Selena Gomez Grossly Asked to Rate Her Own Hotness on a Scale of 1 to 10
A selfie taken by Selena Gomez on an average day. Photo: @selenagomez/Instagram
How hot is Selena Gomez?
Well, according to her: “On a good day, I would say—like a premiere day—I would be a good nine. And then, on my every day, I feel like a six. Gosh, that sounds so bad! I feel like a six or a seven."
The 22-year-old singer and actress was asked to rate her attractiveness on a scale of one to 10 when she called into Boston’s The TJ Show on 103.3 AMP Radio on Monday. She admitted that, like most women, "you have your days” when you don’t feel like a dime.
When one of the co-hosts challenged the rank she gave herself, saying she definitely ranks higher on the scale, she acknowledged that the line of questioning was making her uncomfortable. “It is so awkward… That’s so weird,” the Good for You singer replied. “Why would I want to say something like that?” she asked. “It’s awkward enough answering."
Awkward’s right. Should anyone — regardless of his or her celebrity status — be subjected to this line of questioning? There is no right answer. If she gave herself a perfect score, she’d be called arrogant or self-obsessed. Too low, and the public would judge her lack of confidence. Shouldn’t she be demonstrating the importance of self-esteem for her impressionable young fans?
That one of the most stunning 20-somethings out there feels close to impeccable only with the help of a glam squad is dispiriting, to say the least. Is society really telling women that its impossible ideals can’t even be obtained with the help of a stylist picking out an outfit, a hairstylist’s blowout, a makeup artist’s touch ups, a spray tan, mani, pedi, and more? If Gomez isn’t a 10 on the red carpet, then what’s the calibration? If she’s only average on a day she doesn’t get professional help, then where do average, non-famous people fall? Women and girls are already subjected to thousands of media messages per day that make them feel bad about themselves. And, as unintentional as it may have been, hearing yet another — especially from someone who’s such a body-positive advocate and role model — is a bummer.
Selena Gomez in Katie Ermilio ensemble with Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Photo: Getty Images
The inquiry from the The TJ Show also begs the question: Would a male celebrity be asked the same thing? Say her Transylvania 2 co-stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James had been on the line as well. Would the actors also be asked to get introspective and honest about their appearances? Not a chance. Those men can show up to a premiere wearing gym clothes and receive little (if any) denunciation.
In Hollywood, sexism doesn’t just affect payouts and parts — it also permeates beauty standards, and how women are viewed as vessels of prettiness as opposed to substantive people with brains. Frustration with this perception of females seemed to hit a ceiling during awards season when actresses such as Julianne Moore and Jennifer Aniston refused to show off their fingers for the mani cam and demanded reporters to ask them more than that standard, “What are you wearing?”
Yet, despite recent strides, a beautiful young star is still being asked by men to consider her level of hotness against her peers. We’ve got to ask ourselves: How far have we really come?
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