During a panel with Glamour magazine editor Cindi Leive, First Lady Michelle Obama and actress Charlize Theron condemned the idea that educated women were less attractive to men.
During the conversation, Leive indicated that she was frustrated with the notion that some boys found educated women unattractive.
“That just enrages me. So much,” Theron said in response to the question. “There is nothing sexier than a smart woman.”
Theron encouraged all the girls present to break the mold set by men regarding what was considered sexy.
“We can’t have boys designate that for us anymore,” she said.
First Lady Michelle Obama encouraged girls to avoid “stupid” boys who acted that way.
“Let’s just be clear, you don’t want to be with a boy who’s too stupid to know and appreciate a smart, young lady,” Obama said, encouraging people to set a higher bar for friendships.
“You have to fill your bucket with positive energy, and if you have people hanging around you that are bringing you down and not lifting you up, whether that’s your ‘boo’ or your best friend, you have to learn how to push these people to the side … you have to clean your house of negative energy.”
Obama asserted that no boy was “cute enough” to stop any girl from getting a great education.
“Look, if I had worried about who liked me and who thought I was cute when I was your age, I wouldn’t be married to the president of the United States today.”
Theron laughed and cheered as the entire audience exploded with applause. Reaching out to the first lady, the Mad Max co-star exchanged a high five with her and shouted “That was amazing!”
She also had advice for the girls, encouraging them to set their own standards of what was sexy and attractive.
“Look in the mirror and see yourself and say I am sexy, I am attractive, I am smart, I am intelligent, I am powerful, I have a voice, I look cute in these jeans,” she said. “Yes I don’t have long hair, I have short hair,,, but I am still a girl and I am still hot.”
Michelle Obama kept the conversation focused on education, encouraging all girls to become mentors.
“Read, write, go to school, don’t be late, do your homework, you know, get the best grades. You can compete with the boys, beat the boys … because you are all capable, but we have to spread that word and first and foremost we have to believe it to be true for ourselves.”
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