Want to be a Talking Head? Being Attractive Doesn't Hurt

Flip through the cable news networks on a given day, and you are likely to find an increasing number of very attractive female anchors and pundits discussing politics.

Mind you, I have no statistics to back this up (how would one compile such stats?), but I doubt most viewers would dispute this trend.

We've all heard stories of the TV producer who asks for a head-shot before booking the guest. This, of course, begs the question: Are looks becoming more important than expertise or knowledge in the news and political analysis business?

On one hand, many talented writers and pundits just happen to be attractive ladies. For instance, I have personally worked with two female writers and pundits who get a lot of TV air time -- Mary Katharine Ham (now of the Weekly Standard) and Amanda Carpenter (now of the Washington Times) -- and both of them are top-notch professionals. On the liberal side, I have often debated The Daily Beast's Rachel Sklar, whom I admire, though we often disagree. But, from time to time, I have also noticed quite a few young ladies on television who were not quite ready for prime time.

Clearly, this problem isn't reserved solely for women. Though probably less important for men (thus, I've been able to occasionally get on), when it comes to getting on cable TV, nice looks are probably helpful for both sexes.

As Rachel Sklar told me, "In political punditry, it doesn't hurt to be female and attractive -- but, based on the numbers, it doesn't hurt to be white and male, either." She went on to add that, "Last I checked, David Gregory and George Stephanopolous don't look all that good in a skirt."

... It is interesting to note that Rachel mentioned two male hosts -- not pundits or "guests".

In my mind, the fact that most hosts are still men might actually reinforce the notion that it's easier to get booked if you're an attractive female. If nothing else, producers might like to match hosts up with members of the opposite sex.

... On the other hand, Sklar may be onto something else, too. It may be easier for a young female to "break into" the punditry business, but it may still be that older men dominate the senior-level guest spots. My observation is that there are relatively few prominent female conservative bloggers -- but they almost all tend to make it on
cable TV.

Michelle Oddis, a Human Events reporter who has appeared on talking-heads shows confirmed this notion, saying, "In certain instances a producer could have a choice between someone less attractive and male or attractive and female -- with the same qualifications -- and because of the nature of the business, they will always choose the more attractive female."

On the other hand, Oddis also noted the potential for a backlash: "Attractive women are under some pressure to really step up their game and know what they are talking about in order to avoid being labeled 'just another pretty face," she said.

Political commentator and columnist S.E. Cupp also noted that, "While women will have to prove that they're smart enough to do a job that men have always done, I'm sure certain doors open more easily for women than men".

She also pointed out that looks might not be as important as people think. Her own personal story, for instance, does not seem to fit the stereotype. "I broke into punditry by writing columns that people seemed to find discussion-worthy, and not necessarily because I wanted to be on television," she said, "so I don't know what role looks played."

While I do think that Miss Cupp is right to assert that pretty women can break though based on their intellect, I still worry about the fate of attractive writers and pundits who deserve to move up in the industry. Does the over-saturation of "hot chicks" in the media make it harder to be taken seriously if you are a good reporter who just happens to be an attractive woman? ... Or what if you are a talented woman of a certain age?

Luckily, the industry does seem to be moving in a positive direction. Most of the women I mentioned became regular TV guests based on their printed works -- and looks mean much less in that game. Still, though, it is interesting to note that the vast majority of conservative blog readers are male. Recently, I was watching the Ed Morrisey Shown Hot Air. The show is broadcast on UStream, which allows viewers to post comments in real time.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the comments did not regard the serious topics Morrisey covers -- but rather the marital status of one of Morrisey's frequent female guests. It seems the viewers were sad to see that this young lady had gotten married.

S.E. Cupp probably put it best when she told me that, "Women pundits, above all else, need to remember that not everyone is going to like you." Luckily, there are now enough smart women like her to elbow the "not-ready-for-prime-timers" off the stage, and as she put it, "women who rely only on their looks or sexuality to sell their intellectual messages on television are going to find that's a quickly depreciating currency."