Public Life

The picture you've certainly noticed before you started reading this was published in Playboy magazine, in November 2011. Certainly that is not surprising news, since that particular magazine has long been known for its interesting photos.

What made this particular picture famous and controversial was the fact that the featured model was also a school teacher in Texas, who got fired after some students' parents showed their discontempt.

Quite a few voices were raised in her defense. The case was often interpreted as discrimination, arguing that one's personal life is nobody else's business and so should not influence professional decisions.

This reminded me of the controversy that rose around a job opening announcement by Portuguese air company TAP, where applicants (for flight attendant position) had to fulfil a batchful of model-like criteria*. The same often happens with receptionist, secretarial or human resources positions.

Should this be seen as a form of harassment, discrimination or otherwise unacceptable professional behaviour? Personally I do not think so. Companies are entitled to choose their staff in the way that best suites their needs, capitalistically speaking. It is a known fact that beautiful people are (unconsciously) perceived as nicer and more successful, which gives them an obvious competitive advantage in any position involving dealing with customers or clients. In that ssense, one's physical attributes may indeed be of importance in terms of competence for a given roll.

Is that discrimnation against uglier people? Only in the same sense that I am discriminated against Cristiano Ronaldo in the football world, high self-esteem and with good rethoric skills people are uphelded in management and ease with number is favoured in engineering.

For the same reason, I do not find the original case alarming or unfair. If a woman wants to appear in Playboy magazine, by all means do, but you cannot honestly say that wouldn't interfere with her job as a teacher. Image is important, like it or nor. You probably wouldn't look at your boss the same way if you saw him parking cars in the streets during the weekend. More so in the age of information, where our deeds are forever and wherever accessible.

Last but not least, nice picture.


Filipe Baptista de Morais

* Some of them actually had rational explanations to support them, such as the minimum height required, which was justified by the need to lift the luggage up to their place.