Mr. Burgundy has gone to Washington.
The Newseum has opened an exhibit featuring costumes and props from Will Ferrell's popular, highly-quotable 2004 film "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."
The movie, about a fictional news team's sexist reaction to the arrival of an ambitious female reporter, was a parody of real tumult in the 1970s TV business. For the exhibition, created with Paramount Pictures, Newseum curators paired more than 60 costumes and props from the "Anchorman" with real stories about TV news and the struggle for women to achieve equality in the newsroom.
In addition to Ron Burgundy's burgundy suit, displayed in a revolving case, the museum also exhibits his flute, mustache brush and a reporter's "Sex Panther" cologne. Costumes in the exhibit include those worn by Veronica Corningstone, the ambitious reporter played by Christina Applegate. There's also a replica of the "Anchorman" news desk.
For each detail from the movie, there's also a dose of reality. The Newseum pulled together stories of women who broke down barriers in television, including a Kansas City news anchor who sued her station after she was demoted for being "too old" and "too unattractive." In 1972, only 11 percent of U.S. news anchors were women.
That began to change, though, with the advent of the "Eyewitness News" format pioneered by WABC-TV in New York City and many others. The format opened doors for women and minorities in TV as stations used news teams and marketing gimmicks to win over viewers by presenting one big happy family on air.
"News teams replaced anchors and became more like the communities they covered," Trost said.
Ads promoted news shows with such slogans as "Eyewitness News: People like us because we like us." Curators pulled together clips and marketing reels from local TV history. In San Francisco, one news team dressed up like cowboys in a Western to showcase their folksy charm.
The pop culture phenomenon of TV news has been parodied by "Saturday Night Live," ''Murphy Brown," ''The Simpsons," and other shows, and that's captured in the exhibit as well.
The exhibit coincides with the release of the sequel "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," which opens in theaters in December. On Dec. 17, the Newseum will open a new section with costumes and props from the newest movie.
"Anchorman: The Exhibit" opened on Thursday and will be on view at the Newseum through August 2014.