Lauren Conrad covers the April issue of Redbook, and I don’t like this cover all that much. It’s mostly because LC’s hair looks totally fried!! LC used to have decent hair so I’m not sure what’s happening here. Anyway, she’s been sort of quiet since getting married last summer, but she talks about her new husband, William Tell, and how he’s the first guy she’s ever wanted to marry. Which is weird, because I’m pretty sure she and Kyle Howard broke up because he wasn’t interested in marriage, but whatever. Some highlights from Redbook:
Do women have to be loud divas to be successful? “Over the last few years I’ve been able to work with several women who I really respected because they didn’t take on that role of being a bitch. They were strong, but they were kind and they didn’t need to shout to be heard. A lot of women feel like they need to be tough in order to be taken seriously. We have this idea that kindness is weakness, which I don’t think is true.”
Meeting William Tell: “[I was] never a person who was obsessed with the idea of marriage.” Lauren says that William is “the first person I ever thought I could marry.”
William Tell is a lawyer: “I watch The Good Wife with him, and he’s like ‘That’s incorrect. You would actually do this…’ It’s a nightmare!”
Whether her kids will do a reality show: “I definitely wouldn’t encourage my child to do reality television.”
LC also says she’s not feeling any pressure to start a family just yet, which sounds about right because she’s just 29 years old. I bet she waits another year or so and when she does get knocked up, her business will expand with TONS of kids’ stuff (although she already has a kids’ line).
Yeah… I know this was sort of boring, but you know what? I do kind of like her. It’s nice to see that at least one person made it out of the reality show system with some kind of grace and business skill. As for LC’s comment about women not needing to be “bitches” to get things done… I see her point. But what if we’re just naturally bitchy and we happen to get things done? There seems to be a presupposition that if a woman comes across as a bitch, then she’s just playing that role to get something done. What if that’s just her personality?
Photos courtesy of Redbook.
She looks different. Maybe its just her growing up but she doesnt look the same to me. I really like her though and happy she is the most successful Laguna Beach castmate.
I feel like for me, at my job especially, I have to be a bitch to a small degree because I used to be this quiet, soft spoken person and it didn’t get me anywhere. Now I speak loud and clear and I get what I want.
Yep. I’ve worked my whole career to balance assertiveness with a positive attitude. You need to speak up to get your ideas valued in the workplace, but dayum there can be days when the whole b.s is infuriating and you just want to let your rage fly. Totally worth the effort to keep it in. I barely know who this Lauren Conrad is, but I’d like to tell her that assertiveness and diva behavior are not the same thing. Divas are only pursuing their own glory. That’s not a leadership skill.
I don’t think speaking loud and clear makes you a bitch. I don’t think getting frustrated makes you a bitch. These are perfectly acceptable and normal workplace feelings and attitudes. Like bettyrose said, balance assertiveness with a positive attitude, just like a man would. We really need to stop saying that assertiveness and having a voice in the workplace = bitch. I work with many strong women, and I wouldn’t classify any of them as a bitch – it’s being an a*hole that makes you a bitch, not your voice, gender, or your work ethic.
/end rant.
It definitely depends on the job and the atmosphere.
That’s not being a “bitch,” that’s being assertive. We’ve just been trained in this culture to view female authority negatively.
She’s from my hometown and reminds me a lot of my best friend from childhood, so I’ve always had a soft spot for her. Looks like getting married aged her style quite a bit.
The problem is that professional women who are assertive and decisive are often deemed “bitchy” while men exhibiting the same managerial traits are viewed as powerful.
I still like LC though.
TOK – you are 100% correct. I work in a male dominated profession and although I don’t consider myself bitchy, I do have to speak up for myself on occasion and it does not seem to get taken the same way as when guys do it.
Yup. 10000000000000%.
I recently spoke up at work about a continued frustration (that impacts my job daily) regarding a certain ongoing issue with one of our suppliers. I wasn’t the only one. A male colleague also spoke up just as passionately as I did expressing the same ongoing frustrations. The next time the supplier rep came in to our office he greeted me with “And how’s angry, emotional layla doing today?” The male colleague was greeted with his regular handshake, smiles and male bonding water cooler chat.
@layla, did you call him out for that horrible comment?? that’s so unacceptable.
i’m fortunate that i live in an area and work for a company that values strong women. i have no problem speaking up, and if anyone called me a bitch or patronized me, i would call them out on it without batting an eye.
my blood is boiling for you right now, layla.
I know it’s Redbook but I kind of like the attire, I’m sick of seeing women’s boobs and ass being shoved in my face with most of the magazine covers
I quite like her a lot too! At my old job, I was in a management team with 2 other women around my age. They took their motto of “bitches get things done” by being extremely rude, unappreciative, and altogether unpleasant. The team did not respect them at all. You can still feel empowered and a leader and also treat people with respect and kindness. But that’s just me!
See I don’t consider that behaviour bitchy, that behaviour is just being an asshole. I think we should be claiming the word bitchy for something better than just rude behaviour.
There is an expectation that women will cede to men on many issues and when they don’t, they get called bitchy. That is the kind of thing we need to fix.
.
If a woman is “naturally bitchy” by virtue of her personality — I interact with her as little as possible.
ditto!!! I don’t need nastiness in my life, whether it’s natural personality or persona.
agreed. If you’re naturally bitchy, you need to change your attitude and personality.
Whhhat are her jeans in that other picture. I understand not wanting to go the super skinny jeans route but that is like a junior high resurgence of the 70s.
I looove LC! Always have. She’s always been so chill and career focused, even from Laguna days. She and Lo seem like they made it out alive/successful.
Sometimes, women need to be bitches. I hope she understands that.
Being bitchy and being assertive aren’t the same thing. Too many people think you can’t be one without the other.
Her hair was styled horribly here! Also, enough with the two tone color. Ombre hair needs to go away.
I don’t know who this woman is but I agree with everything that she said here.
I’m in a management position and I’m always trying to find ways to be persuasive and tenacious without being bitchy because that’s not my disposition at all. I think she means it for the people who aren’t naturally bitchy, like it’s ok to not try to be bitchy, just be who you are and you can still succeed.
Assertiveness works, Lauren built her empire not from being timid or being hard to work with, relationships work and it is the best way to succeed in a tough business. A few weeks ago Heidi Montag went on a reality show about marriage counseling and “forgave” Lauren for “ruining her life.” I think this story is an excellent comeback.