In a discussion with a close friend prior to a night out on the town in Washington, D.C, a discussion regarding attire for the upcoming night occurred. Here is the gist of what took place:
Friend: I do not know what to wear
Myself: How is that?
Friend: Like what to get. Because I was looking at myself and I need to focus on making my butt look amazing because that is my ASSet.
Myself: You are worried about the wrong thing.
Friend: What do I need to worry about then?
Myself: Why are you concerned about making your butt look big? Your butt has never been quite big, in my opinion of course.
Friend: I mean it is not HUGE, but I think either way I have a nice butt and legs
Myself: Okay, so if you feel you have nice butt and legs, what makes you think they will not show off themselves?
Myself: I just think too many women feel as though they have us men figured out and that they KNOW a man will pay more attention if a woman has a big butt.
Friend: That is not what I am saying. I am saying that I want to look nice so I need to figure out what flatters me the most.
The location of the upcoming event was in a very mature environment, with an emphasis on networking; a place where how you converse with people is just as important if not more important than how you looked due to the dress code policy enforced by the establishment.
While it was important to “look the part”, it became pertinent to question if her curves mattered more than her conversation or if being buxom or having a nice buttocks overshadowed the capacity of her brain? In our society, it can be said that as people, we tend to place individual appearance on a different pedestal than a woman’s non-physical qualities. Do we as a people place someone’s appearance on a different pedestal than a woman’s non-physical qualities?
According to pop culture, Nicki Minaj is the best female Hip-Hop artist in the industry today. While that claim in itself is debatable, there is also discussion if her popularity is due to her musical talent, or if it is a result of her appearance. During her rise to fame, a consistent debate whether or not Ms. Minaj’s butt was real or the result of surgery or some prosthetic flooded the internet and became just as discussed as her lyrics. What separates Nicki Minaj from the other female artists currently in the game… or should it be noted is that thanks heavily to her image, Nicki Minaj is the only female hip-hop artist who has been pushed by major music labels in the last three years? Is Nicki Minaj talented? Yes. Is she the best female rapper with a wonderfully curvaceous body who women adore and men drop their jaws looking at? Yes. Is she the best female rapper making music? That is a discussion for a later date.
There is of course real life situations where the appearance of a woman can be a “distraction” in the work place. In 2010, Citibank fired 5’5”, 125 pound Debrahlee Lorenzana for looking “too sexy” in her work place and being a distraction to her male co-workers (please state the source for a more credible argument). Of course such actions resulted in a lawsuit, one where Lorenzana says, “As a result of her tall stature, coupled with her curvaceous figure she should not wear classic high-heeled business shoes, as this purportedly drew attention to her body in a manner that was upsetting to her easily distracted male managers.” In addition, Lorenzana was given to a list of things she was not permitted to wear including: pencil skirts, fitted suits, turtlenecks and 3-inch heels.
Whether it is within the field of entertainment, boardroom, or classroom, it seems as if there is a debate whether or not the appearance of a woman can serve as a distraction to who she is as a person. However, there is no concise answer on the topic, as distractions are all subjective. Either way the fact remains, society puts a lot of emphasis on both members of the opposite sex (not just men looking at women) looking good. Can it be a distraction? Yes, that is if you are shallow and naïve in situations where your mind looks at a person as more of a sex symbol than a person. If your intentions are not just to be around some pretty person, their beauty will not be a distraction.
