History Main / HiredForTheirLooks

->''You can teach 'em to type, but you can't teach 'em to grow tits.''
-->-- '''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'''

** In one of the rare humouristic sequences of the film, Oskar Schindler is looking for a secretary for his new business, but appears clear that he's looking specifically for a SexySecretary and ends up surrounded by a bunch of [[HelloNurse very attractive girls]]. Since he can't decide which of them keep​, he ''hires them all'' (except the elderly woman who was the only competent typist).

A character is hired for a job solely because of their good looks. Whether or not (usually not) they have the skillset or experience for the job is a non-issue for their employer who just wants some EyeCandy around the workplace. Often times their good looks are a form of job security as in cases where they are glaringly incompetent their employer will often ignore or bear with it for the sake of keeping them around.

* ''Series/{{House}}'' hired Cameron because, in his own words, "You look good. It's like having a nice piece of art in the lobby." Cameron is well qualified for the position, but House chose her ahead of better-credentialed candidates because of her looks. In a subversion, House follows up by stating that Cameron, as a beautiful woman, could have easily done well for herself in life (because "the world will hand things to pretty people") instead of working her ass off to become a doctor. House knew that someone willing to shirk an easy life for a much harder one would have HiddenDepths.

** Wrestling/VinceMcMahon has a well known preference for men with large and/or muscular frames, and signed or pushed several men in this mold over the decades. Sometimes this pays off and he strikes wrestling gold (Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/BrockLesnar), sometimes it backfires on the promotion's quality because said big men can't deliver in the ring or the mic ([[Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness Viscera]], The Great Kali).

Compare to BunnyEarsLawyer, CastingCouch, SleepingTheirWayToTheTop, SleepingWithTheBoss, and {{Nepotism}}. See also HollywoodBeautyStandards for a related casting trope.

* A large number of the WWE Divas, who are too often models, dancers or aspiring actresses looking for their big break (see Wrestling/StacyKeibler or Wrestling/EvaMarie). Some of them do successfully make the transition to wrestler (like Wrestling/TrishStratus) but too many of them don't. Fandom is divided over whether this is a good thing or not.

* The title Representative from ''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'' purposefully surrounded himself with [[SexySecretary Sexy Secretaries]], and hired them based on looks.

** In one of the rare humouristic sequences of the film, Oskar Schindler is looking for a secretary for his new business, but appears clear that he's looking specifically for a SexySecretary and ends up surrounded by a bunch of [[HelloNurse very attractive girls]]. Since he can't decide which of them keep​, he ''hires them all''.

Compare to BunnyEarsLawyer, CastingCouch, SleepingTheirWayToTheTop, and {{Nepotism}}. See also HollywoodBeautyStandards for a related casting trope.

Compare to BunnyEarsLawyer, CastingCouch, and {{Nepotism}}. See also HollywoodBeautyStandards for a related casting trope.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Courtney in ''ComicStrip/{{Retail}}'', the exceedingly rude, lazy, and incompetent employee, was hired solely for her looks by the manager before Stuart basically because she was a hot blonde. She tends to take lots of "sick days", sometimes showing up at the mall to shop on said days looking perfectly healthy. Stuart refuses to fire her, because unlike a competent, hardworking employee, Courtney takes up quite a low amount of the payroll matrix. Of course, Courtney's ride couldn't last forever; after Marla gets Stuart's job, she (eventually) fires her.
* In a ''ComicStrip/MyCage'' CrossOver [[http://www.gocomics.com/mycage/2015/05/11 storyline]], Max hires Cassandra Cat from ''Comicstrip/SlylockFox'' for this reason.
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/{{House}}'' hired Cameron because, in his own words, "You look good. It's like having a nice piece of art in the lobby." Cameron is well qualified for the position, but House chose her ahead of better-credentialed candidates because of her looks. In a subversion, House follows up by stating that Cameron, as a beautiful woman, could have easily done well for herself in life without resorting to working her ass off to become a doctor. House knew that someone willing to shirk an easy life for a much harder one would have {{Hidden Depths}}.

* ''Series/ICarly'': When the Power Trio need to hire an assistant to help with the eponymous show-within-a-show, Sam and Carly hire a hunky and INCREDIBLY stupid guy. Freddie retaliates by hiring a really dumb girl [[spoiler: though it turns out that she was a college student using the experience as source material for a sociology class.]]

* In ''Film/The40YearOldVirgin'', after Cal gets promoted to stockroom supervisor at the electronics store, he hires a skinny pretty girl who knows nothing about electronics and can "barely lift an ipod" instead of someone who would be more capable to help Dave find a new girl.

** In a far less humouristic fashion, when Goeth is looking for an housemaid (read: house slave) among the Jewish inmates, he picks the prettiest of the bunch despite her saying that she doesn't have experience with housekeeping.

* In ''[[Film/AmericanPie American Reunion]]'', [[{{Jerkass}} Stifler]] tells group of pretty women "Ladies, you'd better be working hard - you weren't hired for your looks. Actually you were." He then points to another woman and says "Not you."

* Another EvilLawyerJoke: A law firm is told they need to hire more women and make one partner. So, they hire three women and devise a test to decide who makes partner. On their next paychecks, all of the women get overpaid by $5,000. The first takes the money and says nothing. The second returns the money immediately. The third takes the money, but comes back later with a check for $7,500, claiming she got a good stock tip and wanted to split the difference with the firm. So who made partner? [[BaitAndSwitch The one]] [[BuxomIsBetter with the biggest tits]].

