Are You Ugly Enough?

Ugly Dolls
Originally uploaded by MMena.

The very clever Constantinos Demopoulos (Dino) shares what is my NEW favourite website -- Uglynet -- a community for ugly people. I think I have finally found a home!

Check it out ... it is not about how you look -- actually it is about the opposite! It is a community that is pushing against the beauty industry, against representations of "beauty" and challenging us all to think about it.

I particularly love the fact that you can download an Ugly People widget ... similar to the MyBlogLog one that seems to be popping up all over the place. (Speaking of ugly ... I really don't like seeing my own pic suddenly there on other websites -- it freaks me out.)

I will certainly be keeping my eye on this community!

Comments

[Maryam in Marrakesh]

This site is hysterical! I want to create my own zwinkie!

It did get me thinking that here in Morocco I am protected against the makeover reality shows and the constant beauty consumerism as compared to what I find in America. Much less "pressure." But my thinking about beauty was affected more than anything else by an accident that I had when I was younger that disfigured me for months - I call it my year of living ugly. I really got to feel first hand what that's like, and I must say it changed me as a person. Ah....Gavin, you are inspiring me to blog about it. Maybe, maybe.

[Gavin Heaton]

Maryam ... go for it! You know you want to!

[Sharon Sarmiento]

That's hilarious. I'm actually a bit shocked though to find that most everyone on the site is actually quite good looking in one way or another.

Attractive people are always trying to steal the show! Even on a site that's supposed to be restricted to only ugly people, the pretty ones show up and take over again!;-)

Seriously though, I know that the media has played with my mind regarding what is healthy and what is beautiful. Last week, in a gossip mag I saw a photo of Jessica Alba on the beach in a bikini, and I thought, "Now THAT'S what I want to get into shape to look like." In my mind I thought, "She looks fit and sexy".

Then, in another mag I was reading an article entitled something like "The mysteriously shrinking women of Hollywood" that said that some starlets were getting waaaay too thin. As examples, they showed Nicole Richie, the Olsen twins, and the very same photo of Jessica Alba that I had been envying!

So, I acknowledge that despite my determination to admire health and strength and confidence in a woman, I still unwittingly fell into the trap of envying someone who is quite lower in weight than is probably healthy (supposedly, the once perfectly curvacious, fit Jessica has lost almost 20 lbs and is looking a bit scrawny these days).

Strange thing--in other people, I see a wide range of weights as being beautiful and love how Marilyn Monroe, Queen Latifah, and Catherine Zeta-Jones look. But when it comes to myself, I'm much harder to please and have a much stricter idea of what beautiful is. It is definitely a struggle, even for women who are savvy, to resist the images the beauty industry has crammed down our throats.

[UglyAdmin]

Hi servantofchaos (Gavin),

Great to see you referencing the Uglynet community. We appreciate your comments and the way that you are helping bring attention to our cause.

Uglynet is all about changing the perception of beauty, but is also all about fun. That is an overall goal, and we are developing plenty of new features to see it happen.

Note to Sharon: I know what you mean about a lot of members being quite good looking. I guess this can come down to either of two things.
1. They, like many of us, are convinced that we are ugly, no matter what the greater world out there might actually think.
2. They are not confident and are seeking reassurance from the Ugliest Person competition that they are actually as good looking as they hope.

Unfortunately vain members will always slip through. All we can do is try and overwhelm them with our collective ugliness and scare them into conversion!

Keep up the good work Gavin.

UglyAdmin (I can be found and reached directly on Uglynet)

[Charles Frith]

I'm about to present to Unilever on the changing notion of media influenced beauty through JWT (If they can get their timing sorted) and while it wouldn't be fair to reveal my findings I can say that the power is being wrestled out of the tabloids and magazines with the Internet.

Internet democratised beauty is now very much evident and it's just the beginning.

[CK]

lovin' the uglynet community. But Gav, you could never be ugly--didn't you see the post where I called you a fetching bloke? You're just too damn pretty.

[Gavin Heaton]

Sharon ... one of the things that may attract a broad range of people (including the less ugly) is that it purports to be a community for those who are sick and tired of the representations of "beauty". I am sure there is a growing awareness and interest in this ... as Charles hints at.

One of the best parts of Uglynet is the all pervasive sense of humour ... I love the way the members have fun with the concept -- there is a real generosity of spirit that I find very exciting.

And CK ... while flattery will get you everywhere ... I don't think I have ever been called pretty. But I must admit my photoshop skills are getting better ;)

[CK]

Fine, I'll stick to fetching (though pretty is as pretty does).

[Maryam in Marrakesh]

Wow, you clearly have hit a nerve, Gavin. And Sharon, you look lovely just the way you are.:-) (and what gorgeous hair you have, Sharon)

[KG]

This is really brilliant! I love these new communities online shaking things up a bit.

Somebody posted a photo of Brad Pitt as his/her icon. Love the irony — or do they really think Brad Pitt is ugly? Hmmm...

[Maryam in Marrakesh]

Gavin,
Pls visit my blog today. I think you will find something there for you.

[Liosliath]

It's funny, I just saw Gavin's photo on UglyNet - seriously gorgeous, ears slightly large which somehow makes him even cuter - hm. Must look at the other photos and see if misperception is rampant...