Posted on 07/19/2010 9:21:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
In today’s economy, looking good is no longer something we can dismiss as frivolous or vain. How beauty can affect your job, your career, your life.
Most of us have heard the story of Debrahlee Lorenzana, the 33-year-old Queens, N.Y., woman who sued Citibank last month, claiming that, in pencil skirts, turtlenecks, and peep-toe stilettos, she was fired from her desk job for being “too hot.” We’ve also watched Lorenzana’s credibility come into question, as vintage clips of her appearance on a reality-TV show about plastic surgery portray a rambling, attention-obsessed twit, stuffed to the brim with implants and collagen. (“I love plastic surgery,” she coos. “I think it’s the best thing that ever happened.”) Creepy, yes. But for all the talk about this woman’s motives—and whether or not she was indeed fired for her looks—there’s one question nobody seems to want to ask: isn’t it possible Lorenzana’s looks got her the job in the first place?
Not all employers are that shallow—but it’s no secret we are a culture consumed by image. Economists have long recognized what’s been dubbed the “beauty premium”—the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in, well, almost everything. Handsome men earn, on average, 5 percent more than their less-attractive counterparts (good-looking women earn 4 percent more); pretty people get more attention from teachers, bosses, and mentors; even babies stare longer at good-looking faces (and we stare longer at good-looking babies). A couple of decades ago, when the economy was thriving—and it was a makeup-less Kate Moss, not a plastic-surgery-plumped Paris Hilton, who was considered the beauty ideal—we might have brushed off those statistics as superficial.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Are they saying Obamie is an airhead? /s
Aside from the adult industry, I imagine there are jobs where employers would prefer to choose something for their looks to attract people that say, such as for car sales.
There are lots of job where it makes sense for the employers to be “lookist.” Those women who squirt you with perfume in department stores, etc. Any business that is selling image, such as clothing retail, shoes, cosmetics and things like that have a right to project the king of image they are selling.
If my observations are worth anything, relatively few scientists were hired for their looks.
uh, yeah, like they needed a study (Taxpayer funder, surely) to figure this out?
From the same people who made the astounding discovery that men are different from women.
Lets be honest here folks, how many jobs really require vast amounts of intellect versus just requiring repetitive and predictable behavior? Given that, an average intelligence person who easy on the eyes with a nice disposition will win hands down. Who wants an ugly bored MENSA witch around all day?
While watching a football game, who would you rather serve you wings and pour your beer....Rosie O’Donnell or Jessica Alba???
“Not all MENSA members are unattractive: IQ 156.”
Was there a picture with this post or am I to assume you are smoking hot?
I am not so attractive, but brilliant, and I remain well-employed no matter how bad the economy.
We ugly people have known this all our lives.
I once owned a company and needed to hire an in-house attorney, who would report directly to me.
One of the applicants was an outrageously gorgeous woman. My heart skipped a beat the minute I saw her.
I knew right away I wouldn’t hire her, because I didn’t want to deal with the distraction of being attracted to her, especially given that I was engaged at the time.
Some people have it all — Attractiveness and IQ.
1. Natalie Portman – Natalie Portman graduated high school with a 4.0 and headed off to Harvard where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology. She attended Hebrew University on a graduate level and is fluent in Hebrew, French and Japanese.
2. Kate Beckinsale – Studied French, Russian and literature at Oxford University. She also won the W.H. Smith Young Writers’ competition twice with short stories and poems. Speaks German,Russian and French fluently.
3. Quentin Tarantino – Though he made a dumb move by dropping out of high school, Quentin Tarantino is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 160.
4. Jodie Foster – Graduated as valedictorian from the French-speaking Lycee Francais de Los Angeles. After which she attended Yale and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature. Jodie speaks French fluently.
5. Sharon Stone – Well-publicized member of MENSA, Sharon enrolled in Edinboro Univeristy in Pennsylvania at the age of 15. She has an I.Q. of 154.
6. Matt Damon - A consistent straight-A student through grade school and high school, Matt studied English at Harvard University.
7. Alicia Keys – Graduated high school at the age of 16 and also served as Valedictorian. Gave up a scholarship to Columbia University to pursue a career in music.
8. Steve Martin – He may be a wild and crazy guy, but Steve Martin is no fool. He majored in Philosophy at Cal. State and even considered becoming a professor at one time. He’s a member of MENSA and his IQ is estimated to be about 152.
