Last week, while on Twitter and thinking of unique ways to plug our book (Just did it again!), I happened to see “Skylar Diggins” — a sophomore point guard at Notre Dame — among the trending topics. Now, Diggins had just led Notre Dame to a victory over the UConn women, an earth-shattering upset along the lines of “Jermaine Dupri just bagged Janet Jackson!!!“, but her athletic prowess was only part of the reason for the attention she was receiving.¹
You see, Diggins is quite possibly the best looking high-level female athlete…ever (Yes. Ever. Anyone else you’d name — Swin Cash, Serena Williams, Marion Jones, Candice Parker, Laila Ali, etc — would fall short. She’s the Kenya Moore/Esther Baxter hybrid to everyone else’s everyone else.), and this extra attention was due to the myriad ways people (and by “people” I mean “black men”) acknowledged this fact through words, tweets, blogs, and even song (Seriously!)
But, along with the hundreds of thousands of different n*ggas who’d offered to impregnate and/or marry her via the internet, something else happened: People actually watched her play.
Men (and women) who were usually more excited by kidney stones and stink bugs with syphilis than the idea of women’s college basketball tuned in to watch Notre Dame play in the championship against Texas A&M. And, those who watched the entire game saw a contest that was much, much, much more entertaining than the sh*tfest the Butler and UConn men produced the night before², and probably left appreciating women’s basketball a bit more than they did before.
Now, not everybody was pleased with the type of attention Diggins received, and a couple paragraphs from an email exchange between Zerlina Maxwell of The Loop 21 and I helps explain exactly why.
“I still just don’t feel comfortable with women (it’s usually women even though you were correct to point out that at times it occurs with men) getting all that attention primarily because of their looks. That’s just troubling and it’s not only in sports…
…But the fact that jokers were on twitter going on and on and on about how pretty Skylar is and what not with the rare mention of the fact that she is good at the game is just frustrating.”
(In an earlier email, Maxwell also brought up the point that any aesthetic-based interest would be fleeting. Basically, anyone watching just to see if Diggins was hot probably wouldn’t watch again. While this is true, I replied that all attention, even fleeting and/or superficial attention, is better than none. )
Now, (obviously) I think this — people watching just because they think a particular player is attractive — is a good “problem” to have. Even if you take sports out of the equation, I don’t think it’s a bad thing if a person’s looks gets them an opportunity or opens a door that may have been locked otherwise. In this sense, the end justifies the means. But, (although unlikely) I realize that I could be wrong, and I’m curious what you think.
People of VSB.com, Is all attention good if it leads to a desired result? Does it really matter if the only reason you got into your dream law firm is because one of the partners wanted to hit it during your interview? I mean, as long as you get in (and he, um, doesn’t) right?
The carpet is yours.
¹I actually first noticed Diggins a couple years ago while flicking through channels on a lazy Sunday. I came across an ESPN documentary centered on a high school basketball tournament featuring many of the top boys and girls teams in the country. Although several different teams were profiled, two in particular were showcased: An Atlanta-area boys team starring eventual NBA lottery pick Derrick Favors, and a girls team from Indiana starring an athlete whose presence on-screen immediately produced two thoughts in my head:
A) She might be the best looking female athlete I’ve ever seen
B) Um, you do realize she’s in high school, right? Settle down, Champ Kelly.
After remembering that my open living room window gave God a clear shot to watch me a bit too interested in the aesthetic attributes of an 18 year old girl, I tried to convince myself that she was in fact a 27 year old undercover cop masquerading as a high school basketball player to bust an intercontinental crystal meth ring. It didn’t work.
²I was thisclose to saying that the Butler/UConn championship game was the single most disturbing, disgusting, and depressing thing I’ve ever watched, but I just remembered that an unexplained bout of curiosity and stupidity caused me to watch “The Human Centipede” Saturday night. Now, the Butler/UConn championship game is only the second most disturbing, disgusting, and depressing thing I’ve ever watched.
—The Champ
Your Degrees Wont Keep You Warm at Night: The Very Smart Brothas Guide to Dating, Mating, and Fighting Crime is now available on Kindle for $9.99
FIRST!
*does the butterfly*
The butterfly? Uh Uh that’s old let me see you tootsie roll…
perfect lol
i still maintain the tootsie roll IS the buttafly.
that is all. carry on.
