At the beginning of an article profiling the book The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch), Hanna Seligson of the New York Daily News asserts that Heather Locklear's iconic Melrose Place character, Amanda Woodward, ushered in a new era of "bitchy" female bosses. The article then goes on to talk about the book and how various women find it difficult to be forceful but nuturing bosses at the same time. But it never goes back to discussing the influence of Locklear's mini-skirt-wearing power-hussy on the American workscape. And it doesn't look like the book discusses it, either, at least judging by the content of the article.

Which makes me wonder: Is this writer just going for an easy intro, or does she really believe female bosses everywhere "suddenly" felt it was OK to become shrill and catty in 1993 because "hey, Heather's doing it!"?

Methinks that any boss, male or female, who wanted to act like a jerk didn't need a television show to make it OK, but that's just me. I mean, I had plenty of asshole bosses before Michael Scott and The Office ever came on the scene... oh wait... scratch that. Never know who might be reading this.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

[via Gawker]