In defence of Samantha Brick

This subject is not my line of country at all but a claim by Mrs Brick has sparked a huge internet furore so I thought I might add a little more to it. You can read about it all here or here

Basically, Mrs Brick says that it can sometimes be a handicap to be good looking. Now she doesn't look remarkably attractive to me but these are matters of taste and it appears that in her experience her looks have caused jealousy among other women and unwanted attention from men. I am sure there are many attractive women who would report similarly and I have myself known one very attractive woman who had exactly that problem. And it was as disturbing to her equilibrium as it apparently is to Mrs Brick.

So what Mrs Brick said seemed perfectly reasonable and even commonplace to me.

So why the furore? I guess that you are not supposed to say such things. It crosses a politically correct boundary. Not only are all men equal but all women are equal in looks too, apparently. Feminists certainly bridle at displays of feminine pulchritude at times.

I certainly think that people were entitled to say that Mrs Brick is not in fact pretty. From what I can see, I think her looks are middling myself. But to condemn and abuse her for raising the subject is egregious and -- I can find no other word for it -- bitchy.

Mrs Brick comes out of the affair looking (in the sense of character) far better than any of her detractors.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).