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We live in a world obsessed with
physical appearance. The idea of
beauty as virtue is ingrained in our
culture, perhaps even more so than
ever before. Young women go on
health-threatening diets to conform
to the Barbie ideal. Psychology
students indicate in tests that
attractive people are
considered more
trustworthy, virtuous or intelligent,
on a subconscious level. than less
attractive people. Unattractive
people are depicted in films as
twisted, cowardly or villainous, and
seen in real life as morally suspect.
It even shows in language, in phrases
like "an ugly situation", "ugly
sectarian hatreds", "things could get
ugly".
Perhaps we need an Ugly Pride
movement. People of below-average
attractiveness (in terms of societal
norms) could unite, reclaim the word
"Ugly" (much like "queer" has been
reclaimed), have Ugly Pride rallies,
and push for a society in which
people are not judged on superficial
criteria such as height, blondness
and conformity to the Barbie/Ken
archetype.
Otto Sump's Ugly Clinic
http://cgi.www.khan...p's%20Ugly%20Clinic
A place that featured in the Judge Dredd comic stip were you could "get ugly". [Aristotle, May 06 2001]
Ugly & Proud
http://www.pikespice.com/ugly/
Serious, but small. Surely there must be better material on discrimination against ugly people than just the obvious difficulty of landing a job as a model or at hooters. [jutta, May 06 2001]
Like this.
http://www.essex.ac...ference1/Harper.pdf
British study on the correlations between beauty and success. (There are lots of US ones, too, e.g. Hamermresh & Biddle 1994; this one had the advantage of being fully online.) [jutta, May 06 2001]
I am on this already!
http://www.bangable...ex.php?PID=5865&L=1
me [futurebird, May 06 2001]
mingers
http://www.mingers.com
[stupop, May 06 2001]
[link]
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U! G! L! Y! Now we have an alibi! |
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Things get ugly in a hurry on Confessional / Confrontational TV 'talk' shows where the 15 minutes of fame is accorded those who believe they set a new standard for aesthetic / physical pleasure. Bottom line for anyone advertising a product is to recoup far more than the investment - and sex sells. This applies to humans on the superficial / sexual sliding scale in public / private arena as well. It seems the 'beauties' have gotten their share. Now, it's as if the 'uglies' want theirs by a backlash. Is the movement already underway? - I think so. Television seems to 'represent' this on commercials - depending on Casting Director and product (not limited to oddballs, etc. but Actual Sellers) and on TV shows - but then again, I don't watch much TV. Film? Depends on the Casting Director and the Screenplay. Radio? I may not see them on the air - but I do in Publicity Stills - including billboards. Posters? The Late Seventies witnessed the boom in adolescent male targeted Stills. I would have to say the media is slowly inching its way to your hope turned to reality. The Ken and Barbie 'ideal' has long been criticized and abandoned by society - not all - but the truly 'better' part of society that doesn't depend on outward appearance to determine status. |
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The word "ugly" means "not very nice to look at". There are some things that are nice to the most. People automaticly dislike ugly people, you can't change it.
(I'm tired and a little cranky) |
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Why, UnaBubba, you old extistentialist! But yeah, that about sums it up. I like the Ugly Pride idea, though, because some people with funny hair and big noses have rotten self-esteem and that makes them devalue their good qualities. Accept your ugliness, you downtrodden masses! Abe Lincoln was once accused of being two-faced. He responded (approximately), "Sir, if I had another face do you think I would be using this one?" |
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Peter, have you ever seen what people are like on the inside? All tubes and goo and oozy stuff. Yucky!
Aristotle, any link to JD is a good link!
acb, I fear that you're going to run into a problem with this one. How do you define "ugly" or "attractive"? Who is allowed on the rally and who is excluded? |
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UnaBubba, I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but in the Southern US at least, 'doings' is a euphemism, as in 'Billy-bubba, the puppy done made a mess on the veranda. Go get some paper towels and clean up the doings'. |
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DrBob, at least in my corner of the country, anyone can participate in a gay pride rally; straight people who do so are taken to be supporting the cause. So by analogy, attractive people could join the Ugly Pride rally as a token of support. |
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eg. 'straight but not narrow' --> 'beautiful but not ???' |
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I take your point wiml, but how do you tell the Uglies from the Beautiful Sympathisers? |
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T-shirt for Sympathizers: "I'm UGLY on the inside!" |
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Hey, some of my best friends are ugly... |
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Beauty, or at least relative good looks, is overrated. The problem with being somewhat above average in looks is that you can never be sure as to whether or not someone actually cares about you or just thinks they look better with you by their side..... The great thing about horses, dogs, and cats is that they have no concept of beauty. I've never seen a dog refuse to lick a loving owner's face b/c they thought the owner was too ugly. |
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Susen: Yeah, dogs...they even like you when you smell bad. In fact, I sometimes think they like us humans *better* when we smell bad. |
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Hey, how about 'Humble Pride' ? Oh, okay then. |
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