I honestly thought it was the same thing as well. What is the difference???
nah, the buttafly don’t have that GOOD roll in it like the toosieroh
damn, damn, DAMN
*drops punchbowl*
frenulum. LOL.
I know, right? I stayed up late and 2nd again…
“I stayed up late and 2nd again…”
that’s what she said
Is wanting to be FIRST that wrong? LOL
Is this a trick question? Lol
that’s what a pimp said.
Ewwww…definitely NOT what I mean
Is all attention good if it leads to a desired result?
Yup. I’m result oriented, so If the outcome is what I desired I don’t really care about any false pretenses that lead up to it.
“Yup. I’m result oriented, so If the outcome is what I desired I don’t really care about any false pretenses that lead up to it.”
lol, i seriously doubt this. i mean, if your personal goal was to be a billionaire, and you were told that you had to f*ck a walrus (twice) to achieve that goal, I bet you wouldnt be so results oriented
Does the walrus look like Kenya Moore?
“Does the walrus look like Kenya Moore?”
i hope not
LMAO!
I don’t kid myself when I enter a job interview – aesthetics and polish are what get me noticed… but my work ethic and intelligence are the qualities that earn the respect of my peers and make me an asset to an employer.
This applies to dating as well. I’ll be the first to say that I’m guilty of approaching a man based on physical attraction (physical attraction being completely relative btw). Yes, I approached him for superficial and artificial reasons, but it’s his personality, our shared interests, and a myriad of other qualities that make me value who he is and what he’s about.
I like your post here. Good stuff!!
I think your right when it comes to dating…but for female athletes, its different. They work really hard to get to play college ball, then to get to the championship, and to be judged by their athletic ability. Sports and professional work are not the same as dating, you would hate to get a job because your pretty, and then get denied the promotions and the salary raises because no one recognizes your intellect and skills. The worst thing is to work your a** off and not be taken seriously.
Girl EVERYONE approaches others for looks. That’s all you have to go off of. lol Don’t feel bad for that. Looks attract.
Right. I can’t remember the last time I approached a chick who I found to be moderately to unattractive.
“Yeah, you know, under normal circumstances (and by normal I mean “with light”) this chick would probably be the kind of woman I’d never speak to unless she was holding the winninger powerball ticket…but ya know, I’m feeling adventurous today and I’m going to shoot for potential personality.”
uh uh.
@ SFG: This was trying to tell my silly ass ex-friend. She was like guys should approach her for her intellect. I was like dudes don’t see that, nobody can. If you’re not smiling and if you didn’t even attempt to look presentable, you shouldn’t expect a guy (or anybody for that matter) to approach you on a romantic tip.
We fell out over these unrealistic expectations that she has of other people, (especially men) but not willing to submit herself to.
Thanks to you and PJ below.
You’re welcome! lol…so true. People can’t “see” smarts…especially niccas. lol
@cocoathoughts86
your former friend was an adult when she thought this?? i was 14 years old when my brother took me to the side and told me this:
no matter where you are, what you have on, what you are doing or who you are with, if a male that doesn’t know you approaches you and says anything along the lines of 1) getting to know you 2) seeing you again 3) introducing himself and asking for your name etc or anything along those lines its because he wants to
smashengage in physical relations and it’s your job- as the holder of paradise and the gatekeeper- to show him why you are more than just all that useless flesh around and holding up a vagina…i weep for your ex-friend if she still believes what she said to you before
Girl, she is 30; I’m 24.
Our friendship had to stop.
*throws a twenty in the collection plate and does a back flip* WELL
okay…I’m confused. Because, if the vagina was the root of all those conversations, then he would be just fine talking to a man.
The woman thing may come without breast, it may come in a logical package but it is to never come without vagina. Sort of like manhood coming without actual man qualities or a job but never without a penis.
Correct me if I’m wrong, BUT the root of all that potential smangage is coitus. SMH hard as a rock at this one.
I realize now that I wasn’t very clear.
I’m asking, what point is there in communicating and mingling with the opposite sex if the goal is not sex?
Sure, what about enjoying the person for who they are? Yeah, sure, but having said that, you realize that the opposite sex can be extremely difficult to deal with? The point of this blog is what again?
Oh, how every time I talked to a girl and the goal was not some fairytale universed fantasy did I not even give two twist about even communicating. Why? Whats the point of talking? You are just going to say ridiculous and baseless stuff and you want me to listen to it. You don’t want to give me nothing for it and you expect that somehow things will stay like this?