9. Shakira – With an IQ of 140, Shakira is more than just a pretty face
10. Claire Danes – Attended the upscale Dalton School in New York City and also the Lycee Francais des Los Angeles. Finally she studied psychology at Yale before giving up education in favor of an acting career.
11.Geena Davis – Went to Sweden on a student exchange program and is now fluent in Swedish. Studied Drama at Boston University, plays piano, flute, drums and organ and is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 140.
12. Nicole Kidman – Though Nicole dropped out of college, she has an IQ of 132.
13. James Woods – James Woods scored 1580 in his SATs, including a perfect 800 on the verbal. He majored in Political Science at M.I.I. and is a member of MENSA with an IQ of 180.
14. Dolph Lundgren - this Swedish actor and director has an IQ of 160 putting him up there with some of the smartest people in the world. In addition to being a graduate of Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology, Dolph also has is Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Sydney and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to M.I.T. – he only lasted at M.I.T. for two weeks however, as he left to pursue a career in show biz.
156? You got to be kidding, those are surely no more than 36D’s...oh..wait..you said IQ. Nevermind.
“6. Matt Damon - A consistent straight-A student through grade school and high school, Matt studied English at Harvard University.”
..... this brings your whole list into serious doubt............
RE: We ugly people have known this all our lives.
“The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is why he made so many of them.” (Abraham Lincoln)
I’m not smoking hot, but I look like a big fit football player, which women seem to like.
And I am a MENSA member.
“She has a tattoo on her forearm and is dressed like a tart.”
Well, she is a famous singer. Pop-tart is part of the gig.
The tatoo is in Hebrew (I think), from where she got married to someone in Israel. I’d love a Jewish Freeper to translate it.
“I’m not smoking hot, but I look like a big fit football player, which women seem to like.
And I am a MENSA member.”
Being a guy, I am real happy the girls find you attractive. Hopefully you find them attractive as well.
Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”
The way a man should pick a woman to marry is by first judging the content of her character and then her looks and communication skills.
Famous singer huh. Who is she?
Who is to say she didn’t use her looks to get a better score on the test? If the proctor was some pimply-faced nerd graduate student, um...y’know?
And you’re modest, too!
“Who is she?”
Dorota Rabczewska a/k/a Doda Elektroda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorota_Rabczewska
http://www.gizmodiva.com/other_stuff/doda_elektroda_is_the_worlds_most_beautiful_genius.php
Rowlf!
Well I’m devastatingly handsome, positively brilliant....and humble. Yet, I’m unemployed. Go figure.
Rush Limbaugh Undeniable Truths of Life #24 - Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.
And unless there's a conservative in there somewhere, every one of these blood-drenched psychopathic geniuses thinks that a pile of over 100 million dead, stinking murdered bodies in the last century alone shouldn't be held against that wonderful theory of socialism.
In the name of peace and social justice, of course.
As a MENSA member, then you also know that you never begin a sentence with "and".
Sorry; just couldn't resist.
James Woods happens to be quite conservative, thankewverymuch.
Tattoo? She has a tattoo?
As a MENSA member, then you also know that you never begin a sentence with “and”. Sorry; just couldn’t resist”
You should have resisted.
Nothing is grammmatically incorrect about starting a sentence with a conjunction like “and” or “but.” It’s a hyper-correction instilled in many by lazy elementary teachers.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nonerrors.html
Sorry. Not budging on this one. For the record, my measured IQ more than qualifies me for MENSA, but I find that it absurd to join a club that shouts “look how smart I am!”.
Anyway, this all a yawner.
Pathetic.
Two of them but I promised not to tell where the other one is.
When following more than one sentence, to which does it serve as a conjunction?
Starting sentences with ‘And’ is logically ambiguous. But it’s creative advantage is useful. And, it might be a problem to use the style in a legal contract for example. Or not.
“The tatoo is in Hebrew (I think), from where she got married to someone in Israel. I’d love a Jewish Freeper to translate it.”
Do you have a close up photo? I will do my best to study it carefully.
And the horse you rode in on. ;-)
Whipped dog yelps the loudest, son. Have a nice day.
How about “never use the word but, always use, however or nonetheless or regardless.”
I dont think many people know this one because I constantly hear “smart” people using the word.
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