Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo dismissed the criticism as “ridiculous”, arguing that “men are naturally more drawn to sharks”. Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier went even further, dismissing the article entirely and calling for the funding to be redirected towards innovation and STEM programs.
Dr. Saphier said:
“What I seem to find as the issue in this is just the waste of academic funding. This study came out of Allegheny College and it received funding from Allegheny College. It’s a waste of academic funds, and it happens all the time.”
Despite these criticisms, Fox News co-host Ainsley Earhardt did acknowledge that there could be an issue with the lack of representation for people of color in the industry. She said:
“If we need more women in the profession, then fine, hire some more women to be on Discovery, but give me a break. This is ‘Shark Week’.”
Overall, the panel seemed to agree that the core inequities in the industry should be addressed and prioritized over representation on television. As “Outnumbered” host Lisa Compagno put it:
“If the industry is lacking, why so much focus on the coverage? Shouldn’t it matter who has access to the research, who’s able to go to get the education? If there are inequities, essentially, why aren’t we addressing them?”
via foxnews.com
