Posted on 07/14/2007 12:43:37 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
"Stripper." "Bimbo." "Permanently tan."
These are just a few of the adjectives used in the media lately to describe Jeri Kehn Thompson.
She's the wife of likely Republican presidential candidate and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, and one of the latest women to have characteristics associated with "trophy wives."
Thompson joins the ranks of other notable women who have been referred to as trophy wives, like Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith.
But is she really a trophy wife? Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description.
Can a woman be so accomplished on her own and still be considered her husband's "trophy"?
ABCNEWS.com set out to figure out exactly what makes an ordinary wife into a trophy wife.
The Anatomy of a Trophy Wife
Some say it's youth and good looks, others argue smarts and success, and still others believe the formula for the ultimate trophy wife is a cocktail of beauty and intelligence.
Many believe the term is highly sexist and demeaning toward women, but others are certain some women would do just about anything to be crowned a trophy wife.
A 1989 article in Fortune magazine may have introduced the phrase, describing a trophy wife as a woman who is a "decade or two younger than her husband, sometimes several inches taller, beautiful, and very often accomplished."
A man who marries for the second and third time, the article explained, was likely looking for a partner who was a lot like his first wife -- just younger, more beautiful and successful enough to have her own career (but not so much so that she steals the spotlight).
But the meaning of the phrase has changed, some experts say, with more and more emphasis being placed on the success of the woman.
"The idea of the trophy wife has progressed so that men want a woman who has some social equality, and it's not a dominant-submissive relationship," said Anne Kingston, author of "The Meaning of Wife." "Increasingly, it's not simply the decoration that a truly accomplished man wants, but an equal."
But stereotypes still abound, and the superficial connotation associated with trophy wives is hard to avoid.
"When we talk about a trophy, it doesn't matter how successful a woman is. It comes down to the decorative aspect and the idea that she's a babe," said Kingston.
Smarts and Sex Appeal Are the Key Ingredients, Some Experts Say "The general conception of a trophy wife is that she knows how to wear expensive clothes, is good looking and can make chitchat at cocktail parties," said Raoul Felder, a celebrity divorce lawyer who has worked with so-called trophy wives. "A trophy by definition just hangs out there."
Is The Trophy Wife Label Sexist?
To some, the fact that there is no prevalent trophy husband stereotype for men makes the trophy wife label seem that much more unfair to women. And some consider it offensive that the term implies that the wife is an object who is bought, or won by a husband.
"The individual sees the wife as a highly desirable object to obtain, roughly equivalent to one's vacation house, one's expensive car and one's status possessions," said Michael Cunningham, a psychologist who specializes in physical attractiveness. "So to be labeled as a desirable object by definition means one has value. But one is not being complimented for one's passion or intelligence."
In fact, Kehn Thompson, who formerly worked as a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, has quite an impressive resume. She could not be reached for comment regarding her description as a trophy wife.
"People may not like Mrs. Thompson for whatever reasons, but she's an accomplished woman, and to call her a trophy wife is really sexist," said Paul Costello, former press secretary for Kitty Dukakis. "And it's really demeaning. No one would use those terms to a guy who was good looking and stylish. I find it really sexist."
Take It as a Compliment
Claims of sexism may abound, but at the end of the day, many women would be flattered to be considered a trophy wife, and those who are not may actually aspire to become one, according to Dr. Debbie Then, a social psychologist who specializes in women and appearance.
"Any woman who is deemed a trophy wife has sort of a feather in her cap, it's a compliment," said Then. "I think most of the women think it's flattering on some level. Because no matter what a woman does in her life, when the chips are down, women are all evaluated based on their appearance."
Smarts and Sex Appeal Are the Key Ingredients, Some Experts Say.
But there may be such a thing as being too beautiful, she said, and many women feel slighted when their beauty is the only thing people notice.
"There can be that double-edged sword that she can be too good looking for her own good," said Then. "It can take away from her other qualities, and people might see her as less professional."
Why the Men Are Smiling
Even if some women are pleased about the trophy wife label, men are likely even happier. Having an attractive wife, some say, cannot only make the husband feel more powerful, but may even make him appear more attractive to others.
