Blog Post #5 -How does race play a role in pretty privilege? Are racial stereotypes part of the reason it exists?

Inquiry Question: Does pretty privilege exist, if so how does it affect life opportunities and eventual outcomes?

Research Step 3 – How does race play a role in pretty privilege? Are racial stereotypes part of the reason it exists?

Members of the majority culture in much of North America are likely not a fan of being informed that their class is associated with privilege. (1) White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” writes author Peggy McIntosh, “I realized that the way in which I was taught about racism was something that put others at a disadvantage, but also been taught to overlook one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which makes me more powerful.” (1) Despite the fact that privilege is often associated with wealth/economic status, it may be applied to a variety of different situations. (1) The inhabiter of privilege in societal relationships may receive deference, special knowledge, or deeper level of comfort to guide societal interaction. (1) Having privilege can create or perpetuate inequity when skewing our judgment which ultimately blinds us to systematic barriers for the individuals in the absence of that privilege. (1) However, as it pertains to race and pretty privilege, there is no need for individuals to feel guilty about the privileges they do or do not have as everyone carries an element of privilege within them. (1)

However, some assume that white and pretty privilege equate to the same thing, perpetuating a utterly wrong depiction of the term as pretty privilege is not exclusive to Caucasians alone. (2) Defining pretty privilege is quite the challenging task, but generally speaking, it refers to appearing conventionally attractive, and how that attractiveness creates certain opportunities and advantages that others may not experience otherwise. (2) To further challenge this argument, do these factors actually constitute privilege, as it pertains to race, class and gender? (2) In Hodge’s case, was her relatively mellow experience with police only a result of her beauty rather than her race? (2) The first thing to remember is that societal standards of beauty often consist of whiteness, thinness, cisgenderness, and physical capabilities. (2) Some may argue that at the end of the day, privilege is less about getting free drinks at a bar just because the bartender thinks your pretty, and more about escaping the police with your life because you’re white. (2) In order to understand systemic oppression, we must look beyond “pretty privilege” alone. (2) Although it is understandable how the concept of “pretty privilege” is closely related to desirability politics, privilege in and of itself has to be re-evaluated on an institutional level rather than an individual one. (2)

*This image depicts surface level racial inequality

The concept of pretty privilege states that pretty people benefit by being viewed as beautiful in society. (4) The concept of beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while anyone can be considered beautiful, white women are more likely to experience and benefit from pretty privilege in a society that has bound beauty to whiteness for centuries. (4) For example, several videos tagged #prettyprivilege have been trending on TikTok recently, acquiring 70M views in total. (4) Is the ongoing beauty bias something we can simply unlearn as pretty privilege may be something permanently ingrained in society. (4) Inequalities in society are heavily reinforced by pretty privilege, this gives preference to thin, white, able-bodied individuals. (4) It is also a privilege to be deemed attractive as a non-white person, according to new research. (4)

*Literal image portraying “beauty in the eye of the beholder”

Allure magazine’s Beauty Beyond Binaries column explores how beauty privilege can cross gender lines, effecting different genders alternatively; including the trans population. (5) “Despite my passing privilege and pretty privilege, many trans women are unable to take advantage of my passing or my pretty privilege, writes Valentina Sampaio, the first of Victoria Secret’s transgender models. (5) “As a result, I gained my half-white privilege during my time there. Blackness does not equal attractiveness, therefore my mixed-ness places me higher on the white cis beauty hierarchy than a black woman with parents who are both black.” (5) “This beauty standard did not disappear when I moved to Los Angeles, but I was now receiving the benefits of pretty privilege that I had never experienced before, and it was part of the conversation in a place where the definition of “beauty” was much broader in a place that was more culturally accepting, diverse, and liberal. (5) Faced everyday with their privilege, people are reluctant to confront it; whether that be white privilege, male privilege, or pretty privilege; these things exist, and without the voices of those who hold them, solutions may never be found. (5)

*Gender lines as it pertains to pretty privilege

However, different depictions of pretty privilege also exist within other cultures that may refrain from society’s particular ideals. (6) For instance, black women strive to achieve a thick, toned, curvy body type, whereas white women desire a body type that differs from the ideal of a thick, toned or curvy type. (6) When black people grow up in communities with a majority of the population within the same race, they are pushed to accentuate this standard further. (6) While many of these women were happy about there being more representation of black women in the media, they did not approve of the limited view of black women’s beauty. (6) “All the ads I can recall watching have the black woman with a light complexion, she never wears her hair naturally, natural as in permed. (6) It’s usually that the woman is lighter in colour and has naturally curly hair. (6)

*Depiction of white washing efforts pushed on much of the black female population

The reason pretty privilege is such a ridiculous form of social credit is that it upholds several of the aforementioned phobias and -isms accredited to individuals within modern society. (3) Aren’t the benefits of pretty privilege synonymous with that of white supremacy? The answer can be yes and no. (3) A person is more likely to face racial profiling if they deviate from the commonly known social standard associated with being pretty. (3) Changing your appearance cannot grant you pretty privilege, as this concept lies far outside of the individuals’ control. (3)

1. ‘Understanding Race and Privilege’. National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/diversity-and-social-justice/social-justice/understanding-race-and-privilege. Accessed 22 May 2023.
2. Gevara, Natalia. ‘Is It Pretty Privilege or White Privilege?’ Diem | Social Search, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.askdiem.com/post/is-it-pretty-privilege-or-white-privilege.
3. Acosta, Julieanne. ‘Pretty Privilege Isn’t Real — but Its Benefits Are’. The Gauntlet, 16 Mar. 2022, https://thegauntlet.ca/2022/03/16/pretty-privilege-isnt-real-but-its-benefits-are/.

   4.          ‘  Yes, Pretty Privilege Is A Real Thing’. Lappthebrand, 23 June 2021, https://www.lappthebrand.com/blogs/lifestyle/yes-pretty-privilege-is-a-real-thing

   5.     Seth, Kenisha. ‘All About Pretty Privilege’. PhotoBook Magazine, 2021, https://www.photobookmagazine.com/features/2020/3/19/pretty-privilege-lets-talk-about-it-by-grace-oconnell-joshua.

   6.   Awad, Germine H., et al. ‘Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women’. The Journal of Black Psychology, vol. 41, no. 6, Dec. 2015, pp. 540–64. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798414550864.