Were we being sexist?
When people asked me what the All Blacks were like should I have singled out their skills instead? Not their stature and muscles but their dynamic scrummaging. Their ball carrying. Their attack angles and try-scoring abilities.
Because these are, after all, what will win them the game.
Go for the package not the wrapper. Don't judge a book by its cover.
We are taught not to judge by appearances.
True, we shouldn't judge by appearances alone. But appearance and a person's physicality are inseparable from the person "within".
Let's not kid ourselves. Appearance matters. This week I abseiled down a building for charity. Colleagues asked if I was scared. But truth was it was not the height that was occupying my thoughts but my butt. What should I wear to something where a whole crowd of people are looking up at you from behind. I tried on compression pants. My daughter was horrified. "They give you four bums." So I settled for track pants. "They might fall down on the way down," she ventured. When my feet touched the ground at the end of the abseil, I wasn't feeling grateful for staying alive, but that my bum didn't look big and my pants hadn't fallen down. I am a mother of three amazing children. I have loyal friends who are always there for me. I'm a magazine editor of the best lifestyle magazine in town. I have a Masters from Oxford University. But I anguish over being 10 kilos overweight, my gel nail that fell off this week and I haven't had time to get fixed. I feel bald without eyelash extensions. I put on full makeup to go to the dairy. It doesn't make me less of a human being.
Who doesn't want to look good?
Jacinda Ardern?
Labour front bench MP Ardern's popularity was evident in the latest Herald DigiPoll survey with her now being the fourth-preferred Prime Minister among general voters.
The DigiPoll result followed last month's Herald Mood of the Boardroom survey of leading CEOs which rated Ardern as the best-performing Labour MP since the election, ahead of Andrew Little, Annette King and Grant Robertson.
Ardern has been a list MP since 2008, famously losing the 'Battle of the Babes' for Auckland Central to National minister Nikki Kaye. In the Labour caucus she has responsibility for small business, justice, children, arts, culture and heritage.
But she has been in the news recently for being "a pretty little thing" according to rugby league legend Graham Lowe. It caused a right hoo-ha, with National Council of Women New Zealand chief executive Sue McCabe saying Lowe's description of Ardern was dismissive and condescending.
TV3 presenter Hilary Barry tweeted: "Panelist describes @jacindaardern's skill in politics - 'she's a pretty little thing.' Rest assured he won't leave without bruised shins." Ardern responded with: "And for this, I thank you Hilary. I hope your shoes were pointy."
Okay, so being called a "little thing" is dismissive. But it's old-man speak and you have to cut old men some slack. Like, I didn't cry when I took a call once from a man who had asked to speak to the editor. "That's me today, I am the duty editor." He replied, "What do you have to do around here to speak to a man?"
Similarly, Lowe is 69. In his mind it was a compliment, as he later explained: "I come from an era where calling someone pretty was one of the highest compliments and so I did. I would worry about offending Jacinda herself, and if I did I apologise."
So before we throw a pretty little tanty, look at Lowe's full quote. He actually said,
"I'll tell you what, she's a pretty little thing at the moment. And what she says, she speaks pretty smart I think. She just comes across as the right image. It wouldn't surprise me in the future. If she was Prime Minister at some stage, she'd look good. You'd see her and you'd think 'Wow, she's our Prime Minister'."
Lowe is not an old fool lusting after pretty women. He is right on the money.
"She just comes across as the right image."
This is politics in 2015. It is all about image. Labour has not been able to touch 'brand Key' with his normcore pink shirts and rock star popularity. Business people, pop stars, kids - and their mums - clamber for selfies with JK. My daughter recently listed interviewing John Key in her dream list above singing with Taylor Swift or swimming with dolphins.
Along comes Ardern. She might want to be known for her intelligence, of which I am sure she has plenty.
But brand-wise, she is fresh air in a Labour party, more known for short grey hair and earnest frowns. And that's just Andrew Little.
Imagine David Shearer in a black and white polka dot dress on the front cover of Next magazine. Phil Goff in Women's Weekly talking about his country childhood. Phil Twyford making Metro's list of most influential people in Auckland.
Ardern's brand positioning is deliberate and smart.
You cannot blame Labour for capitalising on Ardern's image. Brand-wise, for me, Andrew Little is not a winner.
True, he is still polling ahead of Ardern as preferred Prime Minister, at 13.3 per cent compared to her 3.9 per cent.
But Key remains preferred Prime Minister by 63.7 per cent.
Labour's support has climbed back to the 30s for the first time in the Herald DigiPoll since Little became leader nine months ago. Political commentator Audrey Young calls it a "psychological" boost for Labour, in a poll during a bad month for the Government of TPP protests and criticism of new health and safety legislation.
There are many more factors in play than pretty faces.
But the pretty smart in National's camp will be wary of Jacinda's pulling power.
