does looking good pay off

[MrsMoose2001]

Ok ladies, a topic for discussion if you like.

 

With all the talk about Star Jones I have question(s).

 

I saw a clip where Kelly Rippa (Regis & Kelly) makes $7 million a year.

 

I read a bio on her once, she didn't even go to college or uni, she went to NY, got a job on All My Children, couldn't act, they paid for her acting classes.

 

Does looking good pay well?

 

(and I'm not talking models, that's not a lifetime steady job unless you are really lucky). If you are a model and you don't get the contracts etc, regardless of how good you look you are not paid. Kelly (and I have nothing against Kelly, she seems ok) is paid regularly, it's a "steady job" (well more steady than a model).

 

Star Jones at least has an education (people say education matters). This is not about like/dislike of a person, it's a question, does all that "fashion" stuff pay off without getting an education if you are not a model.

 

thoughts?

[judy&steve]

Ok ladies, a topic for discussion if you like.

 

With all the talk about Star Jones I have question(s).

 

I saw a clip where Kelly Rippa (Regis & Kelly) makes $7 million a year.

 

I read a bio on her once, she didn't even go to college or uni, she went to NY, got a job on All My Children, couldn't act, they paid for her acting classes.

 

Does looking good pay well?

 

(and I'm not talking models, that's not a lifetime steady job unless you are really lucky). If you are a model and you don't get the contracts etc, regardless of how good you look you are not paid. Kelly (and I have nothing against Kelly, she seems ok) is paid regularly, it's a "steady job" (well more steady than a model).

 

Star Jones at least has an education (people say education matters). This is not about like/dislike of a person, it's a question, does all that "fashion" stuff pay off without getting an education if you are not a model.

 

thoughts?

 

The whole soap genre is all about exceptional looking men and women. In my observation, a successful soap has nothing to do with decent writing or acting talent.

I think there are plenty of gorgeous people waiting tables, washing cars and telemarketing because they can't get a break in acting. Kelly Ripka is one of the lucky people who was given a gig on a soap because of her appearance. They were probably looking for a "type" not a talent. I saw her once on some sitcom and was totally horrified to see how thin she was.

I have never watched the daytime show she has in the morning.

I do think that the majority of people in this country would rather watch a good looking person who can't put a sentence together properly than an average looking highly educated person. The media has succeeded in manufacturing an ideal personality. Under all the makeup, excellent lighting, cue cards and earpieces, there is a regular person. Smart or otherwise.

Back to Star Jones, she is actually a pretty woman. She is smart about a lot of things and I think she had a lot of chutzpah to go out in that ill-advised outfit she wore the other night. Before her wedding, she was pretty interesting. When she became engaged, she was all of a sudden a teenager in love and it didn't do much for her tough-as-nails lawyer persona.

An education will never fail you.

--Judy

[bobby'sgirl]

Can't comment on Star Jones as I am out of the loop. Kelly I agree is one lucky woman. I notice she is dressing better than I have seen. Kathy Lee dressed to the nines....miss her...but I guess I am closer in age to her. Made comment this am that Kelly had better start doing some upper body work as her arms aren't as firm as they could be. Star I have noticed on the View that she must be working out to assist in her weight loss.

I have been watching alot of TV the last 2 weeks due to surgury, I notice that Katie C. on NBC looks terrific.!

:) As I have mentioned earlier money does not buy the label well dressed imho.

[ryansmemom]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Does looking good really pay off? If that's all you have, I would say no.

 

The problem with relying on looking good to get your pay off is that it makes you too dependent on other people to really give you any sort of secure life. You are totally and I mean totally dependent on the whims of shallow people who care nothing about you as a person. They are only intereseted in you as long as there is a payoff for them. Your good looks really contribute nothing to society as a whole. What difference do you really make in the world? What is your contribution? Fame and fortune based on good looks is shallow and transient. Is it any wonder that these people are so vulnerable to drug abuse? They are so insecure. Anorexia? Bulimia? Just think of it.

 

Sure, you get to go to a big party and be on TV. You compete for an Emmy. Then you walk the gauntlet aka red carpet and get the way you look critiqued by millions of people in America. Is it good for your image if you are best dressed? Worst dressed works well for some too. It didn't hurt Cher's career. But how would you feel if it was your ego on the line.

