Jenna Bush Hager didn’t let this one slide. On Tuesday’s“Today”show, Al Roker greeted her as“Big Red”when she walked out in a red outfit. By Thursday, she brought it up directly on“Today with Jenna&Sheinelle”and made her position clear: you can’t call somebody, a woman,“big.”
Sheinelle Jones had her back, recalling that she and Savannah Guthrie objected in the moment while Roker scrambled for alternatives and landed on“Tall Red.”The exchange lands harder because Bush Hager has spoken openly about body image struggles since childhood. Over Christmas break she found a journal where her fourth grade New Year’s resolution was to lose five pounds, and she’s said having kids helped her reframe how she sees her body.
The moment raises a question plenty of workplaces have quietly wrestled with. When does a nickname about someone’s appearance stop being funny? Have you ever had a nickname you hated? Tell us about it. We might read yours on air.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.