What's My Logo?: Wolf Blitzer On His Beard: "I Work Hard To Look Good"
Wolf Blitzer, CNN's lead political anchor and host of "The Situation Room" and "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," has become a familiar face in over 200 countries. True, he covers key events that shape the international political landscape, but I also wanted to know how he shapes his beard and, in the process, developed one of the most distinctive looks in television news.
How long have you had your beard?
When I was in college I started growing a beard because I hated shaving. It came in and I thought it looked cool - in those days it was strawberry blonde. Then I shaved it off and had it off for a few years. And then about 30 years ago, I was on vacation and started letting it grow. I trim it every 4 -5 days. I do it myself with a little beard trimmer with a safety gizmo that even I won't screw up.
Has anyone ever said anything negative to you about your beard?
Some people did say some negative things, especially when it started to go grey: "Lose it!" "It's making you look old!" And I remember at one point -- I think it was the 1996 presidential convention in San Diego when I was the White House correspondent -- my beard was really beginning to change colors, and I saw the president of CNN, Tom Johnson. We were walking from one event to another and I said "Tom, I'm seriously thinking of shaving off my beard. What do you think?" And he looked at me as if I was crazy and he said, "Shaving off your beard? Are you crazy? I'm thinking of taking an insurance policy out on it!" He obviously saw that it had developed as part of my look and style, and our viewers had come to recognize it. It became part of my brand.
What are your other style signatures?
During the Iraq war in 2003, I was anchoring coverage in Kuwait City, where the American troops were based to launch the invasion, and I was on the air for weeks at a time. It was cold and the middle of the night and I had a jacket that became signature garment that people were commenting on - the collar was up, the collar was down. And earlier, when I was the senior White House correspondent in the 90's doing a lot of live shots on the North Lawn for CNN, I had a trench coat that people were always commenting on and asking about. For some reason, because I was on the air so much, people started asking questions about this standard trench coat. Some of them were sick of looking at it, some were asking, "Where did you get it?", "Was it warm enough?" These were the two basic fashion items that had some sort of resonance out there.
Why do you think they were so interested in your jackets?
Maybe they were bored with the subject I was talking about and just started paying attention to the outfit I was wearing -- I have no idea! People are interested in the clothes that reporters wear on TV. I get a lot of comments on my ties. I almost always wear a dark suit with blue or white shirt, and a distinctive tie.
How do you make your necktie purchasing decisions?
I have an excellent personal shopper: my wife Lynn. She is a professional shopper at Saks.
Does it surprise you that people are so interested in your clothes given the subjects that you cover?
It used to. After the first Gulf War back in 1991 and during the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of '91, I was the Pentagon correspondent for CNN and I was doing major heavy duty stories of the 20th century and people would stop me at the supermarket and say, "You know, I really liked that tie you were wearing." They didn't say "That was brilliant reporting!" but they would talk to me about my tie. In the beginning I was flabbergasted, but over the years I have come to accept that is one element of how people react.
What do your clothes say about who you are professionally?
I try to let them say that I'm a serious professional journalist, and I take my wardrobe seriously. I want to make sure I look nice and my clothes are flattering to me; and I work hard to look good. I know that if you look bad on TV -- it's not a career-ender -- but it's certainly not going to help your career. I am not only representing myself, but I'm also representing my shows on CNN, and I'm representing CNN, so I just want to make sure that I don't embarrass the brand.
Do you think personal style is a professional asset?
Yes, I do. I always tell people: Make sure you look good, your hair looks good, your outfits look good. What you wear says something about you. And you want to look professional. Men should look responsible, professional, and decent. Women not too provocative or skimpy -- that probably won't help your career too much. But I always give everyone the same advice: be yourself. That was best advice I got when I went into TV: "Let Wolf be Wolf." You will be good at something if you believe in it and it's natural to you. Just don't take on some look or posture that is totally alien because you will probably collapse and fail in the process.
What are your other signature traits?
The emails I send are very polite and I always sign with "Thanks and Best Wishes." I'm not a terse emailer.
What advice do you have for young professionals creating their own personal brand identity?
Be yourself. Be comfortable with who you are. And know that you are not just representing yourself; you are representing the organization that hired you.
"What's My Logo?," a biweekly Q&A on the Huffington Post's Living section, will address the professional importance of personal style with prominent businesspeople, leaders and personalities. Come back Monday January 21st for the next installment.
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Wolf used to be Publicity Director for the Israel Lobby.
He pretends to be an unbiased reporter as he spends a good amount of his time covering the Middle East. He's a shill for the Israel Lobby (the group that is lobbying for us to bomb Iran) and you're asking him about his beard?
He did a "hit job" on Jimmy Carter by getting his Zionist-Zealot pals Dershowitz and Foxman to come onto his show and pronounce Carter an anti-semite.
There should be a caption under his program letting the viewers know that he's spent a good chunk of his life as an Israel-Firster and that he now is reporting as a shill for the Israel Lobby.
Wolf stop trimming your beard and ask this, why is the U.S. last?
WASHINGTON (AFP) — France is tops, and the United States dead last, in providing timely and effective healthcare to its citizens, according to a survey Tuesday of preventable deaths in 19 industrialized countries.
Hey Wolfie, better keep working.
He never has looked good, so I can understand why he has to work hard at it.
till
Gee Wolf, maybe you should work hard at trying to be a journalist instead.
Your beard was once [sic] strawberry blonde? Get a life, Wolfie. And while you're at it, lose the droning non-stop blather. Watching and listening to you is a form of mild torture.
No one worked harder at using the "Dean scream" to torpedo the progressive movement in the Democratic party than Wolfie.
He is a rotten little man, a liar and a shill for Bush.
He is never to be trusted.
Except for Cafferty, I think his show sucks. His beard, too.
Both Blitzer and CNN are embarassments to journalism. So I guess it's a perfect match?
It is shameful that he does not work as hard to be good as he works to look good.
I guess in that case he wouldn't be on that tiny screen spouting his hate and lies to the detriment of life and peace on earth.
Blitzer is typical of today's infotainment world that is the smoldering ruins of American journalism.
Wolf needs to work hard at being a journalist instead of a god damn political hack.
I'd rather you worked harder at telling the truth and using less inuendo when dealing with progressives and democratic representatives(real ones, not the phony ones you have on your "panels") than in your grooming standards. I hate the FoxNewsWhorehouse so if I want to watch news I am unfortunately stuck watching you until Lou comes on and then KEITH OLBERMANN!!! The God of the Airwaves..
So Wolfie, try working harder at being an honest and actual neutral "journalist" than at your ties and beard.
Huh. I didn't realize Wolf Blitzer was so vain. But then again, isn't everyone on TV vain?
The Situation Room would be a great show without Wolf. I agree with Jon Stewart that the show is "unwatchable". Unfortunately, I refuse to watch FOX. I wish Wolf and his almost daily guest Donna Brazile would ride off into the sunset. She, too, is totally worthless.
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Posted January 7, 2008 | 12:59 AM (EST)