On January 11, Snooki, star of MTV's popular reality show Jersey Shore, made an appearance on the TODAY show to promote her new book. Kathie Lee, having watched (I assume) some of Jersey Shore, felt that this was a great opportunity to shame Snooki for her sex life. Snooki sat and listened politely as Kathie Lee asked her how she's justify her behavior to her imaginary, future babies and said things like "I'd be crazed if you were my daughter." The kicker was that, at the very end of the interrogation— oops, I mean interview— Kathie Lee tells her to "value yourself more. Don't give yourself away to just any jerk, okay?" Kathie Lee just can't wrap her mind around a the concept of a young woman enjoying her sex life and having fun.

At first blush, maybe you don't have a problem with that. Maybe you think Snooki brings it on herself. Maybe you even think that Kathie Lee is right. If so, ask yourself this: would Kathie Lee ever, in a million years and a million extraTODAY show hours, say that to a young man? I don't think so.

This is a clear case of slut-shaming. It is an unfair, hurtful double standard. Tell Kathie Lee and the TODAY show to apologize for her behavior and to commit to ending such sexist, unprofessional treatment of female guests. 

Photo credit: numberstumper