* Inverted (or perhaps played straight in a different way) in the Creator/MercedesLackey ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Oathbound]]'', where a knight desires a pair of guards for his wife--and instead of hiring two handsome men, hires Tarma and Kethry instead (Kethry is noted as being quite beatiful, but Tarma was an unattractive, flat chested woman with a harsh features before her face was cut up and scarred when bandits murdered her family). His wife is disappointed.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Cersei Lannister hires Aurane Waters as Grand Admiral Master of Ships, because he looks like Rhaegar Targaryen. When Cersei is imprisoned for adultery by the High Sparrow, Aurane abandons Cersei, and sets himself as a new pirate lord with the ships he was given.

* ''Series/{{House}}'' hired Cameron because, in his own words, "You look good. It's like having a nice piece of art in the lobby." Cameron is well qualified for the position, but House chose her ahead of better credentialed candidates because of her looks. In a subversion, House follows up by stating that Cameron, as a beautiful woman, could have easily done well for herself in life without resorting to working her ass off to become a doctor. House knew that someone willing to shirk an easy life for a much harder one would have {{Hidden Depths}}.
* ''Series/TheKidsInTheHall'': A sketch had Dave as a business man unable to fire a French pyromaniac named Monique because she's beautiful, ''even as she's igniting things in his office''.

* Lampshaded in one Australian mini-series where a group of women are starting their own business and need a secretary. One woman proposes they do what any man would do -- interview a bunch of applicants and "pick the one they fancy the most".

* Jimmy Kent in ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' is hired to be a footman in large part because he's very good-looking. Truth be told, this was a ''bona fide'' qualification for a footman: footmen's good looks and poise were intended to reflect well on the family they served. Even Carson, the butler--no great fan of Jimmy--admits that he's perfect in this regard.

* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' where Stewie's nursery is cared for by an attractive but extremely neglegent and borderline abusive woman (she leaves the children unattended for several hours and at one point dislocates Stewie's arm in her careless handling of him). He fails to have her found out because [[WIthFriendsLikeThese Brian insists he keep his mouth shut until he's scored a night in bed with her]] (though calls the police himself when it turns out she has a boyfriend).

-->'''Tearjerker ''': Never hire a contractor just because he's gorgeous.

* ''Manhwa/Lookism'': Daniel frequently runs into this when using his handsome body. He auditioned at the number one performance school in the country despite not knowing anything about dance, rap, or popular music. Tragically, the far more talented, passionate, and ugly Duke was rejected.

* In one of the rare humouristic sequences of ''Film/SchindlersList'', Oskar Schindler is looking for a secretary for his new business, but appears clear that he's looking specifically for a SexySecretary and ends up surrounded by a bunch of [[HelloNurse very attractive girls]]. Since he can't decide which of them keep​, he ''hires them all''.

* Hello Nurse in ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' first it seems like she's been hired just for being a buxom blonde, but character development showed her not only to be quite competent and very multi-talented... which made her even more attractive to her employers.

* ''Webcomic/MenageA3'': [=DiDi=] doesn’t want to believe that she’s being considered for a major professional wrestling position because of her looks and specifically her bust size, despite two other characters more or less telling her that this is obviously the case. Then [[http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/this-is-a-professional-sport she encounters one of the existing employees,]] and maybe can’t duck the issue any longer.

-->'''Matt Murdock:''' Like Foggy said. We're particular about our clientele. ''[beat; Wesley glances at Karen]''
-->'''James Wesley:''' [[ShameIfSomethingHappened I'm curious about your...]] ''[[InsistentTerminology clientele]]''. [[DeadpanSnarker Do they all end up working for you after you get them off for murder or just the pretty ones?]]
-->'''Matt Murdock:''' [[TranquilFury You uh, give us a minute, please?]]

* A large number of the WWE Divas, who are too often models, dancers or aspiring actresses looking for their big break (see Wrestling/StacyKeibler). Some of them do successfully make the transition to wrestler (like Wrestling/TrishStratus) but too many of them don't. Fandom is divided over whether this is a good thing or not.

* Inverted (or perhaps played straight in a different way) in the Creator/MercedesLackey ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Oathbound]]'', where a knight desires a pair of guards for his wife--and instead of hiring two handsome men, hires Tarma and Kethry instead. His wife is disappointed.

* In one of the rare humouristic sequences of ''Film/SchindlersList'', Oskar Schindler is looking for a secretary for his new business, but appears clear that he's looking specifically for a SexySecretary and ends up surrendered by a bunch of [[HelloNurse very attractive girls]]. Since he can't decide which of them keep​, he ''hires them all''.
** In a far less humouristic fashion, when Goeth is looking for an housemaid (read: house slave) among the Jewish inmates, he picks the prettiest of the bunch despite she declared of not having experience with housekeeping.

* The sisters of ''SisterSister'' once convinced Lisa to hire an assistant they found sexy. He was so utterly incompetent she quickly fired him. He then sued her.

Compare to BunnyEarsLawyer, CastingCouch, and {{Nepotism}}.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': Although she is attractive, Karen Page most definitely was ''not'' hired by Matt and Foggy to be their secretary because of her looks. Doesn't stop James Wesley from thinking this trope is the case when he visits the firm on [[ComicBook/TheKingpin his employer]]'s orders and recognizes Karen, having twice previously attempted to have her killed:
-->'''James Wesley:''' [[ShameIfSomethingHappened I'm curious about your...clientele. Do they all end up working for you after you get them off for murder or just the pretty ones?]]