The stereotype is that there is little of substance behind a model’s pretty face. It’s a stereotype exacerbated by the fact that many models are so young they haven’t had the time to get a formal education or develop thoughtful opinions.

There’s a word in popular culture for men who are obsessed with models: model-izers. They aren’t drawn to the individual person but to the fantasy. And they’re perceived as being just as shallow as the women they date are assumed to be.

The dismay over the relationship between Bruni and Sarkozy is a magnification of the reaction to the sight of a bookish man with a bombshell woman. The juxtaposition doesn’t do either of them any favours. She’s likely to be considered a trophy. And he as Mr. Shallow.
Robin Givhan (LAT-WP )