Opinion | Why Is It OK to Be Mean to the Ugly?
www.nytimes.com
Lookism starts, like every form of bigotry, with prejudice and stereotypes.

Over the past few decades, social media, the meritocracy and celebrity culture have fused to form a modern culture that... places tremendous emphasis on competitive display, personal achievement and the idea that physical beauty is an external sign of moral beauty and overall worth.

My God, you're almost there. Just say that capitalism wants to trash those who don't have immediate material value.

  • mr_world [they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_law

    Between 1867 and 1974, various cities of the United States had unsightly beggar ordinances, in retrospect also dubbed ugly laws.[1] For instance, in San Francisco a law of 1867 deemed it illegal for "any person, who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or deformed in any way, so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object, to expose himself or herself to public view."

    Ugly laws in the United States arose in the late nineteenth century. During this period, urban spaces underwent an influx of new residents, which placed strain on the existing communities. The new residents were sometimes impoverished. This meant large numbers of people who were strangers to each other now occupied closer quarters than they had in small towns, where such local institutions as schools, families, and churches helped moderate social relations.[6][7] As a reaction to this influx of people who were impoverished, ministers, charitable organizers, city planners, and city officials across the United States worked to create ugly laws for their community.[1]

    The language of the unsightly beggar ordinances pertained to hiding the parts of the person that may appear disabled or diseased. This includes any movements that would indicate a disability or disease, like limping.

    Damn facebook of the 1800s. Absolutely no historical awareness. Blaming pagans? Fuck you.