 

When your success is based on your looks you live under a microscope. It is a shallow existance full of dangerous landmines that can blow up at any time and leave you devistated.

 

I'll take an education any time. I'll take some real training and a real job where I can have some real control over my life and accomplishments. Then I can make real concrete contributions to the world and build my self image on those things. Then my self esteem is real and no one can take that away from me.

 

With that said, I don't have to look like a hag to do this. I just don't have to make it the source of my self esteem. It is not an either/or situation. There are many highly educated people who also care about their apperance. You just don't usually see them basking in the glow of red carpet adoration. You also don't see them in tabloids.

 

If you just look around in your daily life, I am sure you will see many successful, intellegent, well dressed, well groomed beautiful women. Women who make real contributions to the world, even if that world is that of their own families or communities.

 

For all we know, Someone like Star Jones, who has her education, does not give a hoot about all of this red carpet nonsense. She may not really care.

 

Linda

[MrsMoose2001]

Just gotta say, so far I love the replies, Bobby's Girl, first I hope you are feeling better, and I agree, price has nothing to do with being well dressed that's my feeling exactly.

 

To the other ladies who replied so far, I have to agree, with all of you.

 

Only thing I would say is that I'm not sure if Star cares what others think. I didn't see her do her thing on the Emmy show (red carpet or whatever), but for some reason the few times I saw her on TV she seemed to me (it's only my opinion) that she is she a kind of woman who is a take her or leave her which is ok. I expect the phony stuff on that red carpet, I don't expect to many natural people in that business or environment.

 

Yes, Kelly once, in an interview, said she was one lucky woman, that everything sort of just fell in her lap and she never struggled much to get to the top as some top actors/actresses did.

 

I was also amazed to learn that Sarah Jessica earned $38 million and Gisele the model earned $13+ million in one year. That's some serious money to say the least.

 

Brain surgeons and cardiologists, oncologists, etc etc, not to mention EMTs and others who are risking their lives to save lives don't earn that kind of money I don't think, what does that say? any thoughts?

 

It's just mind boggeling to me.

[wtevrfltsurbt]

Hi all here's my 2 cents for what it's worth.

 

I worked in "the Biz" for more than 10 years and have come to love, and loath, many actors, celebs etc. in addition, I have a son who is an EMT and gets paid garbage wages, so I feel I have a voice in your querry MrsMoose.

My daughter's orthodontist makes more money than my friend the Oncologist and has a 3 day weekend every week go figure. The celeb factor is junk, bunk or whatever you want to call it. It rarley has to do with the amount of talent the individual might posess it has so much more to do with what's hot at the moment, kinda like real estate., and yes "curb appeal" or "Good looks" can open doors and keep them open even when you are a talentless boob.

Just gotta say, so far I love the replies, Bobby's Girl, first I hope you are feeling better, and I agree, price has nothing to do with being well dressed that's my feeling exactly.

 

To the other ladies who replied so far, I have to agree, with all of you.

 

Only thing I would say is that I'm not sure if Star cares what others think. I didn't see her do her thing on the Emmy show (red carpet or whatever), but for some reason the few times I saw her on TV she seemed to me (it's only my opinion) that she is she a kind of woman who is a take her or leave her which is ok. I expect the phony stuff on that red carpet, I don't expect to many natural people in that business or environment.

 

Yes, Kelly once, in an interview, said she was one lucky woman, that everything sort of just fell in her lap and she never struggled much to get to the top as some top actors/actresses did.

 

I was also amazed to learn that Sarah Jessica earned $38 million and Gisele the model earned $13+ million in one year. That's some serious money to say the least.

 

Brain surgeons and cardiologists, oncologists, etc etc, not to mention EMTs and others who are risking their lives to save lives don't earn that kind of money I don't think, what does that say? any thoughts?

 

It's just mind boggeling to me.

[ElvisandTracey]

Interesting post-here's my 2 cents-

 

Kelly Ripa and I are exactly the same age, she has 3 kids, I have 2-

 

I have been watching her way before Regis, as I have watched AMC since I was 11 with gramma, and Kelly started on that show as a teen-Haley-very rebellious teen-type character at first, jet black hair, punk make-up-

 

To see her now at 35, doing what she is doing is funny to me, because I remember her back in the day-now she's blonde, perky, the exact opposite of how she started on the show-

 

But I can't knock her-I have a master's degree in English, and have been a teacher for many years, and she's doing a heck of a lot better than I am as we both turn 35-

 

In this country, its nice to say that education is the key, but look at her, and look at me?? I don't know what to say-

[DandyCandy]

looks matter when it comes to women hands down!

