As Vimes says

[mrsbrown]

Two articles in the newspaper this week on a similar topic? Hmmm, where's the money?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/beauty/face-value/2007/08/16/1186857681659.html

Filippone who is in her early 30s, says: "What's wrong with looking good all the time and making a bit of an effort? It's not about spending more money or being beautiful. Laziness and lack of thought are costing women jobs and promotions. At least in the1980s, everyone looked the part."

And http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/our-attitude-towards-cosmetic-surgery-needs-a-sharp-facelift/2007/08/19/1187462081028.html

facelifts — liquid or surgical —ballast a destablised sense of self. So we've got no idea who we are any more, or where our life is — or should be —going. At least when we look in the mirror, a familiar face, not a disintegrating stranger, is who's looking back.

So that's why I feel crap this week - it must be my sense of self destabilising.


And don't forget, as long as men have to go to all this effort too, it's alright.

Comments

[sacred-chao.livejournal.com]

The weird thing I see about this is that it appears to be largely driven by women as well directed at women. Of all the people working in the industry interviewed there's only one man and going from the quotes there it seems to be the female execs pushing the grooming barrow.

"'Corporate women think they can get away with plunging tops and low pants but they can't afford to do it,' says CEO Donna Leigh."

"'The managing director sends us for a manicure once a month,' says Jonelle Dunscombe, of First Executive consultants in Queen Street. 'She's sending the message that this is what is expected.'"

There was another woman who said that she wasn't getting pressure from work because "I work totally with men and men don't notice" but she has spent $4000 a year on injectables and chemical peels for the past four years on top of cosmetics and other general grooming because it makes her feel better about herself. Now I've been told that I'm not a typical testosterone poisoned male (actually I am, but I usually recognise when I'm manifesting that and whack myself over the back of the head) but it's not that I don't notice, it's that I really don't care that much and it doesn't tend to influence my opinion of a person. No makeup certainly doesn't anyway although excessive amounts do make me wonder about a person sometimes.

So am I really that far out of step with the average man or is this something which all of us guys are watching from the sidelines wondering what the big deal is all about?

[celsa.livejournal.com]

A few years ago I was spending a lot of time sitting in hospital waiting rooms, so I finally read a "Vogue" magazine. In it was an article relating the grooming expenditure of a selection of female executives. 'Twas an English version of the mag, so the cost was tallied in pounds, but with the thousand dollar shoes and makeup costing hundreds and hundreds each week - not to mention the spas, massages, personal trainers, gyms and excersise classes, tanning thingies, hair cuts... The total spent ranged between 10-20 THOUSAND POUNDS! Admittedly, they were in jobs with high wages, but... what madness is that??

Women end up with less money in their superannuation than men, on average, and it's often put down to women taking time off work to raise children. That's a fair analysis, but I wonder whether the cost of fashion and cosmetic treatments are ever evaluated?

It frustrates me. People strive for women to be paid what men are paid for equivalent work, but how does that improve a woman's financial situation when any such gains are stripped away by disparity between the expenditure expected or demanded by our culture?

[hnpcc]

Both those articles depressed me to the point of considering whether I should start wearing make up. I don't wear make up. I've never really been into it, I'm not very good at putting it on (because I don't wear it often enough to get good at it), and to be honest the effort has never really seemed worth it to me.

Then I read this thing about the grooming and the 150K job and I look at myself and think that's probably why I'm never going to get any higher on the ladder than this - I look like shit. Doesn't matter how much I know, how good I would be at the job, I don't look the part and I'm too old, ergo I won't get there.

So yeah. Make up. Fuck that botox shit though.

[celsa.livejournal.com]

I know I'm chronically under-groomed, by prevailing standards. Oddly, though I know how to apply professional standards of makeup for stage, photography or real-life wear, but I don't like the feel of it, myself. I don't want to spend money on it. I don't want to spend time that I could use to do more productive things to put on makeup and fiddle with my hair.

I understand that people do these things and get good at it, and it becomes part of their daily routine, but... it'd be lovely if I could say "It's not for me, thanks." without having it impact on my employment opportunities.

[montjoye.livejournal.com]

I'm outraged right along with you. I shouldn't be replying at work but it is lunchtime and this topic is a pet issue for me.

Sure, people should be presentable at work. However I vastly disapprove of a culture that says makeup is required or plastic surgery should be encouraged!! So unhealthy on so many levels. Well i think so.

To paraphrase in reverse: When I look in the mirror I'd rather see my face looking back, gracefully aged if that is where I am at, not a surgically distorted stranger covered in makeup.

I would say more but must go back to work.

Lots of water and fresh vegetables

[erudito.livejournal.com]

I am finding that lots of water and fresh vegetables does wonders for the skin ...

(A cheap option I know.)