A storm was definitely brewing in the Twitterverse after meteorologist Liberte Chan was asked to cover up on-air right in the middle of her morning weather forecast on Saturday (May 14).
Chan was handed a grey sweater while doing the weather report on KTLA after the TV station received e-mails from several viewers complaining that the sparkling black dress she was wearing was inappropriate for the Saturday morning forecast.
Initially, she had planned to wear another dress - one that had white and black patterns - but was told to wear something different as the patterns conflicted with the graphics of the green screen.
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/LiberteChanKtla5/videos/1135814116463535/[/embed]
But her new outfit seemed to have failed to make the cut too, with viewers e-mailing harsh comments such as "Liberte Chan's dress is totally inappropriate, looks like she didn't make it home from her cocktail party", and "Weather girl looks like she never went home from last night's stripper gig", according to The Daily Mail Online.
Personal Thoughts on the LBD/Sweater Moment that went Viral @KTLAMorningNews https://t.co/NVRhXzTmfS pic.twitter.com/uCgE5HNEUu
— Liberté Chan (@libertechan) May 16, 2016
A grey sweater dangled from a hand at the side of the screen halfway during her weekend report.
"You want me to put this on," Chan asked while slipping into the sweater.
"Why? Because it's cold?"
"We're getting a lot of e-mails," TV anchor Chris Burrous replied.
"What?" Chan said, clearly taken aback. "Really? Okay."
"I look like a librarian now," she then said.
"That works," Burrous joked. "It's a librarian going to a cocktail party."
Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress @KTLAMorningNews @AidanMattox @PistolandStamen pic.twitter.com/HYy1KUMYH1
— Liberté Chan (@libertechan) May 14, 2016
The Twitterverse responded by raining down criticism on KTLA and Burrous, using the hashtag #SweaterGate to voice their outrage.
This is absoultely ridiculous. It's 2016, wake up. https://t.co/VJzaw4ddfG via @MicNews
— Kara (@KaraK_PR) May 16, 2016
SWEATER. GET ME A SWEATER. YOU CAN SEE HER NAKED SHOULDERS AND EMAILS WILL BE ARRIVING. #SweaterGate https://t.co/Q1egMxqPH2
— Femmes Unafraid (@FemmesUnafraid) May 15, 2016
#sweatergate sexism. public shaming. Over what? Arms? What exactly is problematic here? https://t.co/fatkxZZdW2
— Cath's Take (@CathsTake) May 15, 2016
My 9 year old son just looked up from his video game and said, "that's sad." Even he knows this is wrong. @KTLA
— Heather Poole (@Heather_Poole) May 14, 2016
Some online users defended her, saying she looked fine, while others chided the TV station and Burrous for what they deemed as sexism.
#sweatergate Weird that in 2016 people would freek out about the dress a weather meteorologist wears https://t.co/WnvWNwBJTY via @TheCut
— Jim (@JMorril2) May 15, 2016
Viewers also noted the double standards, citing a KTLA weather report in 2012 that featured a male meteorologist bringing out two female models wearing Frederick's of Hollywood lingerie to help with the forecast.
Problem solved! Half the emails love dress, half not so much. Here's our compromise. @KTLA @KTLAMorningNews pic.twitter.com/l6OWowqHWO
— Chris Burrous (@chrisburrous) May 14, 2016
The New York Post Online said Burrous apologised on Twitter, saying he offered up the sweater "in jest but I see how it seemed. I am sorry. I hope you will give me another chance".
@crowsight @hoseph_ @KTLA I completely understand meant in jest but I see how it seemed. I am sorry. I hope you will give me another chance
— Chris Burrous (@chrisburrous) May 15, 2016
@hoseph_ @KTLA no shame. Just kidding, offering up sweater. Good friends kid each other. Sorry I offended. We have a good time
— Chris Burrous (@chrisburrous) May 14, 2016
Chan addressed this incident on Sunday during a Facebook Live chat with fans, during which she said: "I really wasn't offended. People are kind of spinning it and saying it was sexist. I thought it was just funny."
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/LiberteChanKtla5/videos/1135823483129265/[/embed]
This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
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