Didn’t the Champ say months ago…attraction is the root of all opposite sex friendships. I’m not going to go and get the post….if you read this blog, you know what I’m referring to and thats good enough for me.
Sage – Out
Women have been doin this for years, why is it all of a sudden bad when men have something to look at in sports? Its a good thing, I wish there were more attractive women playing sports, maybe I’d watch more.
“Women have been doin this for years, why is it all of a sudden bad when men have something to look at in sports?”
because, well…ok. i can’t think of anything to say other than “because”
“Women have been doin this for years, why is it all of a sudden bad when men have something to look at in sports?”
Yeah, I mentioned this in my comment below as well. I think the difference is, that I think a larger number of women still respect men’s sports as a sport first, than men do with women’s sports. Basically, society as a whole sees the sport as the primary with men, while the opposite is mainly true with women.
*I think the difference is, that I think a larger number of women still respect men’s sports as a sport first, than men do with women’s sports. Basically, society as a whole sees the sport as the primary with men, while the opposite is mainly true with women.*
Why exactly does “society” see sports as the primary with men, while the opposite is mainly true with women? That society is composed of women too is it not?
“That society is composed of women too is it not?”
I’ve always wondered the same thing. Although, men stereotypically dominate sports viewership, do we not?
We do indeed dominate sports viewership (that’s kind of my point, there is nothing stopping women from watching and supporting women sports)
Apparently the female athlete has the choice of being objectified (by men) or altogether ignored (by women). Yes I know that’s hyperbole, obviously not all men objectify female athletes and not all women ignore them, but that seems to be the central theme today.
@ DQ
you right in a sense man, but its kinda wrong for women not to support other women, i know i might fall off topic a bit but us men support each other sports or not.. if we got a problem we fight then possibly hang out later, but women aren’t always great at supporting… but back on topic i guess since men get paid more to do simple dunks and ish and blow millions that puts more focus on them
That’s the point…and what I actually explicitly said in the comment. Even though women do this to men as well, I still notice a larger number of women who STILL primarily appreciate male sports as a SPORT first and not so much with men and female sports.
Might that have to do with the actual product? Given a choice right now would anyone choose to go to a WNBA game over an NBA game? Would it be based on how the players looked?
“Would it be based on how the players looked?”
Sure, why not? I mean, it took a while for there even to BE a WNBA, so it’s not outlandish to think that their gender has anything to do with how people view their sports.
Cheekie you are right in my opinion. Women’s sports are watched by men primarily to just look at the women playing sports instead of the sport itself. Don’t let these guys break down your point. lol Well said.
LOL, I’m willing to bet there were more VSBs watching the Women’s championship game in hopes of actually seeing a good game (having suffered through the UConn Butler game) than VSSs who watched the championship game for any reason.
I’m willing to bet there were more VSBs watching the Women’s championship game in hopes of actually seeing a good game (having suffered through the UConn Butler game) than VSSs who watched the championship game for any reason.
i’m willing to double down on that bet
“LOL, I’m willing to bet there were more VSBs watching the Women’s championship game in hopes of actually seeing a good game (having suffered through the UConn Butler game) ”
But, you see how it was still your second choice?
*snicker*
*Pinches Cheekie*
It was on the day after the men’s championship. I had no choice but to watch it second.
And… eh hem… did you watch it all?
“It was on the day after the men’s championship. I had no choice but to watch it second. ”
You added the “because the prior game sucked” disclaimer, not me.
And nope, I didn’t. Didn’t look at any TV that day actually. I was out. HA. *raspberries*
Not so Cheekie. I said watched the Women’s game hoping it would be better, not that I watched it BECAUSE the men’s game was so bad.
I’ll see your raspberries and raise you a Zrrrrbttt.
“not that I watched it BECAUSE the men’s game was so bad. ”
So “suffering” through it implies it was a non-bad game?
I see your “Zrrrrbttt” and raise you a hmph.
Ooops, hit “submit” too soon. Anyhow, point is, you rated the women’s game’s value on what the men’s game wasn’t. *leiomy drops*
(yes, this comment thread is obnoxious.. sowwy folks lol)
I say the slander and the calumny, and I declare though art guilty of both. Wherefore dost thou assert that yon men’s game and yon women’s games were evaluated together? Thou knowest this to be falsehood. Yet thou doth repeat it.
