Twitter User Wants To Trade Her “Pretty Girl Privileges” For Women’s Safety. When Has Violence Against Women Ever Been About Looks?
Every single day, we women step out in the fear of getting harassed or assaulted. Unlike people of other genders, we spend every living, breathing moment trying to protect ourselves and fend off an attack. From walking carefully on the streets to not leaving our drink unattended at a club to being on high alert when travelling in a cab, we’ve done it all to stay safe. TBH, we women would give just about anything to feel safe. Speaking along the same lines a Twitter user made a statement that has left us and Twitter in rage. In a tweet, a woman said that she’s more than happy to trade her ‘pretty girl privileges’ of getting free drinks for women’s safety and while we completely understand where she’s coming from her statement reeks of social conditioning. Beautiful women are not the only ones who get free drinks or free harassment. All women feel unsafe irrespective of their looks.
Taking to Twitter, this woman said that she would trade every single free drink she has ever gotten for the ability to be in public without getting “harassed, followed, screamed at”. She went on to add that being a beautiful woman doesn’t make men like you instead it makes them want to “own”. She further shared that she shared the tweet while she was at work and was catcalled on her way to her car post her work.
https://twitter.com/alyteeofficial/status/1588791725710901248?s=20&t=KUH7VOTzRg-L3HV7fb2FGA
Now, I completely get where she’s coming from, I don’t completely agree with her on this one. Yes, we would surely trade all our privileges for safety but pretty women aren’t the only ones that get harassed or assaulted. Looks have nothing to do with being harassed or with men wanting to control and own a woman. This has been happening for time immemorial with all women across the globe irrespective of looks. This woman has the right to her opinion and by no means am I trying to invalidate her feelings but in all honesty, sexual harassment has more to do with patriarchy than looks. While the user did clarify that she isn’t saying that harassment doesn’t happen to all women, she just wanted to point out that ‘pretty girl privileges’ are a burden. Sure, pretty women have it hard but the not-so-pretty women have it harder, TBH.
https://twitter.com/alyteeofficial/status/1588973130311401472?s=20&t=KUH7VOTzRg-L3HV7fb2FGA
Women who aren’t considered “pretty” by society actually have it much much worse. While good-looking women are often considered “airheads” and “dumb”, the not-so-good-looking ones are treated badly and get harassed without the free drinks. What’s worse is that when they are harassed, people find it tough to believe them. The biases against women based on their looks are deep-rooted and saying that pretty women have the extra burden because of the free drinks does not sit well with me. And Twitter too seemed enraged by it.
In response to the woman’s tweet, several users called out the biases against women who aren’t considered pretty. While some pointed out that the “pretty women” actually think other women enjoy getting harassed, several others pointed out that the pretty girl privilege is more about preferential treatment in society and being harassed is not exclusive to the conventionally good-looking girls and believing that pretty girls have it harder actually reinforces misogynistic narratives.
how “pretty girls” think all the other women react when being harassed or assaulted by men: pic.twitter.com/Ap1QchJbNQ https://t.co/5y37Q5OiWx
— capricorn cunt 🎀 (@celesitial) November 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/JinkiesJerrica/status/1589444467727433728?s=20&t=KUH7VOTzRg-L3HV7fb2FGA
this mentality is partially why when women who dont meet conventional standards of beauty also talk about the harassment and abuse they endure they then get told they're too ugly for anyone to "want" and they should be grateful for any attention https://t.co/OUUkaQGTNF
— nik⁷ (@ardorminjoon) November 6, 2022
implying that pretty women are more prone to harassment than other women is very dangerous because it spreads the notion of normalizing not believing victims who don't fit the beauty standard when men would literally harass a chicken if it was deemed socially acceptable… https://t.co/KfboRnSDjQ
— رين🦋 (@reinenokyojin) November 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/bimbomarxistt/status/1589063759204847616?s=20&t=ANHQH-UhNrbREWp79dugaA
TBH, we’re living in a world where little kids and animals are getting raped so, it’s safe to say that looks have nothing to do with a woman getting harassed. If anything this belief only feeds into the narrative that “ugly” women cannot be harassed and if they do get catcalled or molested or harassed, they should be grateful for the attention they received from a man which they wouldn’t otherwise. Moreover, it also feeds into the misogynistic thinking that women are harassed because of their bodies and looks which means that they should cover up. But the cold hard truth is that patriarchy and misogyny are the sole cause of this. Rape and harassment have nothing to do with looks and everything to do with power dynamics. A man’s need to own and control a woman has very little to do with looks. Men want to control all women beautiful or not (and no, I’m not saying all men, just the ones who are psychotic and controlling). If anything women from socially and economically backward classes who are a part of the workforce are more prone to abuse irrespective of their looks.
Also Read: International Study Finds Online Violence Against Women Journalists Encourages Physical Violence Too
Guess what? According to a study conducted by the University of Washington, accusations of sexual harassment are more likely to be believed when made by a woman who is feminine and “conventionally attractive”. What’s worse is that sexual harassment is about power and not many see it as it is. The male hostility towards women has more to do with their perception of masculinity and the need to drive the economic force and the role of men in society. In simple words, patriarchy, misogyny and toxic masculinity and the need to scare women into submission are what lead to sexual harassment. Looks are nowhere concerned. NGL but “pretty girl privileges” reek of misogyny and it’s time we stop focusing on the looks of a woman when speaking of harassment.
