One of the things drilled into me at a very young age was not to judge people by their looks. But Americans do just that every day. People use appearance as a measure of worth. Several studies have shown that looks influence job opportunities, the perception of intelligence, your salary, proficiency as a lover, fitness as a parent, etc.
Last year, researchers at Michigan State University reviewed over 60 studies conducted in the past 40 years. These studies involved 5,000 subjects, relating physical attractiveness to intellectual competence. The results consistently showed that good-looking people were rated more capable than their less-attractive peers.
To make matters worse, there's a double standard for sex and age. Men with silver hair look "mature." Women look "old." Societal pressures are even worse for women because they're expected to be successful professionals while still looking like Barbie.