Thus, verily I say unto thee, I shall see thine “hmph” and raise thee a “phooey” and a “bah humbug”.
Suffering through the men’s game doesn’t mean that it caused me to watch the women’s game. I was fully well expecting UConn to go for the double, when they lost I wanted to see if the underdog would win in that game, and they did.
@DQ,
Calumny deez.
@Cheekie
Raspberry deez
Can’t nobody hold me down. Don’t let the cheeks fool ya.
*Diddy Bops*
ETA:
Meant to add “unless I want them to and/or they resemble Idris Elba.”
*snicker*
Eh, I think just as many women don’t really appreciate the sport and just watch it with a man they are interested in because that is what he wants to do. Personally, the only sport I appreciate is boxing. Tennis sometimes. The other ones bore me with the complicated rules. If I watch for any period of time it will be to check out the guys. And objectify them to the nth degree. I don’t think I’m alone.
I think that women see sports as the primary with men. For example, my friend is the biggest football fan, and while we can watch and comment on a particular good looking player, we still are mainly concerned with who is going to win and who is the better player. This is also true with me for basketball, I like the game and prefer to watch the men. It’s probably because men are just stronger faster and make the game more exciting to watch. However, I can still admire a good looking player, but the looks of the player isn’t the primary reason to watch.
I think the reason is tha (and I’m totally guessing here) but the primary audience for both men’s and women’s sports is men, so it’s inevitable that men will observe the women’s appearances as well as their skills. And, for a man, what would be more important to him- a woman being beautiful or a woman being “skilled”? No trick question.
Cosign.
*what would be more important to him- a woman being beautiful or a woman being “skilled”?*
As a man let me provide one answer: I am tuning into the game to see “the game”. If she happens to be pretty, all the more better. I didn’t know who Sylar Diggins was before this year… I tuned in to see UConn. Alot of sports fans did, not because of how any of them looked but because they were “the monster on the block” and we wanted to see if they were going to 3 peat.
Even if UConn wasn’t in the game I am definitely not tuning in to see the pretty chick miss shots, turn the ball over, and foul (not that that’s what Skylar did, but if she had I would have lost interest just like I lost interest in the UConn Butler game).
Equivalently, if I was the coach, I wouldn’t put the prettiest chick in the game, just because she was pretty, I’d put the best player in the game.
I’m sure some men ended up watching the final because of Skylar, but were they watching the Final 4 because of her or did they discover her because they were coming to watch UConn (like so many others?) I think maybe you’re not giving us enough credit here.
“Women have been doin this for years, why is it all of a sudden bad when men have something to look at in sports?”
you do realise that if football players didn’t wear helmets 90% of the time, twitter would actually shut down on Sundays, due to the female-thirst.
i peeped skylar last year, her skills improved, and quite frankly it’s about time that an attractive Women’s CBB player came along (although i think maya moore is cute)…the more that WNBA gets love, the more we’ll see things along this nature.
however, the funny part is that while Women’s college BB gets more love than it has in the past, as a business, it still loses money. for example, uconn’s women BB program actually LOST money last year (http://bit.ly/h94RUv)
oh yea, Champ, add the new LSU women’s BB head coach to the list.
“oh yea, Champ, add the new LSU women’s BB head coach to the list.”
Agreed. Can’t forget about the lovely Nikki Caldwell.
This right here. Nikki Caldwell wins. UConn and ND have an attractive assistant on each side too.
“the lovely Nikki Caldwell”
As a former recruit of Nikki before she left Virginia, I approve this message.
and quite frankly it’s about time that an attractive Women’s CBB player came along
*Clears throat*
We’ve BEEN here…came and went….and pop up every now and then. Maybe you’re just late following women’s basketball.
i will CLEARLY admit i’m late like a kid who missed the school bus, lol…consider it part of the job that i was paying attention this year…i personally love my cutie lady athletes…
They been out there but on some trilla ish. Ladies basketball has A LOT of women looking for the same thing as us homie. You gotta be diligent in your vetting process with them.
…and we can cosign that Miss6ft5 is pretty so niccas take note. lol
SFG, thank you veddy much!
