In And Now, Back to You, B. K. Borison illustrates how workplace sexism can manifest as the denigration of feminine-coded traits like joy and warmth, equating them with a lack of professional competence. Delilah’s career is systematically sabotaged by her boss, Keith, not because she’s unskilled but because her popular, effervescent persona earns her the admiration of her peers and challenges his narrow, masculine-coded definition of professionalism. He resents her for succeeding on her own terms, referring to her as a “good-time girl” (207), an antiquated term traditionally used to describe sex workers or women perceived as sexually available. The narrative critiques this form of misogyny by demonstrating its harmful effects on Delilah both personally and professionally and by invalidating Keith’s perspective by positioning Delilah’s enthusiasm and affability as professional assets. 

Keith’s tactics specifically target Delilah’s whimsical on-air personality by assigning her a series of humiliating assignments designed to damage her credibility as a serious journalist. Rather than allowing her to focus on meteorology, her area of expertise, he demands that she take on assignments designed to make her look like a joke. These include wearing an oversized turtle costume to report on an aquarium arrival, reporting from an actual toilet during Hampdenfest, and standing in the harbor next to a submerged shopping cart. These tasks are intended to erode her credibility and reinforce the idea that she’s a “puff piece, at best” (208). His efforts reflect a misogynistic worldview that seeks to punish women who don’t conform to stoic, traditionally masculine standards of authority, asserting that a woman can’t be both joyful and competent.

Keith’s animosity is fueled by his resentment of Delilah’s popularity, which he perceives as a threat to his authority. His tactics escalate after Delilah “score[s] the highest out of the broadcast team” during a viewer analysis of all the station’s on-air personalities (66), despite Keith’s efforts to undermine her, positioning his behavior as an attempt to reify an entrenched pattern of workplace sexism that Delilah’s growing popularity defies. In Delilah’s final confrontation with Keith, he admits that he hates her because “everyone else loves [her]” (387). Borison makes clear that his resentment is rooted in his inability to control a successful woman who thrives by being her authentic self. By tying his actions to jealousy over her public popularity, the book frames his sexism as a desperate attempt to maintain power by discrediting a woman whose natural charisma he cannot replicate.

Ultimately, the narrative validates Delilah’s professional accomplishments by having her workplace community reject Keith’s toxic leadership. When he tries to remove her from the snowstorm coverage, her colleagues—from cameraman Mark and researcher Gianna to the on-air anchors—organize a “hostile takeover” of the broadcast to ensure that she gets her rightful airtime. This collective action repudiates Keith’s misogynistic tactics. The story culminates with Ava, the head of the parent company, firing Keith and reinstating Delilah, formally acknowledging that her ability to connect with the community is an asset, not a liability. As she tells Delilah, “I can see now that somewhere along the way, [Keith] began to shape the narrative to suit himself. I apologize for the oversight, Delilah. It won’t happen again” (424). This resolution champions the idea that feminine joy and professional success are not mutually exclusive and that a truly healthy work environment makes space for authenticity.