Take a good friend of mine for example.......
Exceptionally intelligent, compassionate, funny and loyal. Professionally talented and gifted with an impressive CV and career path. I've never once seen her in make up. Or it's very subtle in application.
She also happens to be stunningly beautiful. Seriously, for real, she is gorgeous, there are no two ways about it........
Now, is she subjectively-speaking more beautiful than other women IN SPITE of not being caked in make up or BECAUSE of this?
In truth it shouldn't matter either way - but to too many people it does.
When assessing someone like my friend in the professional context, her choice of clothing or make-up shouldn't make a difference. Sadly, to too many people, it will. Too many people seem incapable of differentiating their personal subjective view from their professional one.
I would suggest that the problem lies in the minds of the observers rather than in the minds of the women themselves, unless the women give in to pandering to the expectations of them, in which case do they not then become part of the problem??
It takes a brave woman to face down the prejudices and expectations of them. I hope more and more do it. The cosmetics industry has a lot to answer for - but so do the male-dominated board rooms in pretty much all business sectors.
FIFA can make a start by consciously choosing NOT to refer to a woman's looks when writing articles. Imagine the furore if they wrote an article like this:
"Jamie is a talented goalie with the reflexes of a cat. It's shame she's fuck-ugly cos she's missing out on so much sponsorship opportunity. If only she applied a bit of lippie and blusher, with some striking eyeshadow, a strong and thick foundation to fill those pock marks in, oh yes, and a fucking decent shave once in a while (she'd fit right into those ads that those boys get, you know, Messi etc with Gillette - cha-CHING!), she might find herself more adored by we media types. She's letting the side down, in more ways than one, perhaps she got hit in the face by too many shots? What a great shot-stopper she is - but love, really, tart yerself up a bit, get to a salon and treat yerself, eh?"
*edited by request to prevent disappointment from stalkers who would totally get the wrong end of the stick and just frankly embarrass themselves
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