pretty girl syndrome

i was watching a British movie called About Time and something in the movie was said that struck a chord with me. a mother figure asked her son's girlfriend what she didn't like about herself. in her response she said something along the lines of having appearance insecurities, to which the mother said (these are not the exact words but she essentially meant...) "that's good, because when girls are too pretty they don't develop humor or build character." dead right!!! this is sooo true!

but this is not a new concept. how many times have you heard that "she's really pretty but has nothing to say?" i've definitely had this conversation with a couple of friends before and for the record my girl friends are very pretty, have actual personalities and are hilarious. who this idea about a lack of personality or humor pertains to are those naturally overly pretty girls who nobody would ever consider less than gorgeous. you know them! those who are so undoubtedly gorgeous that their looks are universally beautiful. they're so flawless that their existence is almost unfair. but i'm going to go ahead and say that often times those who are exceptionally stunning aren't very funny and don't have a ton to say. just think about the last time you heard a Victoria Secret model or supermodel quoted as saying anything sarcastic or chuckle worthy, of real substance or even really worth your time. i know you know who i'm talking about. this is not to say they are self centered, terrible people or are even aware of how beautiful they really are. they might be the sweetest thing and just nice or fun....aaaaaand maybe a little whole lot boring. i do think that more often than not when you are blessed with such beauty, things sort of just come easy for you. if you're attractive, you attract...so multiply the attention a decently good looking person gets by...i dont know...ten(?) and you get someone who never has to try. people naturally flock to them, want to give them attention and things come just a little bit easier for people who are insanely good looking. if they don't have to say a word or have an opinion but still find themselves surrounded by people who like to be around them and make them feel good, then there's no need to develop humor or build character. a friend of mine has dubbed this 'pretty girl syndrome.'

there's an episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon is dating a super handsome guy and she realizes that when she's with him they never wait in line at the coffee shop, he's a tennis coach who is terrible at tennis yet people line up for him to teach them, and pretty much doesn't have to deal with life's small adversities because people cater to him based on his good looks. the character has no idea that his life is easy or that everybody is treating him differently because he's attractive. he's just fortunate that he doesn't have to be funny or be good at anything for people to like him. everybody else has to formulate opinions/personalities or start projecting humor to find their voice in the world. but while everybody else is developing something to make them stand out, some just sit and look pretty.

maybe you think i wrote this out of jealousy. maybe not. but i know that i would never trade being funny and decent looking for boring and stunning. looks do eventually fade but your personality is what's left to shine.

*exception to the rule: Charlize Theron, who is universally beautiful, really funny, talented, and has a great personality (this is all based on my assessment of her in interviews, of course...haha)