"Don't Trivialize Me Because I'm Beautiful"
...She says, licking her perfectly lip-glossed lips.
Former chick lit writer and current Brit MP Louise Mensch complains that female MPs are judged on looks. (Newsflash, Louise: Yes...as are all females of the species, while men are judged on status and earning power, thanks to our evolutionary adaptations. Each sex gets all pissy about being expected to be hot/have a big paycheck, as the case may be. Message from your genes: Deal with it.)
Victoria Ward writes at the Telegraph/UK:
(Mensch) told GQ magazine that it was sexist to "trivialise a woman politician based on her appearance", noting the frequent references made to Home Secretary Theresa May's distinctive shoes...."Every time there is a raft of PPS promotions and my name is not on them, I have to sit down and think, 'What am I doing wrong?'"
...The MP for Corby said she hoped one day to "have a crack at International Development". But she admitted that given the choice between being made a Cabinet minister and having one of her books, written under her maiden name, Louise Bagshawe, turned into a Hollywood movie, she would choose the latter.
In the accompanying photograph, Mrs Mensch, a mother-of-three, poses in a leather-fronted £485 Dolce & Gabbana skirt and £271 silk blouse by L'Agence.
Both men and women get by with saying "she is hot" or "he is hot" in the context of dating. Only women can get away with saying "and he's rich!" If a man says that about a woman he is dating, everyone is aghast and believes him to be shallow or a freeloader.
Yes, Amy is right, men do prioritize beauty and women priorities status/money/mojo. But only one side is legally entitled to continue benefiting from their priority after divorcing the source of it.
Ms. Mensch may think women have it worse, but they really just have a different but similar problem. Both men and women are prioritized based on a finite resource that often take a lot of work to maintain.
The grass may be greener on the other side, but it's just as hard to mow.
Trust at January 3, 2012 7:36 AM
What actually trivializes women is whining about victimization while a Minister of Parliament posing for a men's magazine.
merl at January 3, 2012 8:06 AM
"Every time there is a raft of PPS promotions and my name is not on them, I have to sit down and think, 'What am I doing wrong?'"
Wrong? My thought was "Same thing women in the workplace often do: expect someone else to recognize their worth raise them up in life."
In my experience, people generally get promoted in hierarchies because hierarchy controllers fear losing their hierarchy players to other hierarchies. If you do not present a risk like that...well, why bother promoting you? (Sure, gender discrimination lawsuits will tip the scales a bit, but once sufficient numbers of such people are ensconced, the insurance policy is in place.)
Put another way, if the organization does not care if you leave from your current post, you are not that valuable to the organiztion. If you are not that valuable, promotions are much less likely.
And don't ever confuse time served or titles held for being valuable.
In my experience, women in workplace hierarchies often get a sense that there is a "time" when they should get theirs and promotions are due. Guys were more in tune with the fact that no one is going to give you success, you had to make the organization dread the loss of your abilities and loyalty, and then success would come. Grudgingly, and without sincere appreciation from the people smilingly promoting you, but it would come.
Spartee at January 3, 2012 8:34 AM
I don't get it. She's complaining that women are judged on their appearences, and yet shes pretty. If she's correct in her beliefs then she should have a huge advantage because of her looks, instead of being hindered by them.
Of course if she believes that being good looking is truely a disadvantage there are things she can do about it. Eating crap food and morbidly obese would seem a quick and easy fix. Not modeling for mens magazines and wearing designer clothing would be another one.
Mike Hunter at January 3, 2012 8:41 AM
The funny thing is that it's more often women who view attractive women negatively, as being vapid, superficial etc.. They then project these assumptions onto men. But I don't think that most men equate attractiveness with stupidity or incompetence.
Steve P. at January 3, 2012 9:37 AM
She's a victim of discrimination
because she is pretty
because she is ugly
because she's a woman, a mother,
too young, too old,
english, conservative, from corby,
well dressed, slovenly, fat, skinny,
over educated high school drop out left handed
Cry me a river, babe, because you...
you're too BLOND.
Storm Saxon's Gall Bladder at January 3, 2012 9:41 AM
@Steve P. at January 3, 2012 9:37 AM
Too many women judge men based on the words put in men's mouths and the thoughts put in men's heads by the female scriptwriters of shows like Desperate Housewives.
