating male‑dominated workplaces
- women confronting demeaning job titles
Key Concepts
institutional sexism
career progression barriers
cultural expectations
labor devaluation
Practical Applications
- advocacy for equitable job assignments
- historical analysis of gendered labor
Questions to Reflect On
- How did these early experiences shape women's career trajectories?
- What structural changes are needed to prevent similar gendered role assignments today?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that such roles offered entry points for women, but they often reinforced stereotypes and limited advancement.
