Gessner was raised on cable, and she’s dedicated her life’s work to ensuring any customer that wants connectivity has a way to get it. MCTV is small but mighty, recently making moves to cross the Ohio River and expand into Ohio County, West Virginia. There’s still a long way to go in ensuring women are shown on screen with the same level of complexity and range as those given to men, but she believes there has been a marked improvement. “Most of the shows I remember growing up portrayed women as either homemakers or in traditional female roles—secretary, teacher, nurse. That’s changed so that you now see women in many different types of roles and with more powerful personalities,” she says.
How would you rate the industry regarding gender bias in shows/characters?
There’s always room for improvement but it’s come a long way in the past few years. Most of the shows I remember growing up portrayed women as either homemakers or in traditional female roles (secretary, teacher, nurse). That’s changed that you now see women in many different types of roles and with more powerful personalities.
Best advice for someone looking to re-enter the workforce after a hiatus?
In a fast-paced industry like our, the learning curve can be steep even after a short time away. I think it can be discouraging to find that once was true is no longer. Find industry resources to read up on the latest news so you can understand the big picture. And, don’t be afraid to ask questions of co-workers! I think most will appreciate that you’re taking the time to really understand the job, project or industry instead of just going through the motions.