“i peeped skylar last year, her skills improved, and quite frankly it’s about time that an attractive Women’s CBB player came along”
i will say that there have always been very attractive women’s basketball players — women who’d surprise the hell out of you if you saw them in a form-fitting business suit instead of their hoop gear
We could add former ND guard and now assistant coach Niele Ivey to the list too.
you do realise that if football players didn’t wear helmets 90% of the time, twitter would actually shut down on Sundays, due to the female-thirst.
hmm.. well considering that nba players dont wear helmets and twitter doesn’t shut down for them.. i dunno about this statement.
KB
thats because NFL has WAY more sexy players than the NBA… when those helmets come off you are like “damn” where as except for a few exceptions NBA is just full of tall, lanky, bad skin, primate length arm ninjas…
no shots
LOL! I will half-heartedly cosign this because the I think “full of” is a bit of an overstatement. But I strongly agree that NFL players are the business. I wonder if they have a calendar…?
hmm…
im an avid nfl’er, im not sure if i cosign that entirely.
there is def a lot of eye candy, but i’d say that it’s prob more the surprise that CB is also foine as hell as opposed to the same face you been seeing since college.
*still waiting for nfl to come back…
“tall, lanky, bad skin, primate length arm ninjas…”
Nah, babygirl….that’s just Chris Bosh.
He needs to get Proactive about his situation.
nicely said classy
i’m mad bout the pic change… im no humble_one but i’m all for the real people pics humpf
For you Yoles, I’ll consider putting it back up.
agreed. football dudes are…
yeah.
“hmm.. well considering that nba players dont wear helmets and twitter doesn’t shut down for them.. i dunno about this statement.”
like someone else mentioned, it’s the body type. IMO, and i could be wrong, football players work out/lift weights a lot more (probably to build muscle twitch) than basketball players (who do work out, but they probably develop a different set of muscles)
i still stand by that if NFL played with no helmets, twitter would need extra servers to catch all the thirst. and as a pudgy, short 1.12, i have come to accept this, lol.
“and as a pudgy, short 1.12, i have come to accept this, lol:
can we officially amend the vsb handbook to include that all self-depricating and self-boosting statements of one’s face, body etc.. by men AND women be considered null and void, stricken from the record unless there is an accompanying avi? after attending ‘the event’ and seeing what ppl look like in real life.. i’m convince that many people in this vsf need. more. people. like a whole stadium full of them.
thanks,
sub-management.
ps: there is already a large female fan base of nfl fans on twitter (aprx 1/2 my followers are via the nfl) and i can honestly say that only a small number of tweets are centered around what the players look like. and these are fans that know the game.
I second the motion to add self-deprication without visual representation to the list of VSB offenses.
“Women have been doin this for years, why is it all of a sudden bad when men have something to look at in sports?”
Yea and men were slamming women as not caring about sports or being a “true” fan because we had the audacity to notice and say so out loud. It’s the double standard that bothers me.
Decent point. But I’m not really sure it’s a one to one. It’s more like you listening to your classic vinyl collection and your man coming in and not really appreciating the music overall, but gets all excited when he hears an OK song that Thugnificant sampled. It’s like that with purist of anything, sports just happened to fall along gender lines. And I don’t think women are really female college athletic purist who frown upon men not appreciating the crisp bounce passes and textbook screens of women playing college hoops.
Too true, too true…
Talk about it~
“Yea and men were slamming women as not caring about sports or being a “true” fan because we had the audacity to notice and say so out loud.”
eh. nobody slams women for this. “tease” is more appropriate, and what’s wrong with a little teasing?.
It’s wrong, but it’s human nature…meeting folks in person that you know, oh, I don’t know, let’s say from the internet, and then feeling a different way about them based on their looks (which totally happens IJS) is proof positive. I feel bad about it, but I truly believe that it happens to the best of us. It’s an evolutionary tactic.
Looks matter. Perceived virility matters. Intelligence matters. Depending on which ways the good Lord blessed you, this may upset you in different ways, but it’s still fact. #PeopleSuck The good news is #GodLoves.
Did you just graduate from theological seminary? Cuz you preachin’
*cools self with funeral home-sponsored church fan*
“#PeopleSuck The good news is #GodLoves”
***filed under “things said on rejected hallmark cards”***
Agreed and filed…lol
People do this. I kid you not, I received a DM from a VSB the night before the meet up and he said “You better be as fine as your avi” O_O o_O -_- That didn’t sit well with me. I like to think that he enjoyed my commentary and wanted to meet ME but I realize he probably just wanted to see what I look like and judge accordingly. That’s life.