Why I say this, is watch tv. On that show the apprentice, where are the fat women? Why are ALL the women on there tall, thin and attractive and SUCCESSFUL?

You see hungryman commercials where the man is portrayed as a fat slob yet his wife is a slim, attractive woman. Or where the man had his quiche and watercress soup for dinner and he gets blown away by the gust of wind.

Same goes for the hotdog commercials where the men and children are scarfing them down, why is it that there are no women in these commercials?

Even a certain rootbeer commercial where the man was ugly and goofy yet here he is married to a tall, thin, attractive woman.

 

Now flip the channel. You see women galore in comercials for special K, diet pills, jenny craig, weight watchers, etc. All the women striving to get anorexically thin. Why is it in a man's clothing store, sizes will run all the way up to 52 or 56 with no problem, but plus-size women have to have special stores?

It's a never ending cycle. The constant jokes from comedians, the media's spin, the diet commercials. It is literally crammed into women's heads that you need to be thin to be sexy, attractive and desireable. Don't tell me it's not that way, b/c when did you ever see a sexy plus-size woman in or on the cover of Sports Illustrated? Look what it took Carnie Wilson to be published in Playboy. What type of women are used 99.9% of the time in pornography?

Men are visual creatures. They want the prettiest apple in the barrel.

Women are emotional creatures. They see the women on tv being desired and having hot men paw all over them. Women want that feeling of being desired.

 

Don't mistake what i am saying, i am by no means saying that you have to expose yourself. I am just showing that those types of magazines and videos only reinforce the feelings that thin is sexy. Thin is desireable. Thin is beautiful. Men drool over those pinups. Women want to be desired. See where i am going with this?

someone made the comment about a tv personality having to tone up her arms. why is that? does it disgust you to see someone portray a real person?

if you feel that looks have no bearing on a woman in our society, your a fool and need to take off your rose colored glasses.

 

so let's give a big round of applause to our media, society and individuals who keep fueling the fire. Next time you watch Dr. Phil or Oprah and see a 12 year old anorexic, pat yourself on the back b/c you helped that 12 year old believe that she needs to be thin and "gorgeous" to make it in the world.

[bobby'sgirl]

Watched something this week where kids were getting plastic surgery, noses, breast implants,etc this is expensive !!!! what are we doing....and what will be the effect in 25 years? I believe in eating well, exercise and cruising to have a natural look I love seeing seniors at my gym looking fit and feeling great!!! The other is just fluff?

[Cruise Arizona]

I saw a special on the Learning Channel 5 or 6 years ago that was trying to answer the question what is beauty and why are we humans so obsessed with it.

 

One of the interesting theories put out was that that there is a certain geometric ratio associated with beauty that is innate in all humans. In the face it is exemplified in a certain mathmatic ratio between the spacing of the eyes, nose, mouth and cheekbones. The scentist came up with a "Beauty Mask that contained these exact proportions, and then super imposed it on famous faces. The two examples they used were Elizabeth Hurley and Tom Cruise, but you could use this same geomatric mask over all kinds of beautiful faces, regarless of race and the closer the proportions were, the more beautiful the person. Then they compared the mask to "average" looking peopler and the featurs were just slightly out of proportion, close but not exact matches. Then they imposed the mask over people who had been disfigured by common disease, like even a childhood tape worm, that had cause mal nutrition, and abnormal growth patterns in the face. The faces were asymetrical and and disproportionate to the "Beauty Mask".

 

The Hour Glass figure on a woman, and the lean V shaped torso of a fit man also follows the same geometric proportions.

 

The series went on to propose that the reason we are programmed to be attracted to beauty, is that beauty is a sign of good health, and threfore a healthy mate creates a healthy child, and then then genitically the affinity for beauty is then passed down from generation to generation.

 

One interesting point, was that until the 19th and 20th century people might never venture outside of thier village, and thier was no photography. So in a lifetime one might see mostly "average looking" people, but only once or twice come across a truly "beautiful person" So back then the average looking people were fine. Now with the media showing us images of beautiful men and women all the time, we have become obsessed with beauty, because we see it all the time and can never measure up.

