Sigh, The Trophy Wife Phenomenon Is Real: Men With Hot Wives Get The Jobs

June 5th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

Okay so we kind of knew the whole trophy wife theory wasn’t totally baseless, but it was still sort of an unspoken element of business practices and decisions. Your spouse is a reflection of you, men who want to move up the corporate ladder should have an equal partner on their side—and it wouldn’t hurt if she was arm candy too—but I’m not sure it was ever understood to be the deciding factor in the hiring process, at least not openly.

Vanderbilt’s head football coach has blown the whole top off of this phenomenon with a comment he made during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone. James Franklin very calmly, and without reservation, told host Clay Travis that his candidate’s appearance isn’t the only thing he’s critiquing during the hiring process, he’s also checking out his wife.

“I’ve been saying it for a long time, I will not hire an assistant until I see his wife. If she looks the part and she’s a D1 recruit, then you got a chance to get hired. That’s part of the deal. There’s a very strong correlation between having the confidence, going up and talking to a women, and being quick on your feet and having some personality and confidence and being articulate and confident, than it is walking into a high school and recruiting a kid and selling him.”

I want to ride with Franklin on this because I somewhat like his point about men and confidence and approaching women, but the shallowness of what he’s saying is making it hard for me to fight the urge to gag. It’s clear from his comment that a D1 recruit is another word for barbie doll and men, but more so the women with them, are essentially being judged on how attractive they are as proof that a man didn’t just settle for any old woman, or God forbid care about her brain more than some other b words.

The Business Insider took a less superficial take on the role women play in their husband’s hiring process by pointing out that this element is more important the higher you climb in your career and the more male dominant the industry is.

“The general rule of thumb is that the spouse starts becoming a factor once you start getting into leadership positions, especially with smaller companies where great sacrifices might be required on the part of families—that’s when the hiring executive wants to meet Mrs. Candidate, more often than not to gauge whether she’ll be supportive of the sacrifices required, and also to sell her in to the promise of the role, etc.”

That I can stand behind, but when it comes to looks being used to prove a man is a true go-getter or more ambitious, I’m not feeling it.

What do you think about wives being judged as part of the hiring process in certain fields and for certain positions?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • B

    Trophy wives these days are attractive, educated and have a good head on their shoulders. It might not be right but so far, it seems okay. The husbands aren’t complaining and the wives are willing to go along with it.

  • PA-TX

    This is def true in male-dominated fields with high publicity, politics or money involved. They are in the public eye and have to maintain a certain image. My husband works in finance. All of the wives, from the top execs down to the analysts, are all fit and attractive. To be honest the men are fit and attractive too. Most of the wives, we have given up our careers, be it doctors, lawyers, teachers or an engineer in my case to support their careers/image. We are on the boards of and volunteer at museums, charities, shelters, theaters, school districts, etc. It’s all about relationships and hobnobbing with the Who’s Who of the area. The wives  are just as important sometimes in closing a deal or making connections. Execs may have an “in” with a client because their wives are in the same running club or their children go to the same school. Then they chum at a glitzy fundraiser and a picture of the new foursome ends up in a society publication. 

    Just look at Michelle Obama. She has a huge chunk to do with her husband getting (re)elected. Her appearance definitely contributed to her (and her husband’s) mass appeal. 

  • FromUR2UB

    I can’t get upset by this because it happens everyday. He’s simply saying that seeing the spouse, reveals another layer about the man. At least it tells him whether the guy goes after what he wants, and feels he deserves what he wants. A lot of us judge people by whom they select as a mate. We do it with politicians all the time. It just goes with the territory.

  • Candacey Doris

    It goes the other way too. When women with a family are moving up, their families gets watched. I If you have a husband that looks like he belongs on a corner, they think your judgment is bad.f your husband is going to get jealous and be unsupportive, that will affect you at work. I’m not saying the way they put it was right, but it’s not unusual or even always wrong.

  • Chanda

    It is what it is. Not mad at them even though they’re superficial but I get it. If you’re confident and have the personality to attract the most beautiful women, then you’re confident, motivated and driven enough to get the job done. If you wanna get and keep these women in your lives you’re gonna have to work for it. That’s what these employers are looking for in the people they hire so there’s the connection between it all. So single men and men with “homely” chicks don’t stand a chance, huh.

  • Gimmeabreak78

    That’s life, though. Everybody with a little money wants to upgrade something–whether it’s a car or a house, etc. It only makes sense that folks would try to upgrade spouses as well.

  • rtr

    wow that explains why most of these ball players and nfl players get with these chicks that they dont love, know and end up taking half of there money….so sad…

    • B

      The thing that I’m noticing more and more about trophy wives is that they bring more to the table than their looks. They’re smart, highly-educated, civilized and oftentimes successful in their own rights. Most of the ball players and nfl players are not choosing women like that. They’re choosing wifey’s (women who will perform “wifely duties” without a committment), not wives.

  • sammilu1224

    I can’t live life with that picture over this article..surely you could have found a better picture to drive this point home..lol As far as Franklin’s standard, couldn’t one also question the character or type of man who knowingly presents his wife to be judged whether she is good enough by another man? Sorry boo, couldn’t be a man of mine.

    • MLS2698

      That geezer is on the come up with a sister on his arm.

      • B

        It’s not about color but status. Don’t turn it into something it’s not. A lot of these men have trophy wives who are NOT their ethnicity but match, or closely match, them in educational attainment and class.

  • SheBeTN

    Not surprised at all. It’s an unfortunate element in business. Not saying its right but execs pull ALL the stops to ensure financial security; even making sure that the staff and their family is aesthetically pleasing. I have heard of some companies that make sure that their employees have a family unit (spouse and children) before placement (ILLEGAL!) to make them relatable.Clients show more interest with those who are more attractive ( again not saying its right just stating facts). I was once told to make sure that the assistants I hire were “cute” by my boss. SHE laughed when she said it but SHE was DEAD SERIOUS!