Donny Deutsche Has Great Cleavage!

I'm back from THE TODAY SHOW. For those who missed the segment on "CLEAVAGE IN THE WORKPLACE," Donny Deutsche unbuttoned his shirt to test out what kind of distraction it would be for Meredith and me to see his cleavage -- and well, to be honest, it was distracting -- because he's got a nice set of pecs, that Donny!

As a result I now have "cleavage empathy" for all the men in the workplace who have to be surrounded by busty business babes. It IS hard to concentrate around naked skin!

On a serious note... I received a lot of interesting and supportive emails from you all last night, helping to get me primed for today's show - and I appreciate ALL of them! Thank you, thank you! I really do love it when you write to me (karen@notsalmon.com). As a writer when you write a book/newsletter, it's like wondering if trees falling in the forest when nobody is there to hear them make any noise. In my office in front of my computer ratatatating away, I don't get to hear the "noise" I make with my finished my product. When you write to me, I get to hear the noise! And I love hearing how much you're on the same page -- or different page - from the pages I write! So keep those emails coming!

BONUS BLOG INFO:

While preparing for THE TODAY SHOW, I found some very interesting studies -- about the power of attractiveness in general at the office -- which wasn't 100% on topic this morning, but on a pertinent tangeant.

In one study, Yale psychologist Marianne LaFrance found that medium-length hair on a woman was researched to be the best for communicating "intelligence" at the workplace. Hair which was too long and sexy made women look less smart and professional. Ditto for hair which was too short and boyish.

In another study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, researchers found that there's a "pretty premium" - with beautiful people tending to earn 5% more an hour than "their less comely colleagues." Plus, another study also showed that the wage differential for obesity seems to be limited to "white women." Of this group, those considered "obese" in terms of their body mass index (BMI) in both 1981 and 1988 earned 17% less than women within their recommended BMI range!

Although men don't let weight or hair weigh them down on their rise up that career ladder, their height can stop them from reaching up as far as they'd like. Economists have also discovered a "height premium" among white men, with a 1.8% increase in wages for every additional inch of height over the national median.

In a word: yeesh!

I guess we live in a world which is very much about "packaging." Many people only look at the packaging of others, rather than what's inside. And in today's speedy world, snap judgments are probably getting even quicker than ever.

The lesson learned: It's up to you to decide how you want to harness the above research studies, but recognize unfair or not -- and it IS more UNFAIR than not -- how you package yourself at the office will have an influence on how others view you.

Feel free to express your views on all "these superficiality rewards and penalities" below....