Googled for books with "ugly" in their title the other day. Here's what I found. Go here for blurbs about some of the "ugly" books. (Who said you can't judge a book by its cover?)Besides the Ugly Face Booth and Confessions of an Ugly Girl, a book simply called Ugly caught my eye.The author, an Australian, had a large tumor on his face at birth and deformed legs. At first, his own mother abandoned him in the hospital, wishing he would die. The book is about Robert Hoge's life growing up … [Read more...]
Lookism’s ugly side & how we can counter it.
As some who has taught sociology, a piece by sociologist Heather Laine Talley caught my eye the other day. I especially noticed her comment that lookism, like sexism and other -isms, is often unconscious and taken for granted. So true. Our society may've gone overboard around unconscious, so-called "white privilege" in discussions about the big -ism of our day, racism. But it is worth examining the little-mentioned issues of lookism and ableism, especially as they relate to people with … [Read more...]
Lookism’s #1 pageant to help cleft lip kids.
"Lookism" can surprise you. The current Miss Universe—and fellow "lookers" models Christie Brinkley and Kristen Taekman— are "ambassadors" for the cleft charity Smile Train. (Singer Jessica Simpson and models Vanessa Lachey and Molly Sims likewise beat the drum for Operation Smile).My favorite "looker" supporting clefts is Roma Downey, an Irish actress known for her nine seasons as Monica, the tender-hearted angel on the TV show Touched by an Angel. Ms. Downey is more than just a looker, she's … [Read more...]
Automated lookism? Robots to judge beauty contest.
Steve Harvey's recent mistake* as emcee crowning the wrong Miss Universe caused some of us to reflect on the silliness of choosing winners among a bunch of perfect-10 females. Well, now there's the possibility that robots may soon do the choosing. Is that a good thing? Perhaps, because there won't be any judges or emcees to kick around . . . tho Miss Universe pageant directors want Harvey back in 2016. Perhaps, too, it'd be a good thing because the robots presumably will choose the same … [Read more...]
Boy hassled by bullies in film has new life.
Bullies got more than they bargained for when Alex Libby, one of the students in the 2001 "Bully" documentary, flowered and began to thrive in a new school. Tho Alex still has the flattened nose and Asperger's that triggered much of his earlier bullying, he's a confident happy kid these days.Columnist Tony Leys of the Des Moines Register wrote this follow-up story on Alex recently. Here it is in its entirety: Bullies find unintended consequences of their acts. Alex Libby, who was featured in … [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...]
Angelina Jolie and most of us have this facial symmetry defect.
New York University plastic surgery prof Sherrell Aston says Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Lucy Liu—and even Barack Obama—have something in common, besides being famous and in the news regularly. They have “slightly asymmetrical chins,” he says, a trait they they share with almost every other person in the world. The finding holds regardless of age, sex, ethnicity or race. You and Angelina Jolie Probably Have This in Common. Dr. Aston has conducted thousands of pre-op facial exams in his … [Read more...]