Ben Affleck 'Argo' Snub Explained: Jealous, Cat-Fighting Directors!

My theory on Ben Affleck's wholly undeserved Oscar snub: Cat fight! We hear so much about women's intramural squabbling, but straight dudes are just as prone to ridiculous bouts of "I'm so much prettier than he is!" unfounded jealousy.

Affleck should have been nominated for "Argo," just as Jon Hamm should have snagged at least one Emmy for "Mad Men" by now and George Clooney should have won the Best Actor Oscar last year for "The Descendants." (I know Clooney already won Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana," but he also gained 40 pounds for that role. And Affleck shares a Best Screenplay Oscar with Matt Damon, but they were plucky newcomers at the time.)

As I've learned over the years from friends, partners, colleagues and interviewees, some men initially pursue their creative path because they think it helps them get laid. (And in some cases, it does.) But I've never heard a woman name this dynamic as a factor. A beautiful woman gets pursued no matter what and a less attractive woman doesn't view creativity as a gateway to boning.

So, I think Affleck was snubbed, in part, because most of his male director colleagues don't look like him and don't go home to Jennifer Garner. But they can console themselves tonight that they made the pretty one cry.