Two people walk into a job interview. One, conventionally attractive. The other, not so pretty. Both have the same resume, transcript and essentially the same credentials, but who do you think gets the job? The pretty one, of course.
Pretty privilege — a concept used to examine the economic, social and political advantages or benefits that both men and women experience solely based on their physical appearance — is a very controversial topic in today’s world; in fact, many people deny its existence.
Pretty privilege has many upsides — for those who are on the receiving end of it. For almost everyone else, its existence is detrimental. In many industries, particularly those that are client-facing or involve public representation, attractiveness can not only lead to hiring advantages, but promotions and networking opportunities as well. Outside of the workplace, attractive people also frequently find it easier to attract a partner, often experience less rejection in relationships and in daily life interactions. In many ways, being conventionally attractive can open doors in a person’s life.
“[There was a time] I saw pretty privilege,” FHS freshman Salma Sanhawy said. “I was at the salon and there was a guy doing a girl’s hair. When he came to cash her out, he was like, ‘Oh, it’s okay, it’s on me today, because you look so pretty.’”
But, what are the downsides of pretty privilege? People often think that those who are considered pretty have it all, but there is always another side to the story. Many times people who don’t benefit from pretty privilege feel jealous or upset when they see others getting better treatment because of their looks. As a result of their insecurity, they can treat those who get pretty privilege poorly; although, this issue is not as prevalent as pretty privilege is.
“I had a friend at my old school who was really, really pretty,” FHS freshman Emma Davalos said. “She’s probably the prettiest girl at this school. But she used to get bullied a lot because all the other girls were jealous of her, and they used to steal her stuff.”
Beauty also depends on the person looking at you; even if one person think you are beautiful, another person might disagree.
