Late Night's Big Secret

I am lucky I grew up in a household of limitless possibilities. I remember my parents telling me I could be anything I wanted to be. Being a female was never a hindrance in my life, and then I grew up.

There are times in “the real world” that I feel equal to my male colleagues and oblivious of gender issues. And still, there are other times where I find myself keenly aware of my gender and feel hindered by it.

I tend to forget Hollywood is a male dominated industry. In my graduate and undergraduate education, my classmates were predominately female. That is not an accurate representation of the industry; I tend to forget that.

I have had my share of experiences with sexism. A prestigious production company in Texas (who shall remain nameless), denied my internship request based on gender. I think their exact words were, “what would we do with her?”

One of the dirty little secrets of late-night programming is the absence of the female voice. Until now, Letterman, Leno, and O’Brein have had zero women on the writing staff. Letterman final hired Jill Goodwin after she “paid her dues.” Goodwin has been on the Letterman's staff for ten years, most recently as an assistant to the writing staff.

Why is that? Why must women prove themselves over and over again?

Congratulations, Jill; thank you, Letterman (hire another woman); and Leno you’re up.

Conan O'Brien

Please do not be cynical ... I hate cynicism. For the record it's my least favorite quality. It doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you – amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, it's just true. -Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show

After a seven month run, Conan O'Brien and NBC have split ways. The split created a media circus full of wild rumors. In what must be a tough situation, Conan managed to close the show with his head held high. I am so glad he urged people to see the positive and continue to work toward their dreams. I couldn't agree with him more. Cynicism is a quality that only hinders you. Thank you, Conan for your words of wisdom.