The argument is made in Dr. Strangelove's class that women live in a patriarchal society. Women in this society (our society) are subject to violence and sexism. They don't make as much money in the workplace, and are subject to being under the control of men.
That is not to say that women don't hold power. Women can have power in our society - they just need to LOOK the part. By looking "pretty" a woman is less of a threat to man's dominant position in the workplace.
Along with this idea of women in the workplace needing to be attractive, there is the idea of "commercialized femininity" where all the women look like the idealized Barbie figure, and likewise, all the men look like the idealized Ken figure. TV shows like "Sex in the City", "True Blood" and almost any other show in the world choose actors that portray this ideal figure so as to make women think they need to look attractive to hold a position of power. In all honesty, I believe thats true. People know (even if its only subconsciously) that more attractive women get the job they are looking for because they give off a certain stereotypical image that people enjoy.
Even I find its 'easier' to work with someone more visually appealing. I feel as though in a workplace, work ethic could go up, because the incentive could be attempting to impress or please the attractive other. Even in the place of a female-female/male-male situation, work ethic could still increase because of the desire to one-up the other.
Two interesting comments of the lectures of the week made by Professor Strangelove:
Canada expresses their religion by “getting all bendy on yoga mats"
This is the age of concrete.
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