JJ Vincent wonders why men’s appearances are not subjected to the same scrutiny as women’s. Do you have an answer?
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I don’t know that I could tell you what sort of tie and shoes Obama wore at his last public appearance; I think Brad Pitt was last seen in clean clothes, and I’m not sure if John McCain was ever seen in blue jeans. But inches of column space get dedicated to Michelle Obama’s sleeves and bangs. Angelina Jolie’s belt and shoes can be headline Yahoo! News for days. Sarah Palin’s glasses were almost as famous as she was.
There was in a story on YahooTV! about Elizabeth Hasselbeck joining the TV show “Fox and Friends”: “Hasselbeck, in a chic sleeveless lavender dress, joined Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade….”.
The remainder of the story was about show content and the woman she replaced, but this comment stuck out to me.
There was no comment of, “Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, wearing coordinating lavender ties…” or “Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, in casual plum shirts…” (or whatever they might have been wearing).
There rarely is.
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I’m not a men’s fashion buff, but I’ve noticed that there’s almost never a focus on men’s appearance like there is on women’s. Maybe, after an awards show, a few guys get savaged as badly as the women, but we seem to get a pass just about everywhere. Lines about what we wore don’t pop into these “review” stories. But if a woman’s belt and shoes don’t match? That’s candy for certain journalists.
It’s not just the tabloids…even mainstream news sources will jump on the, “What were the ladies wearing?” stories (and I’m not just talking about Ms. Cyrus and her VMA bikini), while largely ignoring the men.
I’m not saying that I want men to be under more scrutiny – I’d like the whole petty, judgmental aspect of the “appearance under a microscope” part of popular media to disappear. But I’m trying to figure out why we are not.
The sport of celebrity judging is not going away. But I’d really love to know why we seem to have a “Get out of jail free” card.
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Gender of the writer or reporter does not seem to matter. Men cover women’s style and size, the quote above was from a female reporter, women and men both write the beautiful and biting commentary that dogs female celebrities and politicians wherever they go. One week a woman stepping outside of the traditional is celebrated, the next week it is vilified. Unless they are Justin Bieber, though, or Joaquin Phoenix sporting a wild-and-wooly beard, or someone in a mugshot, guys just don’t register on the Celebrity-Headline-Looks-o-Meter. If they do, it’s here-and-gone, but people will talk about a perceived extra ten pounds on Jennifer Lawrence for a week.
It extends beyond clothing. As women age in the public eye, they are criticized if they visibly age and criticized if they get plastic surgery. With a few exceptions, their value rises and lowers in response to whether they toe the line of “proper physical appearance”, and they are called brave, even heroic, if they take an “ugly” role. But men can age. They can bald, get lines, go grey, and still be handsome, sexy, rugged. Even gaining some weight can open up new roles or opportunities by bringing new gravitas to someone once just thought of as a pretty face.
Do we get a pass because the media-makers assume that people don’t care? Are our looks and fashion so homogeneous that they’re not interesting? Do people enjoy tearing down or building up women more than men? Is there something “wrong” about criticizing or praising a man’s appearance? Is the double-standard so deeply ingrained that people don’t really think about it anymore?
Ideas? Because the sport of celebrity judging is not going away. But I’d really love to know why we seem to have a “Get out of jail free” card.
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Photo midwestjess/Flickr
When we’re talking specifically about celebrity women in celeb/fashion-based journalism, I feel pretty confident saying it’s just tradition. Think back to Jane Austen’s day, when the “celebrities” weren’t movie stars or singers or models, but simply well-off people who could afford to throw parties for almost any reason. The newspapers back then were just as full of “Lady M, wearing a stunning red velvet gown with gold embroidery, escorted by Lord. X” — Lord X’s status was implied by his title and property, Lady M’s by her attire. And though gender roles have changed, that tradition remains. Angelina Jolie now… Read more »
Yes it’s tradition, but it also reflects the fact that we still judge women primarily by appearance.
I’d say that’s an And statement, not a But — “It’s a tradition and it reflects the fact that we still judge women by appearance.” It’s a journalistic tradition and a social one, the two go hand in hand. It’s like holding a mirror up to a mirror, an infinite cycle of influence. Media influences people and is influenced by people; people influence media and are influenced by media. Last night my best friend got engaged. Her boyfriend proposed to her at dinner and she texted me a photo of the ring, a lovely antique piece with a large diamond.… Read more »
I hear ya. And I agree there is sometimes value in traditions even if they’re based on questionable things, and also agree about the infinite circle of influence. I think marriage is one of those things where it doesn’t really matter though – I support any couple’s right to handle their own marriage, engagement and wedding any way they want, because it’s THEIR marriage and it’s not going to affect anybody else. I have friends who’ve had both very traditional and very offbeat weddings, and for myself I’d prefer the latter, and I also think it’s crazy to spend a… Read more »
I’ve always figured that we don’t remember what men wear because they’re all dressed the same. I don’t know why, but look at male news anchors, sportscasters, and meteorologists. They’re all typically wearing a solid suit of (typically) black, gray, navy blue, or brown. Women, on the other hand, are often stuck in “this season’s style”, much of which I cannot begin to identify. They do dumb things with sleeves, plunge the necklines, ruffle the trim, all in a mish-mash of varying colors with senseless shoes to match. If women were allowed to wear something sensible, or if men were… Read more »
This.
You’d be scrutinised if you deviated from the “uniform”, so to speak.
It can also be an indicator of a particular level of wealth and personal style if the person observing you can tell whether a suit is tailored/ill-fitting etc.
I think men are allowed to have fun with fashion, but the differences are more subtle. You’d probably have to be something of a fashion buff to notice the difference between one suit and another. Which is fine because it leaves you the opportunity to just focus on the person and not how he’s dressed, unless you happen to be into that sort of thing. And there are some men who make a point of standing out, fashion wise, because they enjoy it. But they have the option not to, which women do not. Wearing “something sensible” if you’re a… Read more »
Wow. Welcome to our (women’s) world. 😉 It’s not so much that men “get a pass.” It’s that women are taught from day one that we will be judged by appearance above all else, and that no matter what else we might accomplish in life or what other good qualities we may have as human beings, they aren’t good enough. We must ALSO be beautiful and serve as decoration at all times. And if we don’t, we’ll be condemned by the media, by men, by other women, by pretty much everybody. I agree with you that it’s ridiculous and shallow… Read more »