NEWS: You Are Pretty-Ugly

CULTURE: You Are Pretty-Ugly

The New York Times Magazine unveils the new "jolie laide" trend in beauty, an affection for those who are, as the phrase translates to mean, "pretty-ugly," in "The Unfairest of Them All." Jolie laide represents a push away from conventional, symmetrical notions of prettiness towards unbalanced, unexpected beauty. Poster girls for the movement include director Sofia Coppola, actress Anjelica Houston, and model Alek Wek, and the jolie laide privileges inner substance over superficial style.

Mais oui, je suis une jolie laide.... or something, I'm no good at French.

Sweet, does that mean I'm good looking now?

So... the rest of the fashion and beauty world is moving towards what we've been at since the day of birth?

That's nice.

Also, Anjelica Houston is straight up hot.

Yes, kathleen's set was simply brilliant.

And how!

i've always thought Sofia Coppolla was beautiful

I second that one... Sofia Coppola is beautiful...

Two words: Sandra Bernhard.

"jolie laide" uh? I can't wait for the middle schoolers to start ripping off their braces and rich high school girls begging their parents for crooked nose jobs for graduation instead of boob jobs.

Yay for hot quirkiness!!!

So... People who were already widely regarded as pretty are now being widely regarded as pretty as part of a pretentious social trend that aims to change everything by doing the same thing all over again?

that's what I'm saying

Essentially. I am not sure whether it is a necessary function of being avant-garde that something must be incomprehensible, or it is the incomprehensibility itself that makes something avant-garde if it's presented with just the right amount of implied elitism. Hopefully, sooner or later, someone will figure out that provoking a reaction is not the same thing as saying anything significant.

Oh...it won't stop there. Even neurosis will become chic! Doctors will be able to easily alter your brain chemistry, your choice. You can become obsessive compulsive. It's a simple outpatient procedeure...You'll be the life of the party! Or how about a nice case of crippling claustrophobia? Like food? Get an eating disorder. Enjoy all you can eat and more! How about a nice stutter to go along with that lazy-eye daddy got you for Chritsmas last year???

Ah...the future isn't pretty.

Isn't it pretty?

Ummm Alek Wek is stunning.

In other words, Kate Moss is asking for too much money nowadays, so lets say these other models are the new hotness.

Faith Popcorn strikes again

well, yes, except that those "formerly regarded as pretty people who are now being re-regarded as pretty people" are actually being regarded as "pretty-ugly people", or, "ugly-pretty people", or something like that....but of course "ugly" is the new "pretty" which is really just the new "black"

..or drive down the price of cocaine.

I have always said real is beautiful. Crooked teeth, skinny legs, flat chests, big noses, etc... Real is human and human is beautiful.

ZING!

-TM

awesome. so now when I say "hey you're pretty. pretty ugly!" I'll be totally IN

I've always preferred striking, unconventional beauty to the conventional ideal: Regular, symmetrical features are all well and good, but they can render their proud owners interchangeable with the countless other regular-featured beauties. In contrast, striking looks are memorable looks and I am proud to be jolie laide.

On one occasion, when I was an angsty, self-loathing teenager, (with all manner of physical hang-ups) my Mum scrutinised me for a few seconds before saying, "You're not very pretty, are you? No... but you are striking."

Naturally at the time, that comment didn't go down well at all, but a couple of years later I truly appreciated what my Mum had said. I am truly happy and content with the fact that my face is striking rather than conventionally pretty and were I ever given the choice, I would choose that which I have already.

Of course there are lucky people who have both these qualities in equal measure, (some of whom are SG's) and I think that their looks will always be appreciated, no matter what the changing trends percieve as beautiful.

If by "IN" you mean "beat the fuck up," then yeah... sure.

I like that Jolie Lady.