Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Beauty Advantage (Better to be average but good looking than brillant but unattractive?)
Newsweek ^ | 07/19/2010 | Jessica Bennett

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: average; beauty; brillance; feminism; newsweak; obamaeconomy; unattractive; undeniabletruths
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last
To: Cletus.D.Yokel

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.


21 posted on 07/19/2010 10:02:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

156? You got to be kidding, those are surely no more than 36D’s...oh..wait..you said IQ. Nevermind.


22 posted on 07/19/2010 10:02:02 AM PDT by pappyone (New to Freep, still working a tag line.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“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............


23 posted on 07/19/2010 10:06:51 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: ozzymandus

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)


24 posted on 07/19/2010 10:06:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: equalitybeforethelaw

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.


25 posted on 07/19/2010 10:10:24 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Durus

“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.


26 posted on 07/19/2010 10:12:20 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

“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.


27 posted on 07/19/2010 10:17:17 AM PDT by equalitybeforethelaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

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.


28 posted on 07/19/2010 10:18:10 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

Famous singer huh. Who is she?


29 posted on 07/19/2010 10:21:46 AM PDT by Durus (The People have abdicated our duties and anxiously hopes for just two things, "Bread and Circuses")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Durus

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?


30 posted on 07/19/2010 10:22:36 AM PDT by CholeraJoe (I saw Ellen Page bend a Paris street into a cube and it looked as real as the moon landing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

And you’re modest, too!


31 posted on 07/19/2010 10:29:40 AM PDT by ozzymandus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Durus

“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


32 posted on 07/19/2010 10:33:14 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Rowlf!

33 posted on 07/19/2010 10:34:09 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Always refer to the Libs' new group as"ONE NATION, UNDER G-D!" That'll drive 'em nuts!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz

Well I’m devastatingly handsome, positively brilliant....and humble. Yet, I’m unemployed. Go figure.


34 posted on 07/19/2010 10:45:16 AM PDT by RightOnline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Rush Limbaugh Undeniable Truths of Life #24 - Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.


35 posted on 07/19/2010 10:46:48 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Natalie Portman, Kate Beckinsale, Quentin Tarantino, Jodie Foster, Sharon Stone, Matt Damon, Alicia Keys, Steve Martin, Shakira, Claire Danes, Geena Davis, Nicole Kidman, James Woods, Dolph Lundgren

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.

36 posted on 07/19/2010 10:47:14 AM PDT by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian
This thread needs balance ;)


37 posted on 07/19/2010 10:50:21 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Never trust anyone who points their rear end at God while praying.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian
"And I am a MENSA member."

As a MENSA member, then you also know that you never begin a sentence with "and".

Sorry; just couldn't resist.

38 posted on 07/19/2010 10:51:31 AM PDT by RightOnline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Talisker

James Woods happens to be quite conservative, thankewverymuch.


39 posted on 07/19/2010 10:53:55 AM PDT by RightOnline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian
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.

Tattoo? She has a tattoo?

40 posted on 07/19/2010 2:29:50 PM PDT by SandwicheGuy (*The butter acts as a lubricant and speeds up the CPU*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson