Posted on 10/17/2002 1:09:55 PM PDT by Ranger
Lecturer Trond Andresen of the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim accuses the media of discriminating against the ugly and emphasizing beautiful people whenever possible. Andresen wants higher ugly quotas on television.
"Ugly people should be spotlighted in the media in the same way that the media wishes to emphasize persons from ethnic minorities," Andresen, a lecture at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics, said to newspaper Bergens Tidende.
Andresen blasts journalists, photographers and TV producers for concentrating on beautiful faces and bodies and accuses the press of choosing attractive interviewees from schools or the workplace, and avoiding others.
Andresen compares the phenomenon with racial discrimination. "Ugly people are as ignored today as dark-skinned people. They are told daily that they are inferior. This isn't done openly, but indirectly, by overlooking them, by focusing on appearance in advertising, TV-series, magazines, schools and in groups," Andresen said.
Andresen believes the focus on appearance is a serious social problem that makes young people insecure and increases their own dissatisfaction with how they look. Possible outcomes are eating disorders, psychological problems and cosmetic surgery.
Andresen doesn't find it easy to argue his case.
"If I were chosen for a TV debate I would obviously be assessed by viewers - not for what I had said, but for how I looked," Andresen said.
The academic has suggestions about how to combat the situation; with a choice of subjects to interview, do not approach the attractive ones - instead give the ugly a higher quota. Andresen also advises that media reports ignore mentioning appearance if it is not directly relevant.
Researcher Wencke Mühleisen at the Center for Women and Gender Research backs Andresen and agrees the media should be giving the ugly more exposure.
TV 2 news editor Kjell Oevre-Helland, on the other hand, could not agree less.
"Claiming that we consciously pick out the best looking people to interview is absurd and totally meaningless. That would mean that we depart from the main point of journalism, which is to talk to those who have influence and something important to say. That often means middle-aged men without particularly attractive characteristics," Oevre-Helland said.
foreverfree
What is it with that? I never watch the Spanish stations, but it seems that every other time I flip past one on the dial, there is yet another jaw-dropping bombshell on the screen. Why is it that they can find so many sirens, while the American networks can't?
I would suggest Spanish-speaking cable channels, period!
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