(no subject)

[randomness]

Occasionally, I get really angry on behalf of some of my friends because of appearance privilege.

Here's what I mean: I have a number of friends who are really sweet, wonderful people. They often get treated badly, however, in part because they don't fit the societal definition of what people (women, particularly--most of them are women) should look like.

On the other hand, there are a few acquaintances who get away with truly obnoxious behavior because they're conventionally attractive. (I can't think of anyone who fits that description who is actually a friend, for the obvious reason that sufficiently obnoxious behavior tends to drive me away, even when I haven't been directly affected by it.)

There's not much I can do about it except try to be a good friend, but it still rankles.

Comments

[cerebralpaladin.livejournal.com]

Yeah. A friend and colleague of mine once commented that appearance is the basis of discrimination that is most tolerated in our society-- someone who is conventionally ugly may face more discrimination in terms of jobs, opportunities, promotions, etc. (let alone social things) than someone who is a person of color, or a minority religion, or queer, and yet there are no protections at all legally or even mostly by norms. And of course it goes beyond attractive/unattractive, but even just at that cut it has a huge effect and nobody seems to care.

I agree, btw, that this hits women much more than men. I wonder whether the US has this worse than the UK; I wonder if the UK's willingness to show less beautiful people on television makes a difference.

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

I heard of a study where teachers were given papers to grade. The papers were accompanied by "photos of the students". When the papers were accompanied by a photo of a "pretty" child they tended to give the paper higher grades than when the child was average or less than average.

It made me feel ill, but it didn't surprise me.

[evilmagnus]

Hey! I'm standing right here!

[kabistani.livejournal.com]

It is common enough in the UK for "Coupling" to have aired an episode that makes fun of the problem.

One of the main characters who is particularly self absorbed and a womainzer (really funny as an architype, not pleasant in RL) talks with three individuals. The scene is seen from his perspective and then another character's perspective. He thinks he is talking to two pretty woman and a stout man. In the other's (more correct) reality it is two pretty women and one "ugly" manish woman.

So, no I doubt it is any better, or at least much better, in Britain. Just humans being bad humans.