Verge 6 (2009-2010)

The Attractive, the Unattractive, and the Ugly: Appearance Adjectives and Gender

“Even the terms we see as “ungendered” can still be applied inequitably. Seemingly positive terms can, in this way, come to represent wider differences in societal ideals applied to different social groups. This data asks the question: if women are talked about as “attractive” so much more often than men, what does this mean for “unattractive” women? If it is so important for women to be “attractive,” what does that mean when someone is unable to or simply does not want to follow that social norm?”