In Episode 9 of Bomb English, Mike and I discussed Korean fashion and touched briefly on the fact that women in Korea really feel the need to look good, all the time. While American women overall probably spend less time, less often than Korean women, there’s still some pressure to “look good” for high-profile positions.

Even for women who keep their makeup and hairstyles minimal and easy to manage, it still usually takes women longer than men to get ready for the day. This means that women have to devote part of their time each day to preparing their physical appearance, which means that men are given more “productive” time each day - they can sleep or relax or work or read or whatever, while women are socially required to be working on looking a certain way.

Think about it . . . how much time does a Korean guy spend each day getting ready to go to school or work? What does he have to do?

Now, think about an average Korean woman? What does she have to do each day before she can head out the door?
An article in the LA Times and on Slate Magazine examines this idea by looking at what it means for the Democratic candidates for US president this election, so if you have some spare time, we recommend you give it a read.