The success of television's 'Ugly Betty,' which ABC promoted with a 'Be Ugly' campaign stressing self-esteem for girls and young women, heightened our awareness of the word ugly and the many ill-fated associations that go along with it. In a nutshell, our society has a perverse fear of anything or anyone ugly. And let's be honest, everyone feels ugly sometimes.
Beginning with the origins of disgust, Ugly as Sin reveals how biology and then culture combine to define ugliness. Over time this definition changed and became ever-more punishing-every square inch of the body became the object of criticism-until no one could escape the fear that he or she just might be ugly. This fear means that society governs the way we dress, the way talk, the way we eat, and most importantly, the way we feel inside.
Written by psychotherapist and self-proclaimed ugly person Toni Raiten-D'Antonio, who is also the author of The Velveteen Principles and The Velveteen Principles for Women, this fascinating read cites examples from her patients' lives as well as candid stories drawn from her own life as a tormented adolescent and competent adult who didn't come to terms with her ugly issue until she was middle-aged. Ugly as Sin goes as far as to coin the phrase 'ugliphobia,' which the author champions as a reasonable response to a culture that discriminates based on appearance and insists that our imperfections will doom us to be sad, isolated, and powerless.
Ugly as Sin makes a beautiful offering for readers to feel free to explore the profound and universal fear of being ugly, express how devastating it can be, and finally find inspiration, hope, peace, and self acceptance no matter what their thighs or hair look like.
