Something that stands out as well, being a non-USA type - "co-ed". I have no idea why this has such a hold in American English as a term for female students. If it's co-educational, then that applies to both male and female students. But of course, that would mean someone on this planet thinking women are equal partners!

I suspect that UK coverage of something similar would be equally focused on appearance, but 'student' instead of 'co-ed'.

Not only does using such a term dehumanize her and obscure her real identity, but it seems to imply (at least for me) that this happened *because* she was beautiful, and not because she was just another unlucky woman living in a misogynistic society.

I dislike that they use "beauty" as a noun, instead of "woman" or "student," like she belongs to a category that is implicitly more valuable. In other words, the media seem quite aware that people will care more about a missing "beauty" than they would just a missing "woman."

It is like Nancy Grace is the embodiment of all that is wrong with...wait, she is? She actually spontaneously formed out of the detritus of pop culture, jumping full formed like Athena from the brow of hate & bigotry? REALLY?

It is always intriguing to me when missing/dead/endangered women discussed in the news media are often categorized by sexist language. This applies to race, too. Often we hear about women who were killed being labeled "prostitutes" as opposed to just women. This has always bothered me. And another problem is when a white guy shoots up a school or workplace or family he is never, ever identified as a white male, just a male--and even then no one ever seems to discuss that the rampant violence against women is perpetuated (usually) by white guys.

** weary sigh **

"Everyone's a star" ... "Here's yer fifteen minutes of fame!"

NO -- This is someone's beloved daughter who has gone in the blink of an eye.

That "hot little number" slant to the broadcasts is sickening.

P.S. This is my first visit to your site -- It is wonderful! Thank you :-)

Too true. Too true. It means women are not equal and pretty women are even less equal. It's one thing for me and my buddies to jog our memory with "you know, Metallica, pretty with blond hair" it's quite another one to stick with that as her defining qualities or as a reason to follow through on the search. Except that somehow I think her more likely dead for her beauty in the same way the press noticed. I only read Ted Bundy's case carefully in terms of killers. But if she's missing and she's pretty... it's downright scary what her experience was next.

One of the other things I noted when I watched this (and believe me - I wasn't watching this because I wanted to) was that they did an EPIC photo montage of her with probably every FaceBook picture she had. A lot of the pictures were of her with her "totally hot" friends, and many shots totally obscured her face. There was one image, which I couldn't find a screen shot for, that was a profile shot of her with HUGE pouty pink lips, much like the one of her kissing her friend on the cheek only much more sexual than cute.

Clearly, tied for "the most bothersome" for me was the use of the word coed/co-ed which at one point meant "a female student" (in a previously male educational setting). The term is antiquated and now has come to mean "your fantasy of nailing a female student (who isn't there to study anyway)". If you google co-ed or coed you will probably have to dive down many pages before you find anything that isn't implicit of sex or not a porno site. I do think they intended to play on that. I don't think they meant "student" when they called her that. It's very obvious she's a female (thanks to the hundreds of photos they showed and the referencing her as a "she").

The other "most bothersome" for me was calling her a beauty instead of a young woman or a student. She's no longer a person...she's become a quality of a person admired in society. Nancy Grace turns my stomach anyway, but for her to endorse this crap as a woman really makes me hope she and I never cross paths.

This is very interesting for me as an observer from another country/culture. The news does have a very sexist twist to it. I didn't realize how strong this gender divide is in the US- and for it to especially play itself out in the news is quite an eye-opener.

Obligatory link to Infomania's take on Nancy Grace: http://bit.ly/I89KA She's not exactly known for class.

Liberalism and Feminism exist so Ugly Broads can lower the standard and level the playing field. Just ask Nancy.

I echo whoever said up thread that they've never seen the photo of a homely or fat or non-white girl plastered all over the television. Hell, I don't even recall the faces of missing girls who weren't wealthy. And I know for a fact that most people are not blonde, but somehow, the majority of missing girls and women, according to the news, seem to be blonde. What, do brunettes never go missing?

As an aside, what the hell is up with the sunglasses photo? There's no identifying features in the picture, the girl behind the glasses could be any blonde. It's just emphasizing how "sexy" she is. I mean, sexy girls going missing is tragic! They're worth more than non-sexy girls. Either that or they're just so vulnerable to going missing because they're pretty, and being pretty is why men abuse and abduct you. If you weren't so pretty, then it wouldn't have happened. But if you weren't so pretty, then we wouldn't care about you, and you'd be worthless anyways. What a double-bind! How tragic! A woman, cut down because she followed the rules too well. But you have to follow the rules, or you're not a real woman. Only real woman get hurt, and only because they're real women, not because there's rapists and murderers out there that choose to do the wrong thing. Wet streets cause rape or something, right?

The news always loves tragedy. Women being abducted because they followed the rules is both tragic and sexy. Violence against women is both inevitable and titillating.

Okay, I need to stop analyzing this. The rape culture makes me nauseous.

"As Victoria said, if any of us go missing, let’s hope we’re lucky enough to be beautiful with lots of photos of us posing with our pretty girlfriends and glamour shots in our sunglasses"....and white. Don't forget that being a white female who, odds are, will go on to produce white offspring makes her one of the most important missing females in the USA. If she's middle or upper class her cache goes up.