 

The point of the whole show was that the old saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that "beauty comes from with-in" were just well meaning cliche's and not nessisarily true.

 

I think there is possibly some truth in both. We may have an natural affinity for superficial beauty, but we also have reason and emotion. If a person has an attractive appearance, but treats us badly, many times that reason will supercede the attractive appearnce and make the person appear ugly to us. On the opposite, if a person is gracious and kind, or even funny, it make them more attractive.

 

Also, how we present ourselves makes a big difference. Hair, clothing and make-up all try to create a appearnce of proportion and balance that is similar to that mathmatic ration of "beauty". So we all have the ability to make the most of what God gave us and present an attractive appearance.

 

Quite a few scientific studies have show that beauty does matter, but I think that is only on first impression and very superficially. Brains and heart are what really make the difference in one's life.

[mrsred]

I remember that series on TLC and the premise of a "biological" program that dictates who we are attracted to. You should hear their theory on why cleavage evolved! LOL! Oh..that's a hoot...but OT.

 

That theory has fallen out of favor with both anthropologists and sociologists since studies show that cultural pressures have more to do with what is considered "beautiful" than any kind of genetic or innate "programs". The majority of non-western societies do not find the women we consider beautiful to be attractive. Samoa, Pacific Islanders and Brazil, as well as other Latin American countries have beauty ideals quite different from what one would see on the cover of Cosmo.

 

There was a study done some years ago out of Harvard which showed that the body shape that men find ideal averages 35 pounds heavier than what women *think* men want.

 

Women are actually harsher judges on other women than men are on us. The idea that thinner is better or that bigger breasts are more attractive is a myth if you look at the statistics. The majority of men dislike fake breasts, yet women are getting them by the thousands. Men prefer "natural" looking women, yet we continually slather on the make-up. So...I think too many women are buying the great marketing that the media is throwing out there and trying to be what we are not...and to impress each other since the men we are trying to attract have different ideals.

 

Does looking good pay off? That depends. I think it goes both ways. When I modeled I was disgusted with the idea that I was nothing more than a skin covered clothes hanger. Who I was seemed unimportant. I didn't remain in that profession for long. I didn't need to be called pretty in order to feel validated...and I still don't.

 

I think the culture as a whole judges both women and men by their looks. We are pressured to fit into these nice little boxes that say if you are beautiful you don't need to be intelligent. If you are intelligent, then you certainly CAN'T be beautiful or even attractive. If you are a successful women who happens to be attractive, then they assume you have used your feminine wiles to earn your position.

 

What I find most distressing is that we still buy into it. We believe that we have to be thin to be beautiful, and we continue to spend our money on movies with the "pretty" people, and buy magazines with celebrities gracing the covers. These people are idols, and I will never understand why. Young people are tormenting themselves by not eating, or getting plastic surgery so that they can become what society says is valuable.

 

Whenever someone tells my 4 year old neice that she is so pretty...I remind them that she is also very smart and funny. She's more than *what* she looks like.

 

As for how much these pretty people make....I really don't care. Money is not how success should be measured. How many celebs have long lasting relationships? How are their children turning out? How much time do they spend with those who really love them, and do they give of themselves? When was the last time a celeb could run to the corner market au natural and not have pictures of them spread out across the cover of tabloids?

 

No thanks.

 

I'm not saying that they are evil or bad...they merely take advantage of what our culture values. They are working within the guidelines we as a society have decided upon, so who can blame them? But I certainly don't care who they are or what they have to say...I will check out their clothes, and enjoy their work as entertainment (should they come out with anything worthy of my hard earned money), but I don't pay them much mind.

 

I do *love* watching fashion, I love looking good for my DH (although he thinks I look good first thing in the morning...so it's fairly easy to impress him ;)), and I always make sure I'm well groomed before leaving the house...but I rely on my intelligence, my tenacity, and my charm :p to get me where I need to be in life.

 

So...I think we (as a society) do it to ourselves.

 

Thank you for your patience. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.

