Since coffee table books reign as popular gifts at holiday time, I thought I'd suggest a few that fit into the "faces" theme of this website. I've listed the most-recently published books first. Lookism rules in some cases (Lindbergh) but not in others (Arbus).Images of Women II, by Peter Lindbergh.Choosing images that span 2005 thru 2014, the German master photographer features his black and whites from the worlds of fashion, society, and film. He includes Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton, and … [Read more...]
A presidential candidate’s way to end lookism.
While my dog Monte Blue–the Anti-bully Warrior—shared a link to this story on a couple of social media outlets, I think it's funny (or sick) enough to share here.Lookism?Admittedly, the "lookism" referred to here is different from the lookism I blog about, the problems the would-be presidential candidate addresses interconnect with bullying and discrimination which I do write about. Here is the story which came in the form of a letter to TribLive– part of a Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Tribune … [Read more...]
What ideal body type do men favor? Science is no help.
According to this review of recent studies, studies are all over the place regarding men's preferences for a woman's figure:Mannequins in store front display. Ideal body type. America has become obsessed with women like Christina Hendricks, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian for their voluptuous body types à la Marilyn Monroe. Although these women have been glorified for their curves by men, science suggests men are initially drawn to women who look more like Kate Moss did in the 90s. According to … [Read more...]
Best looking candidates win? Lookism research says yes.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sept 17 that science suggests why certain politicians win election to the highest offices in the land. Might this come into play in the GOP primaries here in the US? 'You betcha,' to use one of the fave expressions of Sarah Palin, a veteran of a recent campaign for VP (along with Senator John McCain for POTUS).Lookism research findings apply to America as well as Australia.A former beauty queen, Palin watched as lookism reared its ugly head recently when … [Read more...]
We’re all guilty of lookism regarding severe disfigurements.
Psychologist Irvin Rock perceptively wrote in 1974: "Even photos of familiar faces -- famous people like Franklin D Roosevelt, for instance -- will look unsettling when flipped upside down. Just as, if you tip a square enough it stops being a square and starts becoming a diamond, so rotating a face makes it seem less like a face. The mind can't make immediate sense of the inverted features, and reacts with alarm. A bigger change, such as taking away the nose, transforms the face severely enough … [Read more...]
Apps that let you enhance your selfies———lookism gone wild?
Have lookism apps gone too far, even in a selfie world? As if selfies aren't enough of an indulgence, we now have apps that let narcissists enhance their selfies from head to toe. An "instaglam" app, called Bright eyes: clean up your image with Perfect365 ModiFace, is a powerhouse in the virtual makeover world. The app developers* are responsible for an app which lets people try on make up and another which allows one to "virtually" whiten ones teeth (Virtual Dentist). The Perfect365 … [Read more...]
Shocking before/after celeb photos. Lookism or what?
Lindsay Lohan, George Clooney, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Kourtney Kardasian, Kate Moss, Rachel McAdams, Kim Catrall. Celebrity Photos Before and After Photoshop. What do you make of the photoshopping in these pictures, offered online recently? Shocking? Ho hum? Just more evidence that sexist males control the media? And what affects you most? The blatant sexism? The agism on display where photo editors removed crows' feet, smile lines, and other signs of age and/or personality? … [Read more...]