How Much Do Looks Matter? A Freakonomics Quorum

We’ve written before about various “beauty premiums”: the advantages gained in the marketplace by people who are better looking, taller, or have better teeth than the average person.

Empiricism and theory have their place, of course, but we decided to ask some real people to discuss how much looks really matter. Here are their answers; feel free to add your insights in the comments.

Jim O’Connor

Jim O’Connor

Height: 5’8″
Weight: 152 pounds
Age: 63
Occupation: president of public relations firm, O’Connor Communications, Inc.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your physical attractiveness? On the same scale, how do you rate your intelligence?

Attractiveness, 8. Intelligence, 7.

Has your level of attractiveness ever affected your job or salary?

Yes, positively. People have enjoyed working with me, partly because of my appearance.

How important is physical appearance in your industry?

Somewhat important, since public relations promotes a positive image of companies and other clients, and there is a fair amount of personal contact.

About how many coworkers do you consider above average in attractiveness?

All of them, which is one: my wife!

Do you prefer to work with people you find attractive over people you find unattractive?

Prefer, but not essential. I think it is normal to be comfortable with good-looking people, and they add to a pleasant working environment. However, if a co-worker or client is extremely attractive, it can be a distraction, and sometimes you overlook their professional shortcomings.

Tell me about a work-related incident that made you most aware of the way you look.

I worked at six companies before starting my own business. At every company, one or more women openly flirted with me even though I was married. At one company, a younger woman was very aggressive — told her friends she was “going to get me.” When I left the company, she pursued the man who replaced me. She got fired. Years later, she was in a lawsuit for sexually harassing a fellow employee and was sentenced to a year in jail.

Christina Manthos at work.

Christina Manthos

Christina Manthos
Height: 5’4″
Weight: 120 pounds
Age: 28
Occupation: environmental engineer.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your physical attractiveness? On the same scale, how do you rate your intelligence?

Attractivenes, 8. Intelligence, 8.

Has your level of attractiveness ever affected your job or salary?

Sometimes negatively, sometimes positively. When I get mistaken for an administrative assistant instead of an engineer: negatively affected. However, attractiveness greatly improves networking and marketing activities.

How important is physical appearance in your industry?

Not very important at all. I work with wastewater for God’s sake.

About how many coworkers do you consider above average in attractiveness?

6.

Do you prefer to work with people you find attractive over people you find unattractive?

I prefer to work with people who are kind, hard working, and have a good sense of humor — looks don’t matter.

Tell me about a work-related incident that made you most aware of the way you look.

I recently attended an alumni dinner for engineers at my graduate school and I was asked, “Are you really an engineer? You really don’t look like one!”

I’ve also been referred to as eye candy at some of my previous engineering jobs. I don’t mind such comments as long as my abilities are assessed objectively. At my current job, I think this is the case — made clear to me by the opportunities I have been awarded. So far, I have been fortunate to work with very professional people.

However, at some of my former jobs and throughout my school years, I often felt an extreme sense of pressure to prove myself in order to dispel stereotypes. Sometimes, no matter how well I performed, I still felt I was being discriminated against. I was often not taken seriously and on more than one occasion I was accused of cheating off male classmates, which I never did.

For some reason, it was completely unbelievable that an attractive woman would get the highest grade on a calculus or physics exam. It was even more unbelievable for a blond woman. I did not meet the expectations that people had (i.e. the dumb blond stereotype), and people had a hard time accepting it. This discrimination tended to come from older men, who were perhaps wary of a woman’s ability to succeed in a traditionally male environment.

However, I must point out that I have also met some very fair-minded “old guys.” What it really comes down to is the individual. Fair, open-minded people will assess you objectively. People who can’t think for themselves will judge you based on stereotypes.

Luc Wylder

Luc Wylder
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 187 pounds
Age: 49
Occupation: president of the adult entertainment film company, Fallen Angel Video.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your physical attractiveness? On the same scale, how do you rate your intelligence?