*insert MAJOR side eye.
who SAYS that??
i’ll be keeping the glossy lips foreva! eff dat!
Agreed, it’s messed up, especially when it’s as blatantly done as that guy…but tell the truth. If you’d met PJ or Champ and they looked more like a mix of Jabba the Hut and Lyle Lovett than the suave mofos they are…the rampant panty flinging and adoration would’ve, at the least, decreased…yeah we love each other for our minds, and they’d still be thought-provoking and witty, but don’t think for a minute that I wasn’t
still amworried about how people would take me physically. Pause. Yeah, that’s me in my pics and yes, they’re recent-but there’s not nan pic of Gutalufagus on these here innanets.We can wax on about the fairness and morality of it but research study after research study and real life example after real life example will tell you – pretty people stay winning. #Fact.
I’m glad you paused yourself because I almost choked at that pausable moment. lol Pretty or not, people worry. I worried, changed my outfit 4 times etc. You’ll never live up to everyone’s expectations of you. No matter how fine you are Starita, there will be that one who says “she aint all that”.
Good thing I know I’m all that
http://bit.ly/7VHfXA
Oh and your outfit? Fierce. #Rawr
hmmm..
funny thing is for me, your personality can change how i see you.
a dude that has the personality features i want will keep my attention more than the dude who has the physical features i want.
Cosign and laughing my @ss off at Star’s gif.
Definitely, they are both factors…no doubt. But we’ll shout from the mountain tops how important personality is and be altruistic martyrs for the personality cause. But the pull and importance of physical attraction is our dirty little secret. Physical attractiveness gets people a long way in this world, much further than it “should” according to our sensibilities and sense of fairness and equality.
A great personality can make up for a lot of physical faults and being attractive can disguise a lot of negative personality characteristics too.
that’s a pretty slew move…damn. that’s why im STAYING with the non-human avi
Not if the attention keeps on ONLY due to your looks. I don’t want to get a dream job just cuz a partner wants chex, & then have to worry about keeping my job when I don’t give him any.
The only reason people (mostly men) are ok w/ attention paid to women due to their chex appeal for hetero dudes is our society places no value on women outside of their chex appeal. I’d like to be recognized in my professional environment for what I do not what I look like.
“The only reason people (mostly men) are ok w/ attention paid to women due to their chex appeal for hetero dudes is our society places no value on women outside of their chex appeal.”
eh. don’t know if i can agree with that.
You highlight a double standard, then refute the very double standard you highlighted because a woman rephrased it? Whatever playa.
“You highlight a double standard, then refute the very double standard you highlighted because a woman rephrased it? Whatever playa.
women are valued outside of their sex appeal. i mean, while it’s obvious that there is a bit of a double standard, you can’t say that women are completely devalued either
“… it’s obvious that there is a bit of a double standard…”
Understatement of the year. *throws sarcastic glitter*
Disagree…it’s bad for business to have attractive women who bring nothing else to the table – and if there’s one thing that we as a society value more than looks, it’s money.
B.B.
now that there is the truth!
But often looks DO bring money to the table. The entire fashion industry is based on people who are good at looking good (and sometimes not much else)
Also ladies who couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag but look good enough trying that people pay to watch.
but the fashion industry is about looks… that is what is supposed to bring $$ to said table
in a regular business model or the law firm example given above a woman that looks good is not going to bring more $$ to the table… how will she win cases? how will she be able to argue in front of a judge if she never passed the bar??
when i worked for acs there was an attorney there that looked just like a pre meth italia blue.. she was there putting in time and grunge work so she can move up to bigger and better prosecutions like most nyc attorneys do, now when she interviews she will have all the grunt work behind her as well as her too hot to be a lawyer looks giving her a leg up. as long as there is substance behind the beauty there shouldn’t be any problem.
#getinwhereyoufitin
my bad Liz
True, just saying that it’s not always bad business to have people who ONLY look good. If you’re attractive enough, it can be the skill that makes you successful.
It doesn’t even have to be in a work situation. A decent looking woman (with little else to recommend her) can also cast her net for some rich man to scoop her up. Look at how many iterations of “Real Housewives” there are.
Those women don’t cook, clean, take care of their kids, work..hell I watched one episode of Real Housewives ATL and it seemed like all they did was get their hair done and have fights with their “friends.”
