Existing comment:
The Story Behind 'Anchorman':
Behind the Story:
Telling the story of the TV newsroom battle of the sexes "from the side of the guys" was the idea that inspired actor Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay to write the screenplay for "Anchorman."
It all started with a documentary Ferrell saw about pioneering anchorwoman Jessica Savitch. What intrigued him was a confession by Mort Crim, her co-anchor at KYW-TV in Philadelphia in the 1970s. "I was a typical, traditional 1972 male chauvinist anchor," Crim said. "I liked women, but I wasn't sure that their place was necessarily sitting beside me on an anchor set, doing what I did."
Hearing men talk about how threatened they were by women in the newsroom during that era led to a big idea. How about a satirical comedy about the testosterone-fueled world of the 1970s newsroom from the point of view of the male anchorman?
Enter Ron Burgundy, one of the most politically incorrect broadcasters in film history.
"The whole era marked the clash of male chauvinism and feminism," Ferrell said. "It was a time when both issues came to a head, which really served our story. The point was just to have fun while getting to comment on a few things."
Adds McKay: "Let's just say it was a time of pre-social consciousness." |