The Pretty Girl Trope - The Pitfalls of 'Pretty Privilege'

We’re told that everyone wants to be the “Pretty Girl” - but a lot of what we see (both onscreen and in reality) proves that being defined this way can actually hold you back, because often times that's all anyone will ever see you as.

If you like this video, subscribe to our channel and support us:

We are The Take (formerly ScreenPrism).

[fantaghiro]

Does anyone else remember in Swan Princess that Derek says "You're beautifull", Odette asks "And what else" and Derek answers "What else is there" making her quitty the engagement?
Gold scene

[swe]

When I was ugly, I got bullied and harassed. When I became pretty, I got bullied and harassed, but this time "it was a compliment".

[magma]

"Pretty girl"on-screen - indistinguishable from other girls on-screen, because they're all played by comparably gorgeous actresses.

[sapphic.flower]

I have friends with curvy body types that deal with sexual harassment, chastising comments, and creepy guys that get mad when their feelings aren’t reciprocated. It’s gross how a natural body type for many is assumed to mean that the women are more sexual than average when it’s just others being more attracted to them. It’s entitled men that mistreat my friends while also slut-shaming women for having agency over their own bodies that get to me.

[ShinjiniBose]

Doesn't matter if you're conventionally pretty or not- being a girl is hard work.

[mhawang]

The part about lower class women need to use their beauty for upward social mobility is very enlightening. Thank you for talking about this!

[MindiB]

There is a classic psychological study titled “What is Beautiful is Also Good” that demonstrated empirically that yes, more conventionally attractive people do in fact receive unearned societal advantages, which include others making the assumption that the pretty person is nicer and more talented than he/she may actually be. I think the “disadvantages” experienced by beautiful women are more accurately ascribed to misogyny, not to their appearance. Attractive men typically do NOT have to fight stereotypes of stupidity or cupidity.

[hungoverpuppy]

As someone who is on the thicker side, one thing that sucks is how perfectly normal outfits are seen as inappropriate on me, but when a girl with no curves at all wears the same thing it's no a big deal, and nobody polices them. Heck, because I live in a city with a beach, I've seen girls walk around in bikinis with no cover ups down the street, but me the girl wearing a crop top and jeans is the one who is getting all the glares and judgement, even though I am more covered up than the girl with the bikini.

[Angi_]

Tropes and stereotypes rob people of their humanity and complexity.

[TheLeah]

I know they aren’t going to touch on this in this video but we need to talk about how black women often are pressured to look their best 24/7 or you else you are most likely to experience a lot of hate and discrimination even from your own race. God forbid you wear a bonnet and pajamas to the grocery store or airport and you get dragged for it. I noticed as an average looking black woman I get treated much worst when I don’t dress up, do my hair, and wear makeup. I have even experienced racism and colorism. Also even pretty black women are “ humbled “ and are told without makeup and weave they aren’t nearly as pretty and dark skin women are told they are pretty for a dark skin girl and would be prettier if they were lighter. Black women are called gold diggers even though statistically black women settle for less.

[charlotteodonnell]

I was 'the pretty one' in my old friendship group and honestly it really messed me up in the end. My male friends constantly used it to put me down. Whenever I said something they disagreed with they would all laugh and say "well at least you've got your looks hey?" Or they'd let me know how insanely lucky I was to be conventionally attractive because it got my places so much easier, totally discrediting the hours and hours I put into studying, working etc. etc. It was so difficult to prove myself or get them to take me seriously. They genuinely made me believe my looks were all I had. I started getting panic attacks whenever I noticed a pimple or that I'd put on period weight because I thought it made me less valuable.

[pdpUU]

I hate how “pretty privilege” is discussed!

It’s always “do pretty people get benefits or no?”. Then beautiful women push back, talking about the real challenges of having a conventionally attractive body. And, yea.

But I think “pretty privilege” isn’t about looking drop dead gorgeous! It’s about looking “average” or above. It’s about NOT looking disabled, old, lower class, darker skinned, fat, etc.

The average looking woman in a store will be treated better than an older, overweight woman in a motorized scooter. The woman with decayed teeth will get treated differently in an interview than the girl with a white smile. The teen with cystic facial acne gets perceived different than the girl with 4 pimples.

“Pretty privilege” is a way to group together the visible markers of fatphobia, ageism, colorism, acne, classism, etc. Its NOT about “is life easy for the beautiful”!!

We need to move away from this side of the debate and start talking about the true challenges faced by people with multiple “unattractive” markers.

[clairewillow]

Without money and a family, a beautiful girl doesn’t have as much privilege as people think. Some get thrown to the wolves 😔

[trinaq]

Yet another trope that Elle Woods gloriously stomped on in her high heels. She was my role model as a youngster, and showed me that you can have beauty AND brains, you don't have to pick! 😍

[zoesmith]

All women are disrespected on some level just for being women. I've had two past boyfriends ask me if sexism is really still a thing

[maryhildreth]

I have always wanted to be pretty, not because of what it might get me but because if I were pretty, I wouldn't have been laughed at or insulted for my looks all those years growing up. While yes, you should ignore other kids being mean, because kids are immature, it's very hard to forget it when you heard it almost every day until you graduated, and also when you know it's true. That's when it hits home and it really fucks with not just your self image but also your self worth.

[sheleavitt]

What the heck! Comparing the Kardashians to the proverbial “rags to riches” is a joke right? The Kardashians sisters dad was a wealthy lawyer for Pete’s sake’s. That family was wealthy before they got famous for Kim’s sex tape you know?!?!?!

[GingerBun]

people want girls to be naturally pretty, once she admits to surgery or wears a lot of makeup she's criticized.
also, girls are expected to be pretty without acknowledging that they are. if she owns her beauty she's criticized or seen as vain and full of herself.
but still, being an ugly girl is harder than being a pretty girl. i've been both and ugly girls just straight up get ignored and disrespected.

[fatmehawarin]

in today’s society we should call out “ugly disadvantage“ instead of “pretty privilege”…

[keeshy]

When I had platinum hair and no glasses, there was a noticeable difference in how people treated me. They were nicer, friendlier, went out of their way for me more. I didn't experience any more harrassment than before, but I definitely expected privilege. That's one example of pretty privilege; it does exist.