Trust at January 3, 2012 9:41 AM
This may also simply be the masking of the image she wants to portray. She's appearing in a men's magazine lamenting being judged on her looks... which gives her an excellent opportunity to both show it and talk about it.
If she didn't like the attention, she could have given the interview to a women's magazine.
Trust at January 3, 2012 9:44 AM
sure, but who marginalizes her? and why? Guys don't care about what shoes you wear or you "£485 Dolce & Gabbana skirt" except to be aghast that you would spend so much money on a skirt. The article writer certainly points out one thing about ambition when she says:
"But she admitted that given the choice between being made a Cabinet minister and having one of her books, written under her maiden name, Louise Bagshawe, turned into a Hollywood movie, she would choose the latter."
While anyone may harbor those feelings inside... IF you intend to BE an ambitious politician, then you have to present yourself as that...
or, yeah, people don't take you seriously, because you are an amateur. You may in fact be an excellent MP... even if you are a part timer, but you have to be aware how the politics will work.
Maybe this doesn't have much to do with gender as much as how serious are you?
SwissArmyD at January 3, 2012 10:24 AM
Beauty is nothing but an asset. Women who complain that their looks hold them back sound ridiculous, especially when they're obviously dressing for their admirers.
A beautiful woman has a BETTER chance than a plain woman (all other factors being equal)of being heard, noticed, and promoted.
The attention paid to powerful women's clothing is for the benefit of female readers.
Insufficient Poison at January 3, 2012 10:52 AM
Also, she is complaining about the party of Thatcher, mind you. It is not like the Tories failed to promote and follow women in the past.
But then, my sense is that Thatcher was not the sort to wait for promotion, or gripe about it if someone did not promote her. This gal seems different from Thatcher, so we should expect a different outcome for her. In short, she will not rise, because she lacks the quality of those in the past, like Thatcher, who did so.
Spartee at January 3, 2012 11:09 AM
I'd do her.
whistleDick at January 3, 2012 4:32 PM
Some Margaret Thatcher quotes:
Jim P. at January 3, 2012 7:45 PM
Is it okay to trivialize her because she's an idiot?
there are some who call me 'Tim?' at January 3, 2012 11:38 PM
Former chick lit writer and current Brit MP Louise Mensch complains that female MPs are judged on looks. (Newsflash, Louise: Yes...as are all females of the species, while men are judged on status and earning power,
Actually, women judge men on looks too. A man's looks aren't as important to a woman as his status and earning power but they are important.
Men, on the other hand, really don't judge women on status and earning power.
Jim at January 3, 2012 11:44 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/03/dont_trivialize.html#comment-2891603">comment from there are some who call me 'Tim?'Is it okay to trivialize her because she's an idiot?
Works for me.
Amy Alkon at January 3, 2012 11:49 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/03/dont_trivialize.html#comment-2891605">comment from JimA man's looks aren't as important to a woman as his status and earning power but they are important.
Sarkozy looks like an excitable lizard.
Amy Alkon at January 3, 2012 11:53 PM
The missus is kinda reptilian as well.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at January 4, 2012 12:23 AM
Oui, Nick isn't exactly what most people would consider handsome. It may be that when a man has very high status or is filthy rich (or both), that women will be more likely to accept a lack of good looks.
My point is that it's not "men care about looks, but women don't." Women probably care to a lesser degree than men do, but they do care.
Jim at January 4, 2012 12:30 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/03/dont_trivialize.html#comment-2891654">comment from JimKissinger also got the girls.
Women care mainly that men are tall. But, a short guy can do okay if he has a jet. Adds six inches, I'd say.
No need to speculate about this. I've written about this a great deal. Just search my columns.
Amy Alkon at January 4, 2012 12:38 AM
Well look at Alan Greenspan and Andrea Mitchell. She's going down hill -- but she still isn't that bad looking.
Jim P. at January 4, 2012 8:18 AM
Y'know, if she's really concerned about it, there's a simple solution. It's a six-letter word that starts with a 'B'.
Cousin Dave at January 4, 2012 4:01 PM
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