 

~e

[memphismimi]

and think about the changing standards of"beauty" from the much more availability of plastic surgery for "everyday' type people...we watched "Dr. Strangelove" recently because it is supposed to be a classic - as my family pondered the idealogies it presented, I gasped at the "flat" chest and "huge" hips of the "sexy" secrtetary as she ran around in her bikini...then today at my Garden Club...at 51 I am among the younger group...and noticed how many wide open eyes and smooth brows there were among the ladies I know are older than I am! hummm...and please don't only consider brain surgeons saving lives...my dh is a "general" surgeon ...cancer of most body parts, gallbladders, bpwel obstructions, etc etc etc...many of which are emergencies and happen at 2 am...like last night...still he got up at 5:30 am for office this morning...yet the platic surgeon up the street left today for work at 10 am...guess who makes more?? (alrigth, I'm off my soapbox...)

[MrsMoose2001]

First to Memphis, there was no offense ment to general surgeons or brain surgeons, it was just a figure of speach.

 

Thank you for your replies, very interesting reading, and I agree with a lot of what was written.

 

For sure, my DH hates makeup and I wear no makeup other than some cream with an SPF in it and some powder to take off the shine.

 

I think that it's true, you don't see many plus size women being portrayed but it is changing a little (needs to change a lot more in my opinion) look at the Dove commerical and some magazines like InStyle are doing a better job. I think Queen Latifah has helped bring about that change in some small way.

 

I also think that it's a North American thing. The longest running british soap opera Coronation Street (which I get here in Canada), has more average everyday looking people living more normal lives. They have normal jobs in factories and offices, get fired, live like "more average people" wear clothes that average people would wear and are not all rich and glamerous as on our soaps. They are not all thin and beautiful.

 

Thank you for all your replies, it was very interesting reading your thoughts on this subject. And by the way, I agree with just about everything that was written.

 

Thanks for takeing the time.:)

[happysinglemom]

Does looking good "pay off"??? Depends on what you mean by "pay off". I have worked my tail off the past three years to get back into shape, and I am now in the best shape I have ever been in. I feel better, I look better, I even dress better now. I certainly get more attention, but it certainly has not impacted my income at all, and I would not have expected it to. If you are talking about celebrities, then I really think that is just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes looking good has nothing to do with it. I don't think Tori Spelling is at all atrractive, yet she seems to have acquired fame, (well - could be that dad of hers, I guess :rolleyes: ) and there are certainly many others like that. So I think looks CAN make a difference - it can get you noticed, where maybe you would not be otherwise. But it isn't neccessary, if you have the "right stuff".

 

As far as the differences between men and women - I have only this to say. I used to think that men aged more gracefully than women. Having reached a point in my life where I am now "looking", I can say HAH to that. In my age group (late 40's early 50's) women look FAR better, and are in MUCH better shape than men of the same age. In fact it has been a real eye-opener how men, no matter poorly they take care of themselves, expect their women to look like centerfolds. Go figure.

[Happy ks]

As far as stardom goes, I truly believe it is all luck, plus who you know and if you just happen to be in the right place at exactly the right time. There are many more attractive and talented people in this world who never make it to the top than those who do. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and the tabloids are full of "it" girls (and guys) who really do not have the talent or the looks to impress me at all.

 

So, most of it is dumb luck.

[mrsred]

As far as stardom goes, I truly believe it is all luck, plus who you know and if you just happen to be in the right place at exactly the right time. There are many more attractive and talented people in this world who never make it to the top than those who do. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and the tabloids are full of "it" girls (and guys) who really do not have the talent or the looks to impress me at all.

 

So, most of it is dumb luck.

 

Before class today I was talking with an aquaintence who said he wishes he was Brad Pitt because Pitt was the "ideal and perfect man in all aspects".

 

I couldn't help but laugh. Pitt is so over-hyped IMO.

 

Pitt certainly has the whole "dumb" luck thing covered. LOL!

 

~e

[comfortcove]

I think good looks open many doors, and there are many psychological studies supporting this. However without the foundation of intelligence, character, motivation and personality one might not make the most of those opportunities. Furthermore, I feel sorry for the individual, male or female, who has their total identity wrapped up in their looks and wrappings.

[Jane110]

 

 

I also think that it's a North American thing. The longest running british soap opera Coronation Street (which I get here in Canada), has more average everyday looking people living more normal lives. They have normal jobs in factories and offices, get fired, live like "more average people" wear clothes that average people would wear and are not all rich and glamerous as on our soaps. They are not all thin and beautiful.

