Maybe most of the women are gay and its harder to catch them.
Interesting observation, Janet, but I'm surprised - it's usually the male response. I've been subject to that label myself, from blokes I worked with. Because I got on with the job anddidn't fall at their feet frothing at the mouth in a fit of sexual frenzy, the blokes labelled me as "butch". In their mind there had to be SOME reason for me not finding thme attractive; the possiblility that they were not my type or that I already had a hhusband who was as much as Icould ever want or handle, never occurred to tem. In their minds, it had to be me who had the problem, not them. Because every bloke has to consider himself to be irresistible, right? well, at least the ones in question that I worked with...
Thinking about women in power - I'll list a few and see if you can consider them to be the slighrtest bit attractive (from a male point of view) -
Margaret Thatcher.
Indira Ghandi.
Golda Meier.
And in Australia -
Joan Kirner.
Carmen Lawrence.
Bronwyn Bishop.
Amanda Vanstone.
Our earliest female politicans were Edith Cowan (1921) and Enid Lyons (1943). Neither of them young or attractive, although both imposing. Enid Lyons was the widow of an earlier PM, Joe Lyons. When she entered parliament there were no women's toilets in Parliament House and they tried to use that as an excuse to keep women out of politics.
The names we label our powerful women with - "Iron Butterfly" "Iron Maiden" or in Australia, "Steel Sheila" and "Perfumed Steamroller" (applied to one of our most influential political reporters, Jana Wendt) - they speak volumes. The general message is of frightening power, "do not cross this woman or she will crush you".
Not exactly a male aphrodisiac.
Currently we have a female deputy PM who until very recently, EVERYONE assumed is a lesbian. She always wears trousers, has short hair, wears no make-up (not so you'd notice) and can really kick it with the boys in politics, she's already had several turns at running the country (and doing it well). But there was a recent 'personal story' TV program which revealed the man behind the powerful woman - her long-term partner (not husband).
We do have some attractive female politicans. Cheryl Kernot was leader of the Democrats in Australia for a while and before her, Janine Haines. Both attractive. InKernot'scase, she famously dumped her party and crossed over to "the enemy". the Labor Party, courtesy of a (later disclosed) illicit affair with Gareth Evans.
She was followed by another attractive (and very competent) female leader, a child genius called Natasha Stott-Despoia. 'Tash' looked more like a uni student tan a politican when she first entered parliament. She would go to work with her backpack and wearing jeans, rather than power suits with briefcase. Blonde, pretty but again, not often wearing make-up. She stuck with the Democrats and tried to hold them together after kernot's defection but finally had to walk away to raise a family and find a job which had more purpose and potential. The Democrats have since died in Australia as a political party. A pity - they were the first major party to really allow women to hold high office, and they reaped the benefits.
But in general - women in high political office have as much chance of being lesbian as women in any other part of the community. But being seen as attractive - far less likely than their male counterparts, even when they do happen to be pretty. Because more women are attracted to power, than men..I think it's because for some women, vicarious power is sufficient and sometimes seen as the only option, whereas most men prefer to get power for themselves rather than via someone else's coat-tails. Or stilettos.
I think there is a basic difference between men and women, in attitudes to sex. I've heard it said that men give love to get sex; women give sex to get love. Women generally want committment; men tend more to want diversity and freedom. The outcome is what we see - women in high office keep their eye on the ball, as a rule while men in high office are more likely to attract sex-related scandal than their female counterparts.
An interesting topic.
Marg