The Ugly Reader: Is Ugly Something I Can Do?
(Part 6 of 10.)
Ugly is always within your grasp. Such is not necessarily the case with non-ugly. While I know some beautiful people and some ugly people, the ugly people are not beautiful; however, the beautiful people are also very ugly.
To return for a moment to another side of the “beauty industry,” there are many people whose occupation is to use photography to make ugly people seem beautiful. This may happen on an international scope, such as on the covers of magazines, or in a more democratic manner, as in wedding photos. What is the attraction of the ubiquitous celebrity tabloids? The dirty pleasure of observing the work of people with cameras who do not know, or care, how to make ugly people seem beautiful; of the resulting ugly photos of people well known for their beauty and little else.
Why are models paid so much? For their silence. They are not to admit that they were born ugly and remain so. Swarms of professionals must arm them daily against ugliness, for they would be powerless if left to their own resources. Ugly is a fact of life. Beauty is suddenly being riveted by the menu when your prospective employer asks if there is anything to know about your police record.
I have had a rare opportunity to pursue a more subversive career in photography: making beautiful women look ugly. Perhaps the best part is how much easier this is than the normal way. Since no model is truly beautiful, but all people are truly ugly, then not only is any model right for my work, but any person can be that model. However, I do not want to shoot ugly in a barrel. I do not take just any ugly person and reveal them to be ugly. Striving for greater challenges, I seek out those who are universally acknowledged as beautiful, and slowly and deliberately make them ugly. I cannot take the credit, however. I only show what is already there.
(When ugly finally takes its place at the apex of achievement, I will be a famous fashion photographer, and all the other fashion photographers will be out of work forever. In the name of full disclosure, then, I admit I have some interest in the acceptance and exaltation of ugly.)
So you see that ugly is very easy to achieve. It has been conveniently designed so that only very specific things are not ugly. If you are fat, you’re ugly — but also if you’re too skinny. Thus, there is a wide swath of ugly which most people can, with little effort, fit into comfortably. Here in America, where most people are fat — and the only people who are not fat are those who are always saying that they are, which makes them ugly to be with — ugly is almost a birthright. In fact, fat is the trump card of ugly, because you can be ugly in many ways, but if none of them are working out, you can always just get really fat, and ugly will be yours despite it all.
by Jack, October 18, 2003 11:33 AM | More from The Ugly Reader
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In some cultures this would be considered a philosophy that could lead to "enlightenment." Most likely though, it will only lead to piles of hate mail.
I like it.
I'll take what I can get.