.......................OF SEX AND INFLUENCE!!!

Oxford dictionary defines the term, an “influential figure” as, “Somebody or something that affects the way a person behaves or thinks”. So when I ask, “ Class! Can you give me an example of an influential figure”, you will probably go down wide road and bring back Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and expectedly, Oprah. Hardly, the correct answer. Allow me to elaborate. Have you ever met a woman so stunningly beautiful that you walk into a room with her and everyone starts wondering what she saw in you? Now that is an influential figure. A figure so aesthetically pleasing painters scramble to do the nude. The female body is art form and men are exceedingly visual. The woman who understands this acquires the leverage of sexual influence. Honestly, the male form pales in comparison, unless you are talking about the nudes captured Angela Fisher book, Africa Adorned. Here is an illustration.


People who walk around naked (not nudists) are called wenda wazimu (mad people) in this country. The nude crazy male is normally tolerated and save for a few women peering for size comparison, they are a mild amusement at best. Now, the naked female loony generates a totally different reaction. I once saw a nude woman in the city. She was very docile, almost meek but presence caused a genuine public disturbance. Take my word for it; she had a seriously well toned body, a lot better than most women I know. I suppose a lean diet and lots of walking does bring results.

Thanks to fashion, a woman can gain influence over most men without uttering a single word. The female body is a web of sexual signals. Front, back or sideways, it always evokes favorable response. Men wear clothes to conceal devices and for comfort. Women however, use them mostly for display and those with assets rule.

When the shapely woman moves, her hourglass figure gives her graceful gait or so it appears. Therefore any woman who is above average beauty either in face or form can have overwhelming sexual influence over men in the workplace. It actually has a wider biblical context. Adam was under the influence of Eve’s figuratively speaking, when he bit into that apple. Sexual influence in the workplace is real; and beginning to take precedence of over competence. What do you expect when you put men in charge? Two women of equal academic qualification are called for an interview. The panel as usual will be predominantly male. No prizes for guessing who they would hire between Miss Long legs and chubby cheeks?

Fat on men is suitably deposited in the front. In women it tends to go around to the back. Nonetheless a woman protruding both ways has little hope at a sexual display and subsequently influence quickly diminishes.

That’s why I hasten to advise aspiring corporate women to work out in the gym more often, drink less and eat more fruit. The corporate arena is still a man’s world and body image counts. Frontal assets can be enhanced by lower cleavage while shapely rears should be draped in revealing fabric or constricting outfits. Keen anthropologists tell us that the female body parts are visual elements that arouse lingering interest from the male onlooker. Women feed off such attention.

When a woman combines sexual influence and brains she becomes what most married men consider an investment. Women still refuse to take advantage of this option opting instead to engage us in pointless debates on gender equality.

The female body is a deep well of gender signals. The omissions of nature can be corrected by extra support and padding. Cosmetics are of great value. Make up has a function; to make one look younger, prettier and to get men all fidgety. Unfortunately, it does not miraculously eliminate perceived physical flaws.

But in a mad rush to join the privileged diva class, many women continue to haplessly break the etiquette barrier. Desmond Morris author of The Naked Ape, a non fictional anthropological classic, calls it overexposure. It is a signal which although not unusual in itself, gains attention because it is performed in a slightly more public context than expected. Some of the cleavage displays on the market are startling and if we have to see those thighs, at least, guarantee the audience a smoother experience. Excessive body hair on women is simply a hairy encounter. Admittedly, there is a blurry line between ignorant and tasteful exposure. Beauty still rests in the eye of the beholder.

I suppose such is life. The rules are never impartial. Only the fair and influential damsels qualify for the lead part in the fairy tale