. Who would have thought that women
at work look studious, focused and professional (you know…like they’re actually
doing work)? Lucy Kellaway’s article stems from observations she made while
flipping through the pages of McKinsey and JP Morgan material. The men in the
support images – some plucked right from the company itself - were depicted as
regular looking…senior…with purposefulness that said ‘Hey, I actually look like
I work here!” Meanwhile, the women were
all young, model-esque, showing a hint of ‘the goods’ and way too happy. The
fact that these pictures were scattered about a report discussing the benefits
of workplace gender equality is classic.
This problem surely
extends beyond the corporate world: this fixation with ensuring that youth,
beauty and body type are the only ways that women should be presented to
the world. Not to say that a very attractive woman can’t be found in a corner
office. It’s just that this should have nothing to do with the marketability of
a company (let’s face it, these images are chosen for a reason). And, by the way, unrealistic one-dimensional portrayals of corporate woman can contribute to the shock one gets when they actually interact with a real woman at work. Get the picture? We do...