by Chrysa Smith
There she is. The woman who made us all cringe. Samantha Brick, the British columnist for the Daily Mail, said it. Her beauty is a burden.
She set off a firestorm. Is she really beautiful enough to have the right to say that? Is she really beautiful at all? And did she just verbalize what other women have been living with for years–the attention, the offers, the wolf whistles, the array of men who are just all around her?
In defense, I saw an interview with Brick, where she talks about changing up her look, and that new look is what changed her daily life. It’s an interesting study in behavior and an interesting story angle. But I have to also wonder, was it just another stunt to go viral online?
Individual folks do it all the time. Post a photo of their kid doing something outrageous, a music video parody of some famous song, their adorable sleepy kitty. Whatever! But when it’s done as a professional journalist? Sorry, but I have to say it’s yet another example of ‘yellow’ journalism–a stilted, maybe convoluted way to bring attention to yourself and your publication, based on absolutely nothing.Is it much different from the supermarket tabloids? OK, maybe less than alien plastic surgery, but nonetheless, sensationalistic for a media outlet. But that’s the story of the day.
I don’t know about you, but at 51, I’d appreciate a little more attention: that extra glance, a door held open, someone referring to me as Miss instead of Ma’am. Otherwise, what’s all this trendy makeup, weight-watching and fashion for? Oh yah, personal satisfaction. That’s good stuff, but it’s nice for someone to actually notice. And I wouldn’t complain.
Nor would I. Ah for the days of yesteryear, when guys occasionally did look twice. But, and forgive me for being a “mean” girl, that woman is nothing to write home about. I have to side with you–it was all about getting attention.
I saw an interview with Brick in which she said she lives in the middle of nowhere with her dogs, which may be why she thinks she’s such a looker. Perhaps she should invest in a mirror, a healthy dose of humility and a reality check. Sometimes attention, especially when the whole world is calling you unattractive, is the last thing a woman needs.