The Woman’s Owncolumnist has her say on handwashing, eBay and sex addiction
PHOTOS: ALAMY, GETTY
IS BEING PRETTY ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE?
We really need to stop judging other people by their looks.
Can you be too pretty for your own good? Those of us who don’t fit the conventional idea of female ‘beauty’ might struggle with this one. And those of us (or me as I like to call myself) who are six foot, size nine booted, big nosed, short-haired tomboys have the struggle of all Mcstruggles with it.
So, tell me again how being petite, symmetrically angel faced with luscious flowing locks and perfect boobs really makes life so tough, hmm?
But evidently it really can be a curse, whether it’s in the workplace or even as a mum. Look, we can all pretend that talking about appearance is pathetically shallow and that in today’s #bekind world we are past all that, but the reality is we’re human beings and we always judge one another on looks. Even if it’s on a subconscious level.
Women are biologically programmed to choose physically fit males to father healthy offspring. Blokes are hardwired to breed with the most feminine women for the same reason. Good childbearing hips and boobs equal good babies.
But it’s not just the opposite sex that we judge. We try to overcome it for the sake of sisterhood, but we are designed to view other attractive females as a threat.
So yes, being too good-looking does have its drawbacks. I once worked with an absolutely stunning fellow reporter.
She literally ticked all the boxes of every stereotypical male fantasy. Long blonde hair, huge blue eyes, natural curves, smiley happy face and immaculately turned out.
She was also a far better journalist than many of the rest of us, but when it came to the heavy-hitting jobs such as interviewing politicians or covering hard crime stories, was she given the jobs? Was she hell! In short she was lovely to look at, but the (male and female) bosses just didn’t take her seriously enough.
I was reminded of this by the story of Amee Gleadell, a caterer and mum of one from Lincoln who said other mothers shamed her for her natural ‘good looks’ and ‘figure’.
‘I’m very natural with it. I don’t wear much make-up,’ she said in an interview. ‘I’m a natural mum, I have a good figure, I wear dresses and sandals. It makes me feel better.
‘Mums judge you at baby classes. I get looked at - I think it is jealousy. People are judging me because I haven’t got my l