Although I’ve never seen a Real Housewives episode in my life, my FB feed and Twitter TL tell me that the value in that show comes from the fights. Same with Basketball Wives and whatever else. Even in the fashion industry, you’re not going to get all that far if you can’t rip the runway.
As far as men scooping up women, that’s a different situation altogether…well, it is if marriage is the goal.
If you’re attractive enough, it can be the skill that makes you successful
There are very few industries where this is true… The fashion industry is one, but it just might be one of the very few ones.
Why do I look like hiring an accountant that looks good but can’t balance the budget for nothing? I lose everywhere. So no, looking good might help in a lot of areas but work ethic and knowledge of skills can not be replaced.
I’d also add music and acting to that.
You use what you’ve got. Attractiveness is just like any other talent, there are markets for it. And even models who want to be at the top have to put in work.
Just because someone’s skills/talents don’t transfer across a lot of industries doesn’t mean they can’t be successful. They only need to have success in one area.
Look at basketball–not too many other fields that require you to be freakishly tall. I’m trying to remember the Kat Williams bit where he makes fun of Shaq for trying to be a police officer…
True, money is valued over looks, but women are not widely considered as drivers of economy. Even those who managed to be uber successful are held up for scrutiny based on their 1.) sexual attractiveness [as judged by hetero men], 2.) marital status, 3.) whether or not she’s had children. In short, society says that a woman’s primary value is based on her looks and the utility of her uterus.
I guess I’m ok with Skylar getting recognition and attention for her looks, even though she’s skilled, because she would otherwise not get recognition or attention at all…
…not even from the women who seem to be offended that she is getting recognition for her looks. Are the people who dislike the attention she’s receiving regular viewers of Women’s NCAA basketball?
DQ – You have been KILLIN’ it all up, in, over, and through these comments today.
::e-swoon::
I try Lola, iTry.com/DQ
The fact that appearances matter is broader than just sex appeal, the NBA implementing a dress code a few years ago is just one example, another is that most guys who have played basketball has either had, seen or heard of coaches that require or prohibit certain haircuts and/or tattoos at the high school and college level.
Whether you think sexually about a player or not, you can’t really fault guys for being more interested now that there are seemingly less players who look like Quenn Latifah’s character from Set It Off, no more than you can really fault the NBA for acknowledging that old white men may be turned off by players that look like they stepped out of a Jeezy video.
I like to think that I’m well endowed when it comes to morality and integrity so I think aesthetics is a terrible reason to offer someone a job, or whatever else. However, idk if i would turn It down if it were offered. My looks got me in the door but my brain is it what will keep me there.
However, in the given example of an interviewing partner wanting to hump, that could be a disaster waiting to happen. If you know those were the intentions from jump and you accept the offer that makes you a prostititute.
“If you know those were the intentions from jump and you accept the offer that makes you a prostititute”
even if you don’t actually make the beast with two backs?.
It doesn’t make you a pr0stitute; it makes you a tease.
…with a prostitute’s payment plan.
I’m not a huge fan of women’s hoops, ain’t gonna lie and act like I am. Before last week the only one I could name was Britney Griner, and that’s because I live in TX, not too far from Waco and Baylor University. When I saw that Skyler Diggins was trending, I looked her up, and I figured out why all these kats were going apesh*t. She’s a pretty girl. Just like a few years ago these same kats were going crazy over Candace Parker. I guess its good publicity for women’s basketball, people were actually watching for some reason. Not I though…lol
“Before last week the only one I could name was Britney Griner, and that’s because I live in TX, not too far from Waco and Baylor University”
i remember first seeing her play when she was in 10th grade. she was already like 7’2 and was dunking on cats then.
Yeah Champie I saw her in a UIL game, and that chick was redic.
But Candace Parker could also “dunk”. Am I wrong for putting that in quotes?
yes and no
What makes her dunk not a real dunk according? I’m asking because I don’t pay attention and want to know what a not real dunk is.
My personal definition of a real dunk is one in which someone can (but not always does) grab the rim. Candace doesn’t quite pass this test. Lisa Leslie is in the same category. Charlotte Smith definitely doesn’t. Michelle Snow passes with flying colors. I almost lost it when Snow got it with both hands. Griner obviously passes as well. I can’t remember the other three offhand – IIRC, there have been eight women to dunk in a college game – so I can’t comment on them.
and??!?!?
Dunking matters. Candace Parker isn’t the only cute woman playing ball, and neither is Skylar Diggins. But Candace Parker had a lot of buzz prior to Tennessee because she could “dunk”. It makes a huge difference.
