WASHINGTON – The plethora of nightly political shout shows have quietly confirmed what many suspected all along: Blondes make for better TV.
Producers – keenly aware of the visual allure of the potent quartet of blonds Ann Coulter, Kellyanne Fitzpatrick, Laura Ingraham and Barbara Olson – seem to prefer blond gabbers.
The four that started it all sprouted in conservative soil. After all, what better way to chip away at the stodgy, old white-male image traditionally associated with conservatism?
The new wave of blond pundits continues the conservative line with the likes of Heather Nauert and researcher Monica Crowley.
But it’s widening to embrace middle-of-the-roaders such as prosecutor Cynthia Alksne and liberals like writers Michelle Cottle and Elizabeth Shogren.
Ratings are a key reason for the trend.
“You want someone who is smart, but you also need someone who is easy on the eyes,” says Mike Tirone, who produces MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”
Joel Kaufman, who books his share of blondes for the Fox prime time shows “Hannity & Colmes,” “The Edge with Paula Zahn” and “The O’Reilly Factor,” insists his shows “stress substance over style.”
“Even if she’s a babe and she’s really hot-looking, if she’s out there saying nonsense, we’re all going to be cringing in the control room,” says Kaufman.
CNN spokeswoman Leslie Field insists beauty doesn’t matter for hiring or booking guests there. “Looks and hair color are not a part of our booking. CNN is strictly looking at content.”
Olson, a former Justice Department lawyer and congressional aide, says her resume more than her hair color makes her an appealing guest. But she admits looks don’t hurt.
“Do I think I got on TV because I’m a blonde? Yes, maybe once, but if you come across as an archetypical dumb blonde you’re not going to be back on,” said Olson, who admits her waist-length hair is bottle blond.
Fitzpatrick, who owns a polling company whose clients include Major League Baseball, says she doesn’t mind her looks being a factor, so long as they are “a side dish and not the main course.”
“On TV, viewers do a quick look-see to examine the merchandise and decide if they are going to return,” says Fitzpatrick.
The phenomenon of nightly political gab shows began in earnest about five years ago and blossomed when President Clinton’s dalliance with Monica Lewinsky spawned an independent-counsel probe and an impeachment trial.
Producers jazzed up their lineups with telegenic guests on the theory that a bored, mostly male audience would stop channel surfing and stick with a show if the guests were nice to look at.
“This is a surfer’s world,” says Vaughn Ververs, an editor at Hotline – a political tip sheet – who monitors TV news. “Almost anyone is going to stop surfing for a really good-looking woman.”
Coulter, an author and lawyer from Connecticut, estimates she’s been on TV more than 500 times in the last few years, peaking during the impeachment hearings.
“Originally, I was the only female with long blond hair. Now, they all have long blond hair,” says Coulter. “They all kept telling me, ‘You’ve got to cut your hair.’ “
The rise of the blonde has come at a price. Some producers conceded that the rush to book “fresh faces” has landed more than a few unqualified observers on the air.
Nauert, a Fox regular who has appeared on MSNBC, ABC, BBC, CNBC and PBS, is a well-known “political commentator,” despite her lack of political experience.
Fox calls Nauert a “GOP strategist,” even though she admits to never having done a day’s work for the Republican Party or any candidate.
Her first TV gig was chatting about home decorating and weekend getaways. She’s now a paid regular on Fox.
Nauert told The Post that she rejects criticism that she’s made it on the strength of her looks, arguing that “some bubble-head on TV” would never be able to hold their own.
“Has my hair color helped me? No,” insisted Nauert, who starts classes at Columbia Journalism School this fall.
Ingraham says, “I don’t know and I don’t care,” when asked if she’s gotten more TV exposure because she’s a blonde.
Cottle, who says she’s a natural blonde, says her biggest asset (aside from her writing) is that she’s not a “gray-haired old man” or a “woman with a big hump on her back.”
“Attractive women get invited on TV. There’s no question about it,” said Cottle.