Leveraging Looks

by Zoë Pollock

Branching out from Zack's examination of legal protections for ugly people, Jessica Grose interviewed Catherine Hakim. Hakim's a professor of sociology at the London School of Economics and the author of Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom:

The key point is for women to be aware that there's a sex differential and a sex gap in returns and rewards, and to be aware that they should therefore not be holding back or feel embarrassed about seeking to get value for their contribution, for their attractiveness. As I see it, patriarchal men, but also to a larger extent, radical feminist women, which women seem to listen to more than men, say that beauty is only skin deep, it's trivial, it's superficial, it has no value, and you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to exploit it.

Jessica Bennett challenges Hakim's view:

Indeed, attractive women get ahead at work—the beauty premium has been well-documented. But studies show that good-looking women also face a double-bind: punished for being too sexy, both resented by colleagues and viewed as less intelligent or vain. And let’s be honest: who wants to constantly have to wonder, Did I really deserve that raise/promotion/recognition, or did he just like the way my legs look in that skirt?

Reihan explores the connections between erotic capital and racial inequality. A 2008 study noted that in a speed-dating experiment, women were far more likely to express interest in partners of the same race:

When we think of how we might combat racial inequality, we tend to think of large-scale, society-wide interventions, like tough anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action programs. But strong same-race preferences arguably have much larger implications, as they present a social barrier to members of racial minorities that anti-discrimination laws can’t overcome. … Racial preferences devalue the erotic capital of some while enhancing that of others. If we come to believe that erotic capital really matters, we might come to see this phenomenon as a grave injustice.

(Video: Summadayze Colourfornia from Nick Thompson on Vimeo.)