History Main / AttractivenessDiscrimination

Also termed as "lookism" or "pretty privilege", this trope involves the circumstance in a story or setting where an individual or group are blatantly given preferential or prejudicial treatment based on their level of physical attractiveness. More often than not, this trope comes into play to show the negative aspects of valuing TheBeautifulElite along with the fallacies of adhering to BeautyEqualsGoodness. Considering the so-called elite and good are such because they are viewed as beautiful, expect [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity to Ensue]] when the personal flaws outside of attractiveness come to light. After all, simply supporting or accommodating an individual because they are attractive tends to not progress well if they are meant to provide more than a pretty face. See BeautyIsBad as examples along with characters displaying disregard for morality or decency because of beliefs in ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful or IHaveBoobsYouMustObey.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': After Gilderoy Lockhart accidentally lets slip to Harry and Ron that his entire resume as a HunterOfMonsters was in fact done by several other people whose memories he erased, Lockhart claims in his defense that his books wouldn't have sold otherwise because the actual monster-hunters were all much less handsome than he is.

Also termed as Lookism, this trope involves the circumstance in a story or setting where an individual or group are blatantly given preferential or prejudicial treatment based on their level of physical attractiveness. More often than not, this trope comes into play to show the negative aspects of valuing TheBeautifulElite along with the fallacies of adhering to BeautyEqualsGoodness. Considering the so-called elite and good are such because they are viewed as beautiful, expect [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity to Ensue]] when the personal flaws outside of attractiveness come to light. After all, simply supporting or accommodating an individual because they are attractive tends to not progress well if they are meant to provide more than a pretty face. See BeautyIsBad as examples along with characters displaying disregard for morality or decency because of beliefs in ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful or IHaveBoobsYouMustObey.

* ''TabletopGame/AdvancedDungeonsAndDragonsFirstEdition'': In the ''Unearthed Arcana'' supplement, Gary Gygax added the Comeliness attribute to the game. Characters with high Comeliness received improved reactions from other characters and could influence their behavior. Characters with low or negative Comeliness got bad reactions from others, ranging from being uneasy and wanting to get away up to horror and revulsion.

* In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', The Dark Eldar are naturally vain (especially if they compare themselves to humans), but the archon Vhane Kyharctakes this form of discrimination to disturbingly narcissistic extremes. He is so obsessed with beauty that he has all the members of his Kabal undergo surgery to look like him (the latter is admittedly useful where his bodyguards are involved) or wear masks of his face, and once unleashed a virus on a planet that turned every living creature's face into a replica of his own.

'''Dottie:''' You mean you ain't taking her because she ain't pretty?

'''Capadino:''' There’s too strong a resemblance.

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* Played for laughs in ''Student Bodies''. An able-bodied woman steals a handicapped parking spot from two disabled drivers remarking that great physical beauty can also be a handicap.

* The Dick King Smith short story ''Baldilocks & the Six Bears'' is about a fairy who is PrematurelyBald and shunned by the other fairies because of it. He discovers that he can get himself hair by killing a bear and melting it down into grease. He decides to live with his unattractiveness, and befriends the one fairy who was kind to him.

* Thanks to her resentment of beautiful women (because she herself is plain looking), Jane [[Literature/RizzoliAndIsles Rizzoli]] has the tendency to assume that every one that she encounters is either a bitch, idiot, or tramp, or some combination thereof and treat them as such, even as they show themselves to ''not'' have these characteristics.

* The [[Main/KoreanDrama Korean Drama]] [[Series/TrueBeauty2020 True Beauty]], as well as its webtoon source material deals with this as well. The main character, Im Jugyeong only gets respect/love after she learns makeup techniques and transforms herself into a quote-unquote goddess.

* Inverted in a ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode where George refuses to hire an attractive woman as his secretary because he knows he'll be too distracted to get any work done. He's promptly seen assuring several gorgeous applicants that he's not assuming that their beauty equals incompetence--"You're obviously very qualified", but still making it clear that he's not hiring them based solely on how they look.
* ''Series/StrongMedicine''. Knowing that Chief of Staff Dr. Jackson is looking for a new secretary, Lu recommends a patient of hers. Despite being initially pleased with her resume, when she arrives for the interview, he gives her a dubious look and the next scene is of her leaving his office in tears, having been told "the position is filled", wailing that she knows the real reason he didn't even bother talking to her is because she's considerably overweight. Dr. Jackson more or less confirms this, claiming that it would be unsightly for him, as a physician, to have an overweight secretary because it would make his patients doubt his abilities.

* In the ''Unearthed Arcana'' supplement of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', 1st Edition Advanced D&D, Gary Gygax added the Comeliness attribute to the game. Characters with high Comeliness received improved reactions from other characters and could influence their behavior. Characters with low or negative Comeliness got bad reactions from others, ranging from being uneasy and wanting to get away up to horror and revulsion.

* In a ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' episode, Stumpy, Quack Quack, Mr. Cat, Pretty and Eugly enter a cooking competition judged by Olaf. Olaf eliminates Eugly from the contest just for being ugly.

There are a plethora of different reasons for prejudice in different societies. Whether it be race, [[UsefulNotes/{{Colorism}} skin tone]] religion, political beliefs, or socioeconomic status, prejudice is present in many situations, both fictional and non-fictional. However, one of the oldest forms of prejudice was formed for no more reason than simply being too attractive or not attractive enough to earn another's respect. This is where this trope kicks in.

There are a plethora of different reasons for prejudice in different societies. Whether it be race, religion, political beliefs, or socioeconomic status, prejudice is present in many situations, both fictional and non-fictional. However, one of the oldest forms of prejudice was formed for no more reason than simply being too attractive or not attractive enough to earn another's respect. This is where this trope kicks in.

* In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', The Dark Eldar are naturally vain (especially if they compare themselves to humans), but the archon Vhane Kyharctakes this form of discrimination to disturbingly narcissistic extremes. He is so obsessed with beauty that he has all the members of his Kabal undergo surgery to look like him or wear masks of his face, and once unleashed a virus on a planet that turned every living creature's face into a replica of his own.

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* Taken UpToEleven in a ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' episode where Stumpy, Quack Quack, Mr. Cat, Pretty and Eugly enter a cooking competition judged by Olaf. Olaf eliminates Eugly from the contest just for being ugly.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Quasimodo's entire conflict with the world outside his bell tower revolves around his anxiety over being hated for how unattractive he looks and the doubts fueled by Frollo. Like the novel, Frollo succinctly sums this up to Quasimodo in his lines under the guise of protection. [[JerkassHasAPoint Unfortunately, as seen during the Topsy Turvy Day event, these proclamations were not entirely unfounded]]:

Also termed as Lookism, this trope involves the circumstance in a story or setting where an individual or group are blatantly given preferential or prejudiced treatment based on their level of physical attractiveness. More often than not, this trope comes into play to show the negative aspects of valuing TheBeautifulElite along with the fallacies of adhering to BeautyEqualsGoodness. Considering the so-called elite and good are such because they are viewed as beautiful, expect [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity to Ensue]] when the personal flaws outside of attractiveness come to light. After all, simply supporting or accommodating an individual because they are attractive tends to not progress well if they are meant to provide more than a pretty face. See BeautyIsBad as examples along with characters displaying disregard for morality or decency because of beliefs in ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful or IHaveBoobsYouMustObey.