Do I Benefit From ‘Ugly Privilege’?

As a person who isn’t considered “conventionally attractive” by society’s standards, does beautyism ever help me gain anything?

Photo by Artak Petrosyan on Unsplash

A common assumption is that people who are considered to be conventionally beautiful receive many advantages in life. I’ve never really fallen into this category, so I can’t speak from firsthand experience.

But beauty privilege is real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Often, these systemic and social dynamics are referred to as “lookism.” Now, I personally find that term to be awkward and sloppy, so I don’t use it. I prefer the term “beautyism” to describe how people are treated differently throughout society due to their perceived beauty.

Writing for The Nigerian Tribune in August 2021, Tunde Adeleke provides several examples of how beauty privilege can work. Those who are considered “beautiful” by an industry’s standards will become the recipients of gifts, media representation, sartorial access, presumptive “chivalry,” and employment opportunities.

Those of us not considered “hot enough” or “gorgeous enough,” by society’s standards, won’t see ourselves reflected in digital or commercial venues as regularly as “hunks” and “babes” do. Those perks or that deference aren’t…