Shine OnSamantha Brick defends cattiness claims: Don’t hate her because she’s beautiful
In recent days, Samantha Brick has become something of a household name. The UK-born writer, now based in France, wrote a column for the Daily Mail stating that she has been on the receiving end of preferential treatment from men and jealousy and mistreatment from women, on account of her good looks.
In her column, entitled 'There are downsides to looking this pretty': Why women hate me for being beautiful, Brick bemoans the plight of the far-too-beautiful:
I'm not smug and I'm no flirt, yet over the years I've been dropped by countless friends who felt threatened if I was merely in the presence of their other halves. If their partners dared to actually talk to me, a sudden chill would descend on the room.
And it is not just jealous wives who have frozen me out of their lives. Insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work.
And most poignantly of all, not one girlfriend has ever asked me to be her bridesmaid.
The piece has spawned widespread international backlash and several spoof articles.
"I am sorry," writes one commenter. "But this woman is not even remotely attractive."
Another one writes: "I am still waiting for the punchline.... It takes a bold person to write an article like this, but where is the evidence Samantha? I hate to be one of millions of females to tell you this, but you really are not that special looking."
Brick recently defended her position on television, stating that she's had many emails from models who say that they've had to develop a thick skin in life in order to deal with being judged negatively on account of their looks.
"They thanked me for writing the story," Brick says.
But Canadian plus-size model Jessica West says that women tend to treat other women well as long as they are confident.
"Brick's approach was extremely egotistical, but I can understand her viewpoint," says West, who admits that she too has been occasionally mistreated by some women, but believes that such behaviour stems from various personal insecurities. "Society has taught women to compete with each other, and the way most women seem to compete is with their looks. "
It's also very telling of our society that so many of the thousands of comments left for Brick criticize her looks instead of her logic.
Do you think women who are beautiful are treated unfairly? Or are they griping over nothing?
