From the original article on August 14, 2008. Author: Chateau Heartiste.
In an effort to be edgy, capture niche advertising markets, and generate buzz, there is a modeling agency in New York that claims to only scout for “ugly” models:
Too ‘ugly’ to model?
Not according to one talent agency in New York City. “Ugly,” founded in 1969, looks for unique models who are not considered traditionally beautiful. According to agency founder Simon Rogers, “beauty really does come in all shapes and sizes,” and in the modeling industry, there’s room for all.
Unique.
All shapes and sizes.
Room for all.
Let’s take a look at what the modeling agency considers ugly.
Here is one of their ugly female models:
i lie to boys.
The only thing ugly about her is the tattoo. She may not be a 10 but she’s pretty hot. Her underlying facial bone structure and features are that of a good-looking girl, and most guys would agree. The rest of the “ugly” female models at this agency follow the same pattern — attractive to beautiful faces that can be marketed as diverse and “unique” because of superficial non-genetic attributes like ugly tattoos, unusual make-up, weird clothing, or multicolored hair.
Other than the few freak show midgets the agency includes in its lineup (obviously for specialty assignments that specifically require the services of a midget), the general trend is the same as it is at every modeling agency — girls that have been blessed by birth to look better than 90% of women.
So, no, beauty does not come in all shapes and sizes, nor is there room for every girl to be a model, as this modeling agency’s founder fraudulently claims. Lip piercings and tattoos don’t turn a beautiful girl into an ugly girl, just like they don’t help ugly girls become less ugly.
Here is a picture of an actual ugly woman:
no wonder she hates men.
You will never see women who look like this in an “edgy” modeling agency’s portfolio. At least, not for long. Heh.
Now let’s take a look at the men in this agency’s ugly portfolio.
Here is one of their ugly male models:
i’m wearing a buttplug!
Now we’re getting somewhere. This guy isn’t repulsively ugly, but he’s not beefcake either. Take some time to browse through the photographs and you’ll notice a distinctly different pattern emerge with the male models. Most of the men fall into two categories — either good-looking guys who “uglify” themselves with bad tattoos and piercings (like the women models), or genuinely ugly guys. But the ugly men are ugly in a goofy way, instead of an actively obnoxious way.
Unalterable Universal Law: Ugly men can push product (and sitcoms). Ugly women can’t.*
Yet again, this shows that the penalty for physical ugliness is more severe for women than for men. People make fun of ugly men, but they simply don’t want their visual field polluted by ugly women. Not even at modeling agencies that claim to scout for beauty in “all shapes and sizes”.
Level of bullshit exposed on a scale of 1 to 10: 7 (a septic tank’s worth).
*Ugly Betty is the only current exception to this rule I can think of, but even in this case the show’s title doesn’t live down to its standard, for three reasons:
1. Betty isn’t *that* ugly. She’s a little under average for an American girl.
2. There are lots of other hot women in the show to neutralize Betty’s “ugliness”.
3. Betty’s love interests are borderline platonic. Kissing scenes with Betty kept to a bare minimum.
4. Ratings are slowly falling. Even good writing can’t save a show with an unattractive lead.
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