A well-known halo effect surrounds physical beauty, more so than any other trait. Science tells us that when we view one characteristic positively, like a pretty face, we’re more likely to have a positive response to the rest of the person’s qualities. Simply put, it’s considered nice to be pretty.
That’s why Charlize Theron’s comments about beauty as a drawback caused such a stir. “Jobs with real gravitas go to people that are physically right for them, and that’s the end of the story,” the physically blessed actress told British GQ, prompting a media frenzy. The magazine quoted her saying: “How many roles are out there for the gorgeous, f***ing, gown-wearing eight-foot model? When meaty roles come through, I’ve been in the room, and pretty people get turned away first.”
Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski echoed Theron’s sentiments in WWD. She thinks twice before taking a role, and the parts she gets handed contain the substance she desires. “It’s not necessarily about taking the most obvious, blockbuster, sexy girl part. Those are the ones I get offers on — the dumb hot girl or the girl the girlfriend’s jealous of,” she said. “It’s hard because you get those offers and you’re, like, ‘Wow, I’m getting offered a giant movie.’ But I really believe you are what you do, and that’s not who I am.”
But how far can a woman separate her professional skill from her outer shell? How does beauty play off one’s intellect? Lately, it seems physical appearance has served to undermine female intelligence and accomplishment — an effect that goes well beyond Hollywood.
How beauty factors into a woman’s professional rise and fall
In the literary scene, where a female author’s looks seem to be largely masked behind the cover of her novel, Entertainment Weekly said, publishers are now regularly rolling the dice on young, debut talent like Emma Cline, Stephanie Danler, and Imbolo Mbue, all of whom have splashy summer releases. Although editors rely first and foremost on “gorgeous writing,” EW says “being photogenic” can sweeten the deal.
In business, beauty can be an easily pegged reason for female success — and failure. When Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes became the darling of Silicon Valley, and then lost it all in a swift fall from grace, her looks could not escape attention. “Billionaire beauty is now worth nothing,” read the New York Post headline in the aftermath of her startup’s downfall.
According to Art Markman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, Holmes may be a poster child for beauty’s halo effect. “Her attractiveness may have given the initial pitch that halo,” he tells Yahoo Beauty, referring to the initial lack of scrutiny by investors. “As questions began to be raised about Theranos, her looks became an issue again, and this time she was treated more negatively.”
This reality is hard for all women who are trying to earn their seat at the table with men. The beauty talk that surrounds a woman’s achievements — and stumbles — subconsciously teaches us that appearance and accomplishment (or lack thereof) go hand in hand.
Every time we credit beauty as the reason for a woman’s trajectory, we quietly reinforce the “vapid beauty” stereotype still pervasive in pop culture — and there are already plenty of reasons the trope exists, says Markman, including intelligent women being perceived as more threatening to men and men being more interested in a woman’s looks than her brain, her talent, her education, or her track record.
Beauty biases, both positive and negative
From an evolutionary perspective, research has long identified the advantages of attractiveness: better-looking men and women tend to get better grades, get hired more readily, and earn more money — something known as “the beauty premium.” But today, with women delaying marriage and seeking their place in a competitive workplace, the effects of physical attractiveness are more scattered and varied.
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