I will just add an intellectual piece to this thread to help others gain a step closer to reality. I hope this doesn’t come off as harsh, I’m just trying to save some people.
Let’s not downplay the importance of beauty in the world we live in. Getting a foot in the door is vastly superior to not having any door open in the first place.
Let us begin on CC where we can see how beauty affects the forums and the posters. College Confidential is a site that discuss many topics but has a major focus on college academics and admissions. However, what does one see on the front page? A model. That is what one sees on the front page. A woman with superior looks who is paid to dress elegantly to entice visitors to explore the site. We do not see a university admissions office or a group of students diligently working on their homework but instead an attractive ornately dressed woman because sex sells.
Now onto the real world. Would One Direction garner such popularity if they had started off as what they are now? They had to start off as adorable innocent guys with attractive haircuts and no tattoos. They had to get their foot in the door. How are they looking currently? Harry Styles has shaggy hair to his shoulders and all members, disregarding Niall, have multiple tattoos. What they needed was to first garner enough popularity from teenage girls. Once they did, they were able to go back to their true selves because of the cushion that they got from their initial appearance. There are many more examples of this in the media such as Alex From Target, Kim Kardashian, the whole K-Pop industry, etc.
Many successful and wealthy men who were not gifted with beauty find other ways to obtain beauty. They shift their focus towards their children. They are able to afford gorgeous wives who will bare better looking children thus giving the man’s child an easier life. Donald Trump, the gorgeous Melania Trump, and their beautiful son, Barron Trump, are just one example out of the many that prove this point.
Even for the average person, looks matter plenty. For people looking into going into business, much of the excellent jobs that they aim for require connections. Getting a foot in the door is a major deal for them. For people who aren’t looking into entering the business world, looks still play a crucial role in finding a job. So much can happen on that one interview between an employer and an applicant. Employers not only want someone who can do the job but can also represent the company well. Just like CC wants a beautiful girl representing the forums, so do many companies.
These are just off the top of my head because I’m not interested in getting this intellectual piece scored by others but instead interested in giving others a small glimpse of my viewpoint.