"The concept of trophy wives is more focused on the man than the woman in the sense that he has gotten a trophy," said Dr. Lucia Gilbert, a professor at the department of educational psychology and the director of women's studies at the University of Texas-Austin. "He has been able to snag, in a sense, a spouse or a wife that other men are envious of.
And there's the radiated beauty effect, which proves that men who have attractive spouses are considered more popular, more attractive and more successful by other people, regardless of their own looks.
"An unattractive man or a reasonably attractive man will be elevated in the eyes of those around him if he's with an attractive woman," said Then. "And if she's a young beauty queen, even better. People think he must be fabulous to have attracted her."
So Does Mrs. Thompson Fit the Bill?
Whether Kehn Thompson really is a trophy wife may ultimately be up to her to decide. Depending on her perspective on the label, she may deem the trophy wife branding as an insult or a compliment.
Until she says otherwise, it's probably safe to assume that for now Kehn Thompson is OK with dropping the "trophy" moniker and just being a regular wife.
But hey, if it has any chance of hurting her husband with women in the polls, we're going to play along!
BTW, I’ve only seen one picture of Mrs. T, any FReepers have any others? You know, just so I can better understand the point of the article. =)
I know trophy wives and this occasion does not apply. I suspect
major jealousy by the DemocRAT bearded women.
I must support Darkwolf377’s post above. It is very hard to understand this article without any visual evidence.
:)
Ah, the media is jealous. They just can’t stand an older Republican with a young wife. Now if it is Hollyweird that’s okay and if it’s a demorat that’s okay too. But a Republican? Maybe it’s because the Republicans have good looking ones and the demorats have those that look like Cindy Sheehan or Helen Thomas.
To me, HTML is an abbreviation for Hotmail, so someone else will have to post photos. BTW, there’s a good picture if you click thru to the article... ;-)
No trophy husband stereotype? I guess they made that "How to Marry a Millionaire" movie before this writer was born.
Always good to see journalists applying the "women and children hardest hit" angle to a story.
Does this mean Hillary Rotten Clinton is Bubba’s trophy wife?
SHRILLARY! is the booby prize.
Wow, what a nasty hitpiece disguised as journalism. Ranks right up there with “have you ever been caught beating your wife?”
Yes, the term “tropy wife” is definitely demeaning to women, and so discussions of this issue should be immediately illegalized.
In fact, the phrase “tall, intelligent, attractive woman a decade or two younger than her huaband” is likewise demeaning to women everywhere, and thus must not be allowed in polite discourse.
Anna Nicole Smith? What kind of a trophy was she?
It is for those readers that do NOT know him that these articles are aimed at. Those people who do not follow politics very closely, especially so many months away from the election.
Follow the link to the actual article. The title is "Blond and Beautiful" along with a photo showing Fred and Jeri together. Someone could easily see that article and read it not really caring about the election and come away with a negative opinion of Fred, without knowing anything about his politics.
This article is carefully crafted to not come out and actually say Jeri is a trophy wife... the article just repeats what other articles have claimed.
Just look at the first line of the article. Is not one of the first rules of journalism (though what does journalism have to do with ABC?) to make your point early in the article? Many people will only read the first few lines of an article to decide if they wish to read on. If all they read is "Stripper." "Bimbo." "Permanently tan." after looking at the picture, just what kind of opinion will the reader, who doesn't know Fred, have? Very likely negative. Maybe not. But all it takes is a few swing voters, which of course, is what matters.
That is why the mainstream media is all over this right now... it is something that they feel will gain some traction against Fred.
Don't forget, the liberal media doesn't have to tell the truth to make a point with the public... they just have to make it sound good and repeat it over and over again. It is right out of the Goebbels playbook.
Personally, I think it will be awesome when there are little kids living in the White House again.
No matter, even liberal Dims in TN like Thompsom, because he is likeable guy. These attacks won’t make a difference.
Will ABC report on these athletes' trophy wives? ...never.
We don’t watch TV News so we have never seen a picture of Mrs. Thompson,
I wonder if the Thompsons are planning on having children?
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