It becomes a problem for me if my actual abilities were never acknowledged or minimized. But I think it’s unrealistic to think that attractive people don’t have a leg up. Think about it, if you are interviewing someone dont you feel more at ease with someone who is pleasing to the eye? It would take a sec to warm up to someone with buck teeth and coke bottle glasses. I’m just being honest.
I think there’s a difference between being appealing to the eye and looking professional. Coke bottle glasses might work in one job setting and not in another; same with the teeth.
Yes There is a difference but I still think attractive people get a bit of an edge.but on the oher hand it’s all subjective. But I do agree that the profession has alot to do w/it. Sales, customer driven and people oriented industries would probably take looks into account more than say technical positions.
“Sales, customer driven and people oriented industries would probably take looks into account more than say technical positions”
this is true. i have a closet full of never worn shit from banana republic that was only purchased because i thought the chick working there was hot
Same thing with wait staff – the hotter ones generally get better tips. (and no, that is *not* what she said).
Attractive people get an edge, but only if they are not being interviewed by the currently most attractive person in the building who wants to retain her title and aesthetics-based advantage. Jealously is real.
hehehehehe
Agreed. I always notice that women on documentaries who are specialists in a particular area (geology, biology, oceanography, museum science, etc) have a generic arse I-gave-up-ten-years-ago-look about them. When I tell people what I am in school for they look at me like O_O and ask why a pretty girl would want to go into that. Because I can! Jobs in these areas are not ‘customer driven’ like DC1913 said but I’d be damned if I look tore up, ever!
* I always notice that women on documentaries who are specialists in a particular area (geology, biology, oceanography, museum science, etc) have a generic arse I-gave-up-ten-years-ago-look about them.*
iLaughed.com
* I always notice that women on documentaries who are specialists in a particular area (geology, biology, oceanography, museum science, etc) have a generic arse I-gave-up-ten-years-ago-look about them.*
This made me laugh
To be fair, the men in these fields tend to look tore up too and have given up for some time as well. it’s the nature of being a nerd: looks take a backseat for the good of science. I’d say it’s more noticeable with women though, and I’d argue if a woman were to look good doing this kind of job she’d probably be taken less seriously in her field. Or, at least she’d raise a few eyebrows, not necessarily in a good way.
Co-sign on this: whenever I hear about people in those fields, I think of Dr. Okin from Independence Day.
“she’d probably be taken less seriously in her field. Or, at least she’d raise a few eyebrows, not necessarily in a good way.”
Like Denise Richards as a Nuclear Physicist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Jones)
lol right.
I’d argue if a woman were to look good doing this kind of job she’d probably be taken less seriously in her field.
Ding, ding, ding!
I work in a male dominated field… we are nerds. And we own it, we are ok with it… I know that if/when some of my coworkers meet me outside of work, they may or may not recognize me… Whether it’s right or wrong, I purposefully downplay “looks” (read wear very generic, nerd-type outfits to work)to be taken seriously… It might be my own biased perception but it has worked so far… I once worked on a project where we were more than 4 women (in a field of 70), and it was almost like Christmas for the guys. Lol. One of the ladies was really fashion forward and gorgeous (think Russian model tall gorgeous)… I’m sure a lot of guys didn’t think she was “that” good… Sure, they loved interacting with her (white boys are too funny when faced with a truly gorgeous women…especially nerds
) but she was passed over for promotion and it was handed to another girl who was your typical nerdy technical chick…
It really is what it is.
“Agreed. I always notice that women on documentaries who are specialists in a particular area (geology, biology, oceanography, museum science, etc) have a generic arse I-gave-up-ten-years-ago-look about them. ”
yeah, but couldn’t you also argue the reverse, that women and men who realize at a young age that they’re at the short end of the looks stick are more likely to choose fields/interests/professions where their looks dont matter at all?
Being on the short end of the looks stick doesn’t equal being on the long end of the smarts stick though.
“Being on the short end of the looks stick doesn’t equal being on the long end of the smarts stick though.”
true, but it can force a person to do everything they can to cultivate certain characteristics…characteristics that might have been ignored if they were better looking
true, that’s a good way to put it.
Great problem and like @Keyz said woman have been doing it for years. The end justifies the means in this situation and therefore [beauty] it is a good problem!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for the reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!