An Australian TV reporter was fired for asking Aussie swimming star Ian Thorpe an “inappropriate” question. Nicki Voss had an interview with The Thorpedo, and noting that he wears a size 17 shoe, she asked “if it was true what they say about men with big feet”. Thorpe apparently didn’t care for the question and complained to station management, who gave her the gate.
Make of that what you will, I guess. On the one hand, a male reporter who asked a female athlete about her breasts would surely get in trouble for it. On the other hand, firing seems a bit extreme to me. Voss wound up getting a settlement from the station, so maybe they weren’t sure they could win a lawsuit. In any event, I suppose the lesson is that unless it’s your business to ask about such things, it’s none of your business.