I’d rate myself as a 9 in attractiveness and 9.5 in intelligence. My physical appearance got me in the door and my intelligence enabled me to stay there.

Has your level of attractiveness ever affected your job or salary?

Yes. My initial introduction to the adult industry was as an erotic performer where casting is based almost entirely on physical appearance. I was often paid considerably more than my co-workers, who worked much harder then I did because I had “the look” they wanted.

As my career progressed into directing, producing, and then owning Fallen Angel, I must admit that appearance was often a strong point to leverage a negotiation on my way up the chain of command.

How important is physical appearance in your industry?

Traditionally, the adult entertainment industry has been extremely image based and primarily focused on beauty, health, style, and youthfulness. I believe this focus on physical appearance becomes habitual and spills over into areas of hiring and decision making beyond simply casting beautiful people.

I once took a class on the psychology of influence and persuasion. It taught that potential employers and business people unconsciously value physical appearance, beauty, style of dress, health, hair style, and social skills and often overlook actual skills directly related to the project.

About how many coworkers do you consider above average in attractiveness?

I’m fortunate to work around many beautiful people. I’d say that 85 percent of my coworkers are above average in appearance.

Do you prefer to work with people you find attractive over people you find unattractive?

I find physically attractive people fun to be around but often so self-absorbed that they tend not to be the best workers. As the owner of a globally recognized erotic media company I need people who are dedicated and excel in their jobs. I’d prefer the unattractive skilled worker who performs over the beauty queen who is afraid to break a nail.

Tell me about a work-related incident that made you most aware of the way you look.

A woman once approached me and announced in a loud voice, “Luc Wylder, you’re my fetish.” That’s a very powerful statement coming from a person who had only seen me on-screen and never met me personally.

Debb Thorne

Debb Thorne

Height: 5’5″
Weight: “Unfortunately, a hell of a lot more than when I was 20.”
Age: 45
Occupation: assistant professor of sociology.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your physical attractiveness?

6 — just a little above average. Especially with the help of cosmetics, a good stylist, and heels. But then, who doesn’t rate themselves above average?

On the same scale, how do you rate your intelligence?

7 — I’m no Einstein, but I do have a Ph.D. (for whatever that’s worth)!

Has your level of attractiveness ever affected your job or salary?

I’m sure it has, but I don’t have any empirical evidence — just anecdotes. I say this because “back in the day,” when I was young and fit, I wore the styles of the time — relatively short skirts and high heels. I was a secretary, and more than once I noticed my “bosses” looking at my legs.

Was that why I was hired in the first place?

My guess is that was part of it. Yes, I had good secretarial skills, but if their glances were any indication, I was also “easy on the eyes.” Also, when I was a waitress, putting my husband and myself through college, I could easy increase my tips by wearing a low-cut blouse and a tight, short skirt.

How important is physical appearance in your industry?

Very. It’s critically important in any occupation. Research shows that. Being unattractive or overweight are proven negatives. For example, see “Is Obesity Stigmatizing? Body Weight, Perceived Discrimination, and Psychological Well-Being in the United States” by Deborah Carr and Michael Friedman (published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior).

About how many coworkers do you consider above average in attractiveness?

In my department, among 30 or so colleagues, three are above average. So 10 percent.

Do you prefer to work with people you find attractive over people you find unattractive?

I would assume that, given that I’m a member of this culture, I do prefer to work with attractive people. Am I necessarily aware of that preference? No. But in our culture we place a high value on appearance. I was born and raised here, so I probably respond in a predictable way.

Tell me about a work-related incident that made you most aware of the way you look.

Heck, every time the new school year begins and a new group of very young adults swarms campus. Due to my occupation, I’m routinely interacting with 18-to 22-year-olds — so my students are always young (relative to my age) and typically attractive. They are a constant reminder that I’m aging and my appearance is not what it used to be.

Does this negatively affect me? Not typically. Once in a while it makes me feel old. But hell, with age “should” come wisdom. And when it makes me feel frumpy and fat, I get motivated to get off my butt and head to the gym.