Why you can't talk about how foxy-looking that lady is

I enjoyed reading this explanation in response to President Obama calling Kamala Harris the "best looking attorney general in the country" at a fundraiser. I hadn't heard about this incident, but I do identify with the feeling. (Though fortunately I have never been introduced as such. I don't think it would ever cross the average engineer's mind, thank goodness.) And I like the article because it's really funny too. What better way to break it down?

Along the same lines, I got to that article from this one, which describes a study in which study participants decided between hypothetical male and female political candidates. The conclusion is that the more the media talks about the woman's looks, even in a positive or neutral way, her percentage of the vote drops pretty dramatically.