Game show announcer...and 9 other jobs women aren't hired for

Who would have thought Wheel of Fortune would put a notch on the belt of women's lib? Despite inventing the post-pagaent job of letter-turner, the game show is marking a milestone for women on Monday with the first female game show announcer. Lora Cain doesn't have the job yet, but she's auditioning on the show over the next two weeks to replace the 28-year veteran Charlie O'Donnell who passed away last year. A self help author and voice over artist, she'll go down in history as the first woman to ever introduce Pat, Vanna or any game show contestant in America for that matter.

It's hardly "first woman president," but it does serve to remind us of the jobs we're still regularly denied. Consider this Operation 2011: here are a few doors we need to bust down by this time next year.

1. Restauranteur/Celeb Chef: "Top Chef: All-Stars" is proof alone-the two male hosts have celebrated restaurants, while the two female hosts are cookbook author/editor types. Sandra Lee, Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis aren't know for their Michelin star outposts, but for quick and easy recipes. Aside from say, Julia Child or Alice Waters, female celebrity chefs aren't considered culinary innovators and rarely commandeer actual service kitchens. Where's our Erica Ripert? (See what I did there?)

2. Blockbuster Action Movie Director: Catherine Bigelow may have made directorial history by winning the directing Oscar for "The Hurt Locker" but there's still more work to be done. According to the L.A. Times no woman has ever directed a movie with a budget over $100 million, the kind most valued by industry moguls.

3. Doorman: You don't see many women in bell-caps escorting people to the cars under umbrellas. The first one in New York was hired almost 20 years ago and there hasn't been much of a rise in stats since then.

4. Firefighters: Despite the fact that women are legally entitled to the job (and have worked it), many male firefighters are still wary of their ability. In New York City, there are only 32. "It's a physical job. It requires physical strength," NYC Deputy Chief Paul Mannix told the Post. "People ask why there aren't more women in the Fire Department. Why aren't there more women in the NFL or Major League Baseball?" That's a good question, Paul. We're not allowed to (see below).

5. Baseball/Football Star: Women were banned from being signed to MLB teams in 1952. And even if we'd like to play for say, the WNFL, we can't because it doesn't exist. Ever heard of the Kentucky Karmas or the Marana She-Devils? They're teams with the National Women's Football Association (NWFA), a fairly ignored league. They used to be NWFL, but they were forced to change their name by the NFL, who didn't want to be associated with a bunch of players who "throw like girls."

6. MLB General Manager: Maybe if we could just be the boss of a team, we'd change the rules but that hasn't happened yet. As of now there are two female assistant GM's in Major League Baseball, but their odds of being promoted to top dog are slim. Statistically they hold less than one in five senior professional jobs in the league. Less than one.

7. Car company design chief: No female has ever held this position at a major car company. Ever.

8. UN Secretary General: There have technically been nine, but not one a woman. In December of this year, South Korea's Ban Ki Moon is up for re-election, ladies.

9. Magician: What is up with that? Magic is a boys' club, a nerdy awkward boys' club which might contribute to their unwillingness to deal with anxiety-inducing distractions, like vaginas. Another theory is that women who practice magic are just mislabeled witches. Regardless, you'll be hard-pressed to find a female David Blaine headlining a Vegas show or a prime-time special anytime soon.


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