What is it about the success of one woman that usually inspires another woman to pull her down? Jennifer Aniston, a beautiful and powerful performer, seems to invite a particularly jealous and petty streak in other females.

The New York Times Caryn James writes: “Ms. Aniston’s career has seemed like a case study in how not to become a movie star, how to forfeit the title of America’s sweetheart and how savagely those on-and-off-screen roles can merge. How did her career go haywire so fast?”

James points to the recent fluff movie, “The Break Up” and last years’ “Derailed” and “Rumor Has It” as evidence that Aniston has made odd film choices. She then aims her critique against the physical appearance of the actress:

“The characters in these films are wildly different, but Ms. Aniston’s performance isn’t. She projects the same high-maintenance Jennifer Aniston style — the trademark sleek hair, the natural-looking makeup, the body so toned you wonder how many hours a day a person can spend with a trainer — whether she’s supposed to be a con woman posing as an executive in “Derailed,” an obituary writer for The New York Times in “Rumor Has It” (trust me, no one here looks like that), or a woman so demoralized she quits her teaching job to clean houses in “Friends With Money.”

She blasts her “failed media strategy” after the break-up with Pitt, and says that her “all that coyness about her possible relationship with Mr. Vaughn may turn out to be a misbegotten strategy, echoing the coolness and emotional reserve of her characters.”

When you talk about sleek hair, natural looking makeup and a body so toned….when you are coy about a relationship…..and you made poor choices as an actor…you aren’t talking about Jennifer Aniston. You are describing her ex-husband Brad Pitt.

Pitt is the Teflon actor who has spent the past fifteen years making one unforgettable film after another. He is a poseur and dyed hair, catwalk beefcake who stars in fluff like “Ocean’s 11” and “Meet Joe Black” and uses his relationship with Angelina Jolie to buy more star time from the public.

Aniston strikes me as a fighter, but one who wears her heart on her sleeve, and her performances, even in films that aren’t blockbuster hits, is still way more convincing and emotionally revealing than most other actresses of her age.

Can’t other women respect her without mentioning the tan, the hair and the body? Why don’t male critics tear up Pitt the way females do Aniston?