Q: or is the "hot babe" seen only as an object?
A: Nope. I know when I with my male friends and we are talking about "hot babes", any mention of personality or intellect is gets a blank stare. There is one exception, if a guy says "She is a cold b*tch", another may respond "Yeah, but she is hot so I don't care". But don't worry, that is when guys are talking about just looks. They would never really seek a serious relationship with the vapid women. I think mostly it is a "gotta be a macho guy" thing. The gals they actually pine for, for actual good reasons, they keep secret in their mind for fear of being called out as a wimp. But that's just my assessment. It isn't always true.