 

 

Absolutely!

When I travel around the world and watch tv, it really hits me as how shallow the american media is.

Female newscasters around the world are intelligent and well spoken and of course, they're well groomed for the camera. However, it's not required that they have the Barbie Doll looks, perfect hair w/ $500. highlights, airbrushed make-up and Armani suits. I think it's just so sad that an intelligent girl can never aspire to be an on-air reporter if she doesn't have model looks.

 

If you watch the average european television show - the actors are not all gorgeous, tall and thin.

I love the British sitcoms, like As Time Goes By, Vicor of Dibley and Chef. The actors/actresses were hired for their acting ability. Of course, they need to "look their part", but they're not put under such a microscope that a viewer would say that any particular one had better firm up their arms or perhaps risk losing acting roles.

 

In America, your looks are your destiny especially if you're female. In our movies, average looking guys get the gorgeous girl, but never the opposite (unless that's what the plot revolves around)

 

What's even most pathetic is the typical television/movie date scene....Girl wears beautiful dress, spends lots of time on hair and make-up. Guy shows up to pick her up for date wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers and a sloppy shirt. Doesn't even look like he took a shower. She finds this absolutely acceptable and they go off to restaurant or party. Perhaps this is why some men think it's okay to wear shorts, flip-flops and tank tops into a cruiseship dining room at dinner!

 

So Mrs. Moose, unfortunately, looking good pays well in America.

My husband is in IT and used to work with a guy who's has model looks - as my husband says, the guy can recognize a computer 4 out of 5 times <g>. He makes more money and has gotten more promotions that anyone and he charms his way through corporations being fired (for doing nothing) and then getting hired for even more money by the next one. It's all about his looks and charm.

[MrsMoose2001]

I have to agree, men regardless of their looks, grooming, physical attributes, expect their women to be "arm candy". But women go along with it.

 

Sometimes I think even our weight is controlled by women not men, I had a friend (she moved away) who was a size 22 (nothing wrong with size 22), her husband met her, married her, loved her and didn't notice her dress size not being a size 6. They are happilly married with 2 children. She wanted to loose weight for health reasons as she was risking becoming diabetic but her hubby did not notice her dress size. We had discussions on that since we met in a "personal development" type of class we used to go to. Nothing to do with fashion or style or way of dressing class.

 

On the other hand a female friend asked "doesn't her hubby care about her size"? That comment came from a woman not a man, which really made me stop and think that a lot of what we do to primp whatever that might be, is done for female approval not male approval.

 

How many men actually care if we are wearing a LV, Gucci, Chanel, Birkin, etc etc. Do we really primp to please a man or other women?

 

Back to the topic at hand and my original question.

 

Thank you all for those responses, I personally think that luck and perserverance has a lot to do with it. I also think that if we are shown a picture and told that this is beautiful, over and over, like pavlov's dogs (sp?), then we will believe it.

 

So when we look at magazines with women who are so thin they look anorexic we as a society have been conditioned to think "think is in". If there were pictures of women in clothing made to fit a size say 12 - 16 (nothing wrong with bigger size either), and those clothing styles fit propery, and we were watching tv with women in that size range and they were "on top", etc etc then we would probably somewhere down the line think that "thin was not as attractive" and think the larger size was attractive.

 

Now in Kelly's case, looks and luck did pay off in my opinion. I remember her as Haley on All My Children, her black hair, etc. She still had a look, and obviously that look paid off (along with a lot of luck). I have nothing against her, just used her as an example. Sarah Jessica earns $38 million a year.

 

Tori Spelling, I think that is because of her dad, not her, I think her dad has a lot of influence and uses it for her advancement.

 

I also think we "ordinary folk" (non celebrity people) have a lot to do with the media. They will print and advertise what sells, and who is buying if not the ordinary folk, so next time we women look at a man like Pitt and Caprio and think of their looks first, or the men who look at Kate, Julia, Nicole, etc etc, for their looks, it's us who is makeing the media that way IMO. Maybe we as the "buyers" should start demanding less attractive people and the perception would change.

 

(now I hope that made sense I hope everyone understood).

[CDRMark]

I have to agree, men regardless of their looks, grooming, physical attributes, expect their women to be "arm candy". But women go along with it.

snip...

