James Ivory once said that casting beautiful actors goes a long way to help an average movie script.
That said, there is a recent, hot actor - you've seen him in movies and a popular HBO series - that commented how more attention to his acting skills would be nice instead of so much attention to his appearance.
The OP drawing a parallel to women's lib and female objectification doesn't ring as true in my opinion. However anyone might want their talents to not be overlooked. Perhaps that is why actors try to choose their roles carefully. That said, first impressions are important. InstaStuds stay pretty to help gain followers.