Jessica Williams has been a vital part of the Daily Show team for the past couple of years.
When Jon Stewart announced he'd be leaving his role as Daily Show host, a lot of people began suggesting that Williams be considered for the position.
But Williams took to Twitter to say she wasn't looking to take over Stewart's spot.
Fact 1: I'm not hosting. Thank you but I am extremely under-qualified for the job!
That's when The Billfold's Ester Bloom decided to write a piece claiming WIlliams was simply suffering from "Imposter Syndrome."
What's imposter syndrome? Explained Bloom:
A well-documented phenomenon in which men look at their abilities vs the requirements of a job posting and round up, whereas women do the same and round down, calling themselves "unqualified."
Bloom claimed that Williams' was simply a victim of having a lack of self worth.
How modest! How self-effacing! You can almost hear all the old white people who benefit from the status quo nodding their approval. We did it, they whisper. We have succeeded in instilling in yet another competent, confident young woman a total lack of understanding of her own self-worth! We didn't even need to undermine her; we gave her the tools and she undermined herself. Well done all. Good show. Let's play eighteen holes and then hit up Hooters for lunch.
Bloom went on to say that Williams simply needed a Sheryl Sandberg-style Lean In group to give her a "pep talk."
Bullshit. All Williams needs is a pep talk. Get Luvvie in a room with her, and Jazmine, and Amy Poehler and Lena Dunham. Get Paul Feig in there too, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, and George R. R. Martin. Get her the best Lean In group of all time. She will emerge as from a funeral pyre, naked and coiled in dragons, ready to lead.
In response, Williams took to Twitter to defend herself.
In a series of tweets she's since deleted, Williams decried Blooms assumptions about her own agency.
And chided Bloom for not respecting her choices.
Bloom eventually apologized for her piece.
Just going to say this & then keep listening & learning: I was wrong. I'm sorry. I was flip & presumptuous, & I offended someone I respect.
