Television Without Pity

Meanwhile I grow more and more annoyed at all the complaints that it's not realistic that Bailey on Grey's Anatomy has had two hot guys after her. Asses.

If only it was a sitcom and she was a schlubby man with a hot young wife.

Found the Knightley thing! Which was from Fametracker but stuck with me:

Because here's the thing about Knightley: she's kind of not really that cute. She's got a face like a frying pan, unsettlingly pointy fangs, and a body like...well, like her extremely skinny and unsexy Beckham co-star Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Seriously, put them both in spangly handkerchief tops and hip-huggers and shoot them from behind, and you will just not be able to tell them apart. Knightley's homeliness would be a non-issue if, either, she were a great actress, or she was not presented to us as a universally beloved babe.

And I think TWoP carries on that mentality of perfectly attractive women being called hideous.

And yeah that happens in a lot of threads. I never go in the Glee threads but I am pretty sure the Sam/Mercedes reveal last season had a similar wtf reaction that irked.

TiffanyNichelle wrote:Meanwhile I grow more and more annoyed at all the complaints that it's not realistic that Bailey on Grey's Anatomy has had two hot guys after her. Asses.

Only my opinion, but Chandra Wilson is plenty gorgeous, even if looks were the only criteria.

I dislike Keira as an actress, but there's no way she's homely.

And Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is unsexy? I could see that maybe if you were judging him by his off-the-wagon personality, but his body? Not seeing it. Not seeing how it look like Kiera's, either.

Fametracker and TWoP both hit a period where they seemingly hated everything and everybody and everyone was ugly. And a lot of TWoP forum members follow that mentality.

The thing is, you could look at ANY woman, or any person, and find stuff about them that is unattractive. Or, you know, I'm sure there are one or two supermodels that have no flaws, but most people, there are things about them that are weird-looking or slightly off. Because they are human people. Yes, Keira Knightly has kind of a big jaw and sort of pointy canines and is skinny. But hold her up against, y'know, every other woman in the world, being fully objective, and clearly, she is up in the higher percentages. It's just dumb to say she's not pretty. It's not clever or subversive to point out her flaws. I mean, I don't MIND people pointing out her flaws, but to be all smug about it like "Well when you REALLY look at it and are INTELLIGENT, it's CLEAR that..." Yeah, she has weird bits, but overall the effect is still pretty hot.

I'm not trying to defend her; I am pretty neutral on Keira. It's just...saying she is unattractive, and trying to pretend that it's obvious, is silly. Perhaps YOU find her unattractive, and that is perfectly fine. But these people who are like "If she were the LEAST BIT PRETTY then maybe, but just look at her, she has a repellent face and body" make me tired. Actors are pretty. With rare exceptions (Ron Perlman? Linda Hunt?). Pretending that they aren't doesn't help anything. You don't have to write out a reasoned essay of why Keira is ugly in order for you not to like her. To me it just gives the issue of prettiness even more importance than it already has, which is already like 90% of the importance, to make it so you have to talk about how they are unattractive in order to diminish them. I suppose if you can't make a case for them not being pretty you can say that they are dumb or a slut. Can't people just like who they like and not like who they don't like? You're not going to have to declare this on an IRS form or anything.

And I know beauty is subjective and a construct and all that. I just, I don't know. I would love to live in a world where you didn't have to look like Keira to be considered beautiful. I think many people are beautiful who don't look like Keira. It's just the "Feh, she's like AT BEST a six" of it all that bugs me.

I like her BECAUSE she's got a face like a frying pan (I won't lie) and weird teeth and a bony frame. She's beautiful in a very flawed, striking, human way, and I find that more likable than fifteen manufactured starlets I can't tell apart. Don't get me wrong, I like really "conventionally" beautiful actresses as well, and no one has to find Keira Knightley attractive. But for TWOP posters to go on about how so many of these women are "ugly" just... makes me think there's not a whole lot of depth to to their perception of the world.

I think Keira Knightley is stunning. Shes got weird teeth yeah, but shes also got really high cheekbones and full lips. I honestly think she is for the most part, conventionally gorgeous. In a more interesting way then a lot of people but yeah, agreed, I think it makes her more unique. But the thing is anytime you get a starlet who is more interesting looking you will get people declaring shes ugly. I've heard people call Emma Stone unfortunate looking. Like any widely considered to be beautiful starlet who maybe somewhat unique looking will get shit.