YES...it's not uncommon on "news" shows, but hers in particular...I've noticed it quite a few times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_white_woman_syndrome

How much news coverage actually affects us day to day? A missing person makes no difference to you or I unless we knew them. There is more information in the world than we could ever care for, so what makes news 'newsworthy' is its archetypal value. For the millions unaffected by her disappearance this is a retelling of the damsel in distress story. You don't watch this kind of tele unless it reinforces what you want to believe. This broadcast is to all the people that think fair maidens tempt the forces of evil and deserve a knightly hero to defend them. Who needs gods and their dusty tomes when our anchors deliver a sermon every night, right in our living rooms?

In U.S.A slang, "Coed" is an informal term for a female student attending a formerly all-male college or university (or any university). This usage reflects the historical process by which it was often female pupils who were admitted to schools originally reserved for boys, and thus it was they who were identified with its becoming "coeducational". The word is also often used to describe a situation in which both sexes are integrated in any form (e.g. "The team is co-ed").

this is so nauseating and depressing

I find this story especially sad when viewed in light of the missing women found murdered in Cleveland. These women never made the headline news until after their deaths. Police didn't seriously question the growing numbers of the disappeared.

It's happened before -- see the Willie Pickton serial murderer story. Marginalized, women (in this case usually Native) were disappearing and police simply didn't act.

Cleveland murderer/rapist:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/04/suspected-serial-killer-charged-murder

Willie Pickton (killed at least six possibly 20+ women from downtown eastside Vancouver, BC):

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/pickton/

Taking the sexualization, class, and gender issues aside--
it bothers me that this news is presented in such a light, and it makes me wonder what Nancy Grace and CNN's motives are. Huge headlines, no name of the girl lost or an accurate photo or description of her. Aren't news broadcasts supposed to raise public awareness and help to recover missing or murdered people?
Instead we get a twisted, sensationalistic story.

Pretty interesting that a news show that happens to have a female anchor is using using an odd, no longer fitting and even sexist term.

So if Nancy Grace goes missing, how will the chyron describe her?

What in the world is the difference between
co-ed beauty and Nancy's other
usual attention getting names such as
Little Caylee, Tot Mom, Baby such and such.
SO WHAT?????????
This is American TV and is sensationalism
but in these cases a Good Thing because
it draws the public in and helps the
victims to be discovered.
How about balloon boy and his circus of a
family.
Who cares?

As long as Morgan is seen on the media,it doesn't matter what they say. her face is everywhere now, that was the family and friends intent.
Society is not going to change just because we want them to. I understand the sexualisation of it all. It can be quite disgusting. However, we want her home, so at this point it truly matters not.
2-4-1 Morgan, we love and miss you. Come home!
If you have Morgan let her go,let her come home to her family.
We will not quit you Morgan!

Nancy Grace calls all the missing girls and boys beautiful or handsome. Not just Morgan. I think she does this for the heart broken families, and because she knows what it is like to lose a loved one to violence. When she says beautiful, she may also be referring to the innocence inside of a person. A victim of an evil person.

go to hell. how can you even make a comment like that? i am friends with morgan and her family and friends are going thru hell right now.. if it was someone you knew or even your own child you would go thru anything and spend any amount of money to get his/her face out there! wouldnt you hope your dad/mom would do the same to get you back? this case has nothing to do with her being "pretty" or "blonde" the main reason is b/c she is attends Va Tech with the shooting and the behedding there lately its going to get news. she is a great bubbly person with an awesome personality and a great inner spirit. think before you make a comment like that.. if it was your friend or family you would have a different thinking, i never wish this on anyone now that i have experienced the feeling i dont want anyone to ever feel this way.

ever who has morgan-please let her go home to her family and those who love and know her. This is a terrible thing for her family to be going through. True she is pretty but that matters not. She is a young lady with her whole life ahead of her or we hope that is still an option for her sake and her parents.

This article just pisses me off!! Sure Morgan is a beauty and deserves the media attention....BUT this is a serious case! I feel like NG is poking fun at it! Listen up b%&*h... many people care about Morgan...because of who she is not because she is blonde and beautiful. Grow up Nancy!..and if you can't habndle that, then get the hell off of TV!

Nancy Grace is a sick sensationalist. She makes her money by acting like an angry advocate of something- all the while profiteering from other people's suffering.

If she was true advocate her show would be more like "America's Most Wanted" instead of all the "blips and flashing title bars saying BREAKING NEWS."

She's like Fox News except with less morals.

Nancy Grace is a drama queen. An ambulance chaser. I can think of a few other harsh words, but I will not put them in print. You get my drift.

Morgan Dana Harrington's killer will be found. R.I.P. Morgan! Your parents, your brother, and your dog will see you later, but right now, they, along with the help of VA state police are quite busy. Your faithful friends are with you Morgan. God forgives people in the media. They are not acting as Jesus, and so, may we pray for them. Morgan, your life was not in vain. You have helped to raise awareness. You will be remembered Morgan.