I know I said it yesterday, but I don’t think I can stress it enough. I do think this is the most important podcast I’ve done to date. Jenn Sterger is an actress/host/animal activist/stand up comedian, who recently was in the news for a piece written by the Boston Globe on sexual harassment happening at ESPN. We get into that during the second half of the podcast, and I’ve included the link to the story below for your reference. However, the main thing you might know Jenn for, was the incident back in 2010 regarding Brett Favre when Deadspin.com released pictures, videos, and voicemails of Brett reaching out to Jenn two years earlier when both were in the NY Jets organization. It’s still a crazy ass story to this day, I included links of the coverage it was getting back then again for your reference, but the effect it had on Jenn and her career back then, and even still today, is haunting. Whatever you think you know about the story, I urge you to listen to Jenn tell it in its entirety for the first time ever here today. You won’t be disappointed. I guarantee there are some of you that already have an impression of Jenn without really knowing her, so I suggest you listen to her story today. It’s really fascinating. Having known Jenn for a little over a year now and I feel like this podcast could’ve gone on for probably 4 hours if we wanted to. There’s stuff she and I have talked about that we never even got around to in this podcast because the other stuff I felt was so good. But you’ll see how these incidents have affected her in her personal life and her career. As always, if you want to respond to the interview, please include Jenn’s Twitter handle (@jennifersterger) in your replies. All I ask is you listen before you begin to judge. Hope you enjoy it.
You can listen to today’s podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in by clicking the player below:
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, RSS, Stitcher, Spotify
Music written by Jimmer Podrasky
(B’Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)
(SPOILERS) Jenn joins me to talk about that fateful day in 2005 at an FSU/Miami game where her life changed, the opportunities that came from it (9:21), getting jobs because of the way she looked (12:57), getting hired by the Jets in 2008 (15:33), when she was first told she needed to get a breast reduction to make it in the industry – and she agreed (19:16), everything before and after the Deadspin story breaking in 2010 (24:00), the recent Boston Globe story in December of 2017 about sexual harassment at ESPN and Jenn’s role in it (52:42), incidents she experienced as a female reporter in the business (1:13:21), her recent marriage (1:22:47), being an animal activist (1:26:58), what she’s doing now in her writing and stand up career (1:30:38), and her thoughts on the Paige Spirinac/Britt McHenry Twitter beef from a couple days ago (1:40:19).
Facebook – Jenn Sterger
Twitter – @jennifersterger
Instagram – jennifersterger
As I posted yesterday, here is her full interview on GMA that aired after the Deadspin story broke. It’s not letting me embed it, so click on those two links to watch the two parts to the interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8O9AcFIQw0&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVKu8HIlzoo&feature=player_embedded
This was the video from the 2005 FSU/Miami game that made her famous:
Here’s the link to the Deadspin story when it first ran in August of 2010. The follow up came two months later which included even more of the evidence.
Then 3 months ago in December, the Boston Globe piece that ran on sexual harassment happening at ESPN where Jenn told yet another story that happened to her back in 2006. It stemmed from this tweet she sent out a couple months earlier:
Since we are being honest, I will say this: I HATE how Barstool Sports treats women. But the other side is JUST as bad. pic.twitter.com/i8kSoyA98A
— Jenn Sterger (@jennifersterger) October 24, 2017
And here’s her engagement video we reference in the podcast:
“Women Tell All” spoilers begin on Page 2…
adelina
February 15, 2018 at 2:14 PM
I look forward to watching Krystal get skewered. Just the fact that her name is Krystal spelled with a “K” tells me all I need to know about her parents.
Glam shaming is hilarious. Aaahhh….millennials.
upmyalley
February 16, 2018 at 8:15 PM
Hard to believe Lauren or anyone would take him after dumping Becca but some slits are that insecure. Oh Arie I love you after 2 dates and 50 words between us. Such rubbish Puleeeze!
notimpressed
February 17, 2018 at 11:36 AM
Boo hoo – some guys were attracted to the playboy and maxim model..what a horrible existence she has had. She sure is quick to go after our President but wants the world to feel bad for her.
justa_viewer
February 18, 2018 at 7:42 AM
IMHO, this podcast was 50 percent just chit-chat between two D-list “show biz” insiders. Chit-chat of no interest to me and that could have been totally edited out.