I also think a lot of it is to be quite frank, projection. I think Chandra West is beautiful, but I also think her type of beauty is closer to the ones those posters may encounter in daily life. And for some reason that angers them to see her being fought over by two hot men. I think Grey's Anatomy is a good case study, because the TWoP boards are CRAZY. Back in the day I heard them call Kate Walsh "the Grinch", Katherine Heigl "Vulgar Looking" and Sara Ramirez a "Pig". They seem to have hatred for someone who is beautiful in a relocatable way (which strikes to me as probably being about some deeper issues), and people who...are widely considered to be gorgeous because goddamn it they are edgy and they aren't that hot anyway, and how dare anyone find Dianna Agron pretty, she isn't she boring looking, okay.

That seems to be the two speeds. Either someone is not pretty enough to be allowed on tv, or someone who is widely considered pretty is really not and just hideously overrated.

Poubelle wrote:And Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is unsexy? I could see that maybe if you were judging him by his off-the-wagon personality, but his body? Not seeing it. Not seeing how it look like Kiera's, either.

Guilty. His body's okay but the crazy eyes distract me from any facial sexiness.

I have fun picking apart looks at times, but I usually put a disclaimer that I am indeed just being picky and I probably wouldn't say "no" to any of these people if they actually showed up in real life. Or as the Simpsons put it, when I say a celeb is ugly I mean "tv ugly, not ugly ugly".

Kiran wrote:and Sara Ramirez a "Pig"

In my world she's scorchin' hot.

This is coming from the people who I'm sure said that Sandra Oh was unattractive and I distinctly remember a poster calling her "chinky" when Grey's Anatomy first aired. Lovely.

OK, I laughed a little when someone called Kate Walsh the Grinch because I can totally see it, but I can also admit she is way hot.

I had my account temporarily suspended because I asked if it was necessary to attack Lily on Modern Family's looks. We're talking about a THREE year old here.

Jesus Christ that place seems to get worse and worse.

I had my account temporarily suspended because I asked if it was necessary to attack Lily on Modern Family's looks. We're talking about a THREE year old here.

Jesus Christ that place seems to get worse and worse.

Come now they weren't attacking her looks, they were pointing out how ugly she was and that her face offended them. Or whatever lame ass defense they were trying to make that I didn't understand when you called them on it.

Unfortunately it doesn't surprise me that you got suspended. Acknowledging that it is a message board and calling people out on there shit even in a polite way is by far the greatest sin over there.

I was tempted to say something in the Smash thread when people were posting that Megan Hilty was "hideous" and that she had fat and/or weird arms. It's not so much that people were snarking on her looks--god knows I've been known to be a little less than kind about celebrity attractiveness--it's the hyperbole over there that drives me crazy. I mean, hideous?! I tend to reserve words like hideous for, say, Jocelyn Wildenstein.

But I kept my mouth shut. Because I've managed to avoid suspension/banning for, like, 10 years. Why start now?

xyzzy wrote:I was tempted to say something in the Smash thread when people were posting that Megan Hilty was "hideous"

WHAT?

Geez, those people need to get a grip.

Renny Sue wrote:I had my account temporarily suspended because I asked if it was necessary to attack Lily on Modern Family's looks. We're talking about a THREE year old here.

Jesus Christ that place seems to get worse and worse.

Reported for double-posting!

(Heh. I kid.)

So my ban went off and I got the warning.

If you can’t disagree with someone without attacking them, you need to take a break from the keyboard. Three days off.

SERIOUSLY? This is exactly what I said 'Making fun of a 3 year olds looks. Seriously?' WTF is wrong with that place? I responded (and probably got myself a permanent ban, ah well) asking how it was attacking and if TWOP was now a place where that shit was counted as snark.

I also need to stop with the seriously. Seriously.

Hey, if you were attacking a toddler's looks it'd probably be okay.

Starting here in the Forum Suggestions thread, the RHOBH posters begin a polite mutiny over the extensive rules list and perceived overmodding of the thread. Bring popcorn.

I also need to stop with the seriously. Seriously.

Unless you follow it with "monkey"!

That sucks, Renny Sue.

Poubelle wrote:Hey, if you were attacking a toddler's looks it'd probably be okay.

Or any of a number of perfectly attractive actresses.

mrinsouciance wrote:

Poubelle wrote:Hey, if you were attacking a toddler's looks it'd probably be okay.

Or any of a number of perfectly attractive actresses.

True. You can feel free to call anyone on television a vile whore or disgusting troll from birth till death (and beyond), but god forbid you call out anyone else for doing so.