You Have to Have Serious Hair?

It became very apparent the appearance of women in the public eye came under tremendous scrutiny during the 2008 election. Both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were picked apart from head to toe—hair, clothes, pantsuits and even thickness of ankles. Now a study is suggesting Sarah Palin needs to “dowdy down” to have a chance in four years.I go back to the line in the movie “Working Woman” when actress Melanie Griffith said, “If you want to be taken seriously, you have to have serious hair.” I do believe people—and especially women—are judged on appearance, at least for first impressions. As much as Sarah Palin’s attractiveness was a frequent topic of conversation, Hillary  Clinton is also a very attractive woman with a beautiful smile.What Sarah Palin really lacked was the credibility and gravitas to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. One study in which only students participated is hardly justification to say that Sarah Palin was too beautiful or too sexy to be taken seriously. Many of those students likely got to know Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live.” At the end of the day, voters are smart enough to listen, and not just look.Kathy Groob is a business executive, former elected city official and Democratic candidate for the Kentucky Senate. Among work with many women’s organizations, she has served as a mentor to several women in the workplace and was a finalist in the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky awards program.