being female in public

[anotheranon]

Originally titled " being pretty ugly female in public but the strikethrough tags won't work in the title :P

Via rm (where do all your links come from??) Physical attractiveness is overrated. And no, it's not a whiny "poor me, I get so attention 'cos I'm so cute" post.

I've been on both sides of the pretty/ugly divide in different places and times in my life and both suck. When I was considered ugly I got sneers, curses, and ridicule - and more of the same if I didn't respond. When considered pretty I got catcalls, gropes, and pestering, plus hostility if I didn't respond. I figure at least when considered ugly people were less likely to want to touch me and the harassment seemed less likely to escalate if I ignored it.

Neither has happened to me in a long time, a fact for which I'm grateful (no, catcalls are NOT complimentary). I suspect this has to do with being a less frequent pedestrian and aging into invisibility, but I prefer to think it's because I've finally managed to put out the necessary bad vibes :P

I will say that one of the things I loved about the (early) internet was the lack of physical presence. To be judged by what I said and how well I said it without it having to pass through the "girl filter" was (and is) a welcome relief.

Comments

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Eww :( I'm sorry you've had to put up with that. You're right about it making the most mundane of everyday tasks stressful.

What I'd love to know is WHY - why guys do this. Do all guys do this at some point in their lives? Where do they learn that this is a good idea? How is it we're in a society where this kind of bullying is considered normal behavior?