Category: Water Cooler Musings

Yesterday we had a rousing discussion around the water cooler about being pretty and being hot, and how they’re distinctly not the same thing. It reminded me of this episode of The Office where the employees were split on whether or not Hilary Swank is hot. Great actress sure. But is she HOT? And what makes someone hot vs. pretty and vice versa?

This one guy, we’ll call him Phil, said that girls are pretty when they are naturally attractive, and girls are hot when they wear something “skanky.” Which of course got all the girls who were also around the water cooler up in arms. They questioned whether or not skanks can truly be called hot, and more importantly, do ALL guys think that way? Then he clarified, that it wasn’t really skanky he was referencing, but something that showed off a girl’s body. Pretty girls, he said, didn’t need to show off their bodies, because they have this essence, this girl-next-doorness that attracts people to them in the “good” way. I think that did enough to call off the lynch mob, but just barely. Continue reading “Water Cooler Musings: Pretty/Hot”