Calling all ugly

A few weeks ago, I received the following email which made me snort Jelly Bellies out of my nose when I read it:

Leslie,

I found your name through SheSource. Jim O'Connor publicity professional and award winning author, is writing a book about unattractive people who have faced the world and found happiness, a good job, and love. In a world which places so much emphasis on beauty, Jim wants to know what the secret is in finding success without being beautiful.

Can he interview you? Can we call and set up a time which is good for you?

Hahahahaha. Ha. That, I thought, is the most amazingly backhanded compliment I have ever gotten.

Alas, I was intrigued, and we set up a time to talk.

Yesterday we chatted and he explained his concept a but more and I think it's fascinating and an important topic to address - the world is not all fluffy kittens and Angelina Jolie lips. People are discriminated against and teased about the teeniest, tiniest "imperfections" - we hold ourselves up to impossible standards and criticize ourselves for things (cellulite, a big shnoz) that we'd never even notice on a friend, let alone make them feel like crap for it. I mean, I was on the Today Show discussing "Would you rather be 40 pounds overweight and smart or skinny and dumb" for crying out loud! And let us never forget the day a random teenage boy on the street told me I have cankles.

I told Jim I would help him spread the word as he gathers info for his book. He's already spoken with a number of people from the Ugly NY Talent agency (loathe the name but I "get" the concept of needing "real people" for films and such…and many of them are not traditionally "ugly" - they're simply intriguing or extraordinary-looking -- something we need more of in the media, quite frankly) and is scouting for other men and women to talk to via internet.

http://theweightinggame.ivillage.com/dietfitness/2008/06/calling_all_ugly_1.html