Julianne Moore Thinks Fashion & Politics Are Intertwined

Julianne Moore posing with her Golden Globe.

On Sunday night, as Julianne Moore accepted the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Yankee yahoo Sarah Palin, the actress was quick to thank her hair and makeup team. This is rare in Hollywood. Despite spending endless hours with their on-set beauty squad, actors are often more inclined to thank their lawyers than the team that completely transformed them into character.

In film, hair, makeup, and wardrobe are crucial; Moore admitted that much last night, but further implied their importance in politics when talking to Fashionista this past weekend. Apparently, in playing Palin, she became conscious of the importance placed on the Alaska-native's appearance and found it frustrating, given how little the same issue weighs on male politicians.

“I absolutely feel that women in politics are unfairly judged based on their physical appearance and fashion choices. Nobody talks about how [men in politics] wear their hair or whether or not their outfits are attractive,” she told the website.

While women in politics are certainly under scrutiny for their looks, I'm not sure I believe in a double standard. No one talks about the clothing or hairstyles of male politicians because there isn't much to discuss: they wear a dark suit and coloured tie to denote their party, along with a clean brush cut and fresh shave. I mean, if Stephen Harper grew a goatee, would we talk about it? Most definitely. Unfortunately, in the age of 24-hour news networks and constantly rotating websites, we'll talk about pretty much anything.

Younger, better looking men have always been seen as symbols of hope - just think of JFK, Obama, and even Stockwell Day on the back of his jet-ski. Physical appeal is always going to play a factor for those in the public eye. Sarah Palin's looks got attention because she was young and pretty and didn't necessarily look like you would expect a politician to look, but I don't believe that Paul Ryan got any less attention for his workout pics and all-American charm. It's all part and parcel to the campaign and as much as we can complain about it, politicians - male and female - are happy to use their appearance to their advantage when it serves them.

As much as Julianne was playing a character, so too is Sarah. I bet she is more than happy to fluff those bangs every day and hoot and holler like the woman she created.

Have your say! Do you think women in politics are unfairly judged for their appearance?

By: Laura; Photo by WENN.

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