I disagree with “notimpressed” (the poster above) insofar as the stress Jenn went through. I get that it was real for her; she was young and naive (like most of the #metoo victims start out) and was raised in our latter-day society where young women are taught that being sexy is everything, but no one tells them about the downside of cultivating that image and related behavior (say, posing for Playboy)–namely, that men will assume things about you, true or not. And many of them will treat you as a sex object. And if they are in positions of power over you, that treatment can be very bad indeed. Sterger suffered the consequences of (1) being naive about the world and (2) not speaking out when she should have. I’m not here to minimize the mental pain and job difficulties she experienced at the hands of ESPN et al.
But here is where there is some “dissonance” for me. Primarily on looks alone, Jenn was able to get a foothold in the legit entertainment industry at a young age. (I gather from what she says that she had enough talent to then parlay that foothold into a solid, fledgling show biz career, so good for her in that regard.)
However, lots of other women have busted their asses to get into that industry–tv, radio, movies, sports reporting, etc.–without success. Women extremely qualified in terms of knowledge, background, vocal talent, etc., but who were just not as *bangable* looking as Jenn Sterger. They never got the breaks she got.
Because Sterger got the breaks in the first place based on her looks, rather than because of any significant effort she had to put out, when other women who put in significant effort couldn’t even get a shot, I can’t exactly get all boo-hoo about her specific experience. Especially when she seems to be bouncing back and is determined to stay in the business, rather than seek another career where she might feel more respected.
Sterger’s story is a cautionary tale, another flavor of the many timely #metoo stories we’ve seen and heard about. Fair enough. Why RS felt a need to post a 2-hour interview with her, quite a bit of it not even dealing with her #metoo experience, I’ll leave you to speculate. I mean, really, did he think listeners wanted to hear about Jenn’s wedding, stand up career, and which people she and Steve have in common?
Finally, I agree with “notimpressed” about Sterger’s smug anti-Trump reference. Uncalled for and made me even less sorry for her. Steve should have edited that out.
My opinions are my own. YMMV
notimpressed
February 19, 2018 at 9:04 PM
Great, well thought out post “just a_viewer”…
I just found it unappealing how Sterger is allowed to move forward with ad hominem attacks on President Trump, but any attacks on her are “out of line” and “hurtful”.
She remarks that Trump has set so many women back (or something to that effect) with no evidence to support her claim other than to assist in labeling herself as a victim of something or other.
I just can’t imagine being a woman who has been raped or assaulted by a Hollywood (Weinstein) type and hearing this woman complain about someone sending her pictures 8 years ago and how she can’t get over it. Jenn wanted and embraced the media attention by becoming a member of the media and acts shocked and as if she is a hardcore absue victim because people had opinions (some not so nice) towards her as a public figure at the time.
iris82
February 21, 2018 at 3:30 AM
@justa_viewer
in response to: “But here is where there is some “dissonance” for me. Primarily on looks alone, Jenn was able to get a foothold in the legit entertainment industry at a young age. (I gather from what she says that she had enough talent to then parlay that foothold into a solid, fledgling show biz career, so good for her in that regard.)
However, lots of other women have busted their asses to get into that industry–tv, radio, movies, sports reporting, etc.–without success. Women extremely qualified in terms of knowledge, background, vocal talent, etc., but who were just not as *bangable* looking as Jenn Sterger. They never got the breaks she got.
Because Sterger got the breaks in the first place based on her looks, rather than because of any significant effort she had to put out, when other women who put in significant effort couldn’t even get a shot, I can’t exactly get all boo-hoo about her specific experience. Especially when she seems to be bouncing back and is determined to stay in the business, rather than seek another career where she might feel more respected.”
This is where you seem not to understand what the #metoo movement is all about! You cannot make a comparative study with other women who don’t make it, because sadly enough (but not probably changing any time soon) the entertainment industry is (sometimes to a large degree) based on looks. To say that any women should not be voicing their opinion, or have the right to be distressed about being objectified in that manner, no matter the circumstances, is largely offensive.
If being attractive is a criterion for getting into show biz, well that is unfair, but is a whole other debate! Women should never, ever have to accept that they have to sell personal integrity for their career. It makes me really angry that women are shoving each other under the bus in the way you did to Mrs Sterger. It is not about the comparison with other women and their career paths!
For me personally, I chose a career path where only hard facts and knowledge counts, so I am not talking from personal experience, but to able to look logically at the problem from the outside is the responsibility of all members of our society!!
kdtx
February 26, 2018 at 11:29 AM
Why were at least two audience members in WTA wearing black masks? It was obvious, strange and never addressed. What was that all about?