Have to say I resent this statement. Gross generalization.

MarkB

[Goldryder]

My opinion is that you can look the prettiest around and be an absolutely awful person underneath. Personality, attitude towards people etc is far more important than what the outside wrapping looks like.

 

I think its a shame that in some societies importance on looks far outweighs how people treat each other. Cosmetic surgery was, at one time, something to help those disfigured through accident and so forth, these days you can turn yourself into a Barbie doll with the swipe of a credit card. In some ways the society who change themselves to be eternally young looking have cheapened what the original reason for cosmetic surgery.

 

There are many ways to look beautiful but it means nothing if underneath you are a cold and cruel person.

[MrsMoose2001]

To Goldryder, right on, I so do agree with you. So well put. I do believe that true beauty comes from within.

 

To Mark, I'm sorry, it wasn't meant that "ALL" men in the whole world feel that way, of course not all men want arm candy.

 

It was meant to say that even if a man doesn't take care of himself, his grooming, his clothing, he still might expect arm candy, and that a woman would go with this man and not necessarily make similar demands/expectations. It wasn't a comment that all men feel this way. I'm sorry if it came out wrong or if you took it wrong.

 

I wrote this from a comment of a single 50+ female friend, who said and I'll quote her "men even if they are overweight, not in the best shape, not well groomed, still expect a thin woman, nice hair, nails etc nice clothes".

 

Let's look at Donald Trump, his hair, he is not what I call attractive, look at the type of woman he wants and what he expects. He would never go with a woman who had his hair!

 

Sorry if you were offended.

[Soxfan05]

I guess if the pay off is fame and fortune, looking good is neccessary. Moral, values and brains don't matter because the celebrity hungry public only cares about the window dressing. I honestly don't pay much attention to what goes on with "stars". I like to be entertained by them but don't care what they do in their private lives.

 

I don't believe in luck, I think we make things happen through the decisions we make. Case in point, "lucky" people don't win the lottery, it's the person who makes a decision at a certain point in time to play that makes them a winner- if they hadn't no amount of luck would have helped them out.

 

It's smart to get an education but an education doesn't always make a person smart. I didn't realize that Kelly Ripa didn't go to college but I did know Starr Jones was a lawyer. Both are in the same field but one took 8 years of college and paid big $ in tuition to get there. Who's smarter? LOL

 

There are some vocations where looking good is the only criteria for that job (being a celebrity is one of those). There are still others where looks don't matter but brains do and still others, where the whole package is needed. It's a wise person who knows his or her best attributes and uses those to his or her advantage in seeking their big payoff.

[caviargal]

As far as the differences between men and women - I have only this to say. I used to think that men aged more gracefully than women. Having reached a point in my life where I am now "looking", I can say HAH to that. In my age group (late 40's early 50's) women look FAR better, and are in MUCH better shape than men of the same age. In fact it has been a real eye-opener how men, no matter poorly they take care of themselves, expect their women to look like centerfolds. Go figure.

 

As a single woman in her late 40s who enjoys dating, I have to agree! Most men my age or thereabouts do NOT take care of themselves. They have bellies and saggy chests and are overweight and just do not seem to care very much about their appearance.

 

I do take care of myself, work out daily, watch what I eat, dress well, etc. While certainly not a centerfold, I look damn good for my age! I really am not attracted to men that don't take the time to take care of themselves.

[tinabc]

Hi all here's my 2 cents for what it's worth.

 

I worked in "the Biz" for more than 10 years and have come to love, and loath, many actors, celebs etc. in addition, I have a son who is an EMT and gets paid garbage wages, so I feel I have a voice in your querry MrsMoose.

My daughter's orthodontist makes more money than my friend the Oncologist and has a 3 day weekend every week go figure. The celeb factor is junk, bunk or whatever you want to call it. It rarley has to do with the amount of talent the individual might posess it has so much more to do with what's hot at the moment, kinda like real estate., and yes "curb appeal" or "Good looks" can open doors and keep them open even when you are a talentless boob.

 

I'm sorry, maybe you didn't realize that an orthodontist has about the as much schooling as an oncologist. Their fields are vastly different. but both take many, many years of schooling and training. Hence the reason for the large salary for both doctors. Yes they are both doctors.