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25 “Pretty Privilege” Experiences By Men That Prove How It Affects Them Just Like Women
If you’ve spent enough time online, you likely have heard of “pretty privilege.” And if you haven’t, it’s still likely you have encountered this phenomenon in real life – the only question is whether on the privileged side or not.
In today’s list, we will delve into men’s experiences related to “pretty privilege.” Whether they come from their personal experiences or the things they’ve observed from the side, it doesn’t change the fact that all of them are pretty eye-opening about how this phenomenon influences seemingly unrelated aspects of life.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Shy attractive guy not saying much? ooh, he's mysterious. Shy average guy not saying much? best case he's invisible, worst case he's a creep.
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#2
I knew a guy who literally looked like an actor, he was handsome and perfectly dressed. He was hired as a CTO for a startup company I was working for—because handsome men are presumed to also be intelligent and personable.
Dumb as a f*****g bag of rocks.
#3
“Just go talk to them, it always works for me!"
I had a friend who INSISTED that all you had to do is tell women you had an apartment and were gainfully employed and they'd be interested in you. He didn't get that we didn't all look like him. It got really annoying.
Whether we like it or not, our society is heavily based on appearances. In fact, many people believe that a person’s looks can make a statement about their personality, values, interests, and many other things.
One of the best examples of this is the phenomenon called “pretty privilege.” In a nutshell, it occurs when people who are considered to be conventionally attractive are awarded significant societal advantages.
#4
Women will find your niche hobbies and nerdy passions interesting instead of weird.
rainy_days (fae/faer) 9 months ago
Pretty guy or not, i would find the giant plastic doll chilling on your couch weird
Major Harris 9 months ago (edited)
as per the "doll", relax people. this is from the movie, "lars and the real girl". "lars" has emotional and mental issues and thus, socially awkward. he treats the doll, who he has in a wheelchair, like she is a living person. NO S*X, because they are waiting for wedding night. at the urging of "lars'" doctor, "lars'" brother and sister in law play along until the "relationship" plays it course so that he can work through his issues. a sad film.
Jay Scales 9 months ago
I saw a TV prog in the UK about a guy who liked those realistic life size dolls. He had 4 or 5 of them sitting around the lounge - as well as his poor wife, who looked miserable.
PunchinelloTX 9 months ago
Odd choice to use a still from Lars and the Real Girl. I suppose that’s a niche passion, of sorts, but hardly a pick up line.
#5
It might sound extremely stupid, but I learned only recently (late 20s) that some guys have other people randomly approach them and strike conversations with them. I had genuinely no idea.
#6
I've been both attractive and unattractive at varying points in my life and I believe people just treat you better generally when you're better looking; they cut you more slack when you make mistakes, they're more helpful, they're friendlier and they're more respectful.
Granted, what is considered conventionally beautiful, as history shows, is changing rather quickly. In ancient Egypt, men were expected to have a reddish-brown skin tone and angular bodies with broad shoulders.
Then, in the Elizabethan Age (1558-1603), men with powerful legs, shapely thighs and strong calves were considered to be the epitome of masculine anatomical perfection. They were also encouraged to wear long and curly hair.
Of course, the time between these two periods is not small, but it still shows how absolutely different beauty standards can be.
#7
You can be unemployed and get laid or married.
Seriously. The notion that men only care about beauty is just false.
#8
Hybristophilia. Plenty of women will forgive/ignore any conceivable red flag you display, and will try to vouch for you against all logic, if you're charming and good-looking enough.
Even extends to criminals and k*****s. Look no further than Cameron Herrin (struck and k****d a young woman and her baby daughter while illegally street racing) and Wade Wilson (strangled one woman to death and then strangled and ran over another woman later that same day).
Both have gone viral for being hot once their faces were made public.
Doctor Strange 9 months ago
Back in highschool, the handsome guy would openly sexually harrass girls, thought it was funny to try and hit them with the ball in gym, and openly cheat on his girlfriend. They all fought to be the one to get cheated on.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
Women who have grown up with a*****e dads might think that this is what love looks like.
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
I googled the guy, because had no idea. Personally he gives me the what-an-arrogant-jerk vibes, but I see, why some would find him attractive. He is not ugly, and gives the bad-boy-vibes. There are women, who like to think, they are soul-savers.
Load More Replies... #9
Nerdy + attractive = "smart guys are so hot"
Nerdy and average = "what a dork"
I've realized a couple times in my life a girl was only pretending they were interested in asking me about engineering, or maybe genuinely interested but only because she would be interested in pretty much whatever I had to say and I could do no wrong. It's a weird combination of incredibly flattering and mildly unsettling. Like I'm being defrauded but feeling amazing about it.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
What some people see as attractive, others see as average. When you fall in love with someone, they will become attractive.
Nowadays, what is considered beautiful is changing even faster, and social media plays a big part in this. Modern trends, which current beauty relies pretty heavily on, die out and change very fast, leading to standards changing at a pace that’s impossible to catch up with.
Yet, some folks still go out of their way to describe what characteristics make a modern person conventionally attractive, despite speedy trends. Usually, things like clear skin, a symmetrical face, a fit body, and other things are mentioned in lists like that.
So, technically, if a person checks the boxes for being conventionally attractive, it is quite likely they get that aforementioned pretty privilege. You might wonder – what kind of privilege can looks bring?
#10
It's the difference between a date with your coworker and a visit with HR.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
Maybe pretty men don't see all attention towards them as romantic interest, so they wait until they see romantic interest before they ask someone out on a date. SOME not-so-pretty men are too fast to see all attention as romantic interest, but it might just be politeness or friendliness. If the SOME men waited a bit longer, to make sure that it is romantic interest, and not just friendliness, they might not be sent to HR.
Tammy Malone 9 months ago
I've witnessed this years ago. A guy I worked with was fired because he asked a girl co-worker out more than once. If he had been a hottie, she never would have gone to HR.....
Skogsrået 9 months ago
I get your point but he should have stopped asking after the first no.
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#11
You chatting up coworker is cute rather than creepy.
trixiefly11 9 months ago
Not always. I worked with a guy that was pretty decent looking. And he was still perceived as creepy. It was his personality. He radiated creepiness. Typical nice guy. Despite being tall, decent looking and decently built (at least in the beginning) girls just didn't want to date him.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
Not necessarily. The women might find you creepy, but they are scared to voice it, because people tend to think that good looking people don't r*pe or harass, and people will think she IS interested in him, but was rejected, if she says he's creepy.
#12
I sat next to a man in first class last year. He was a good looking man. The flight attendants (all female) were waiting on him hand & foot, while I (a man who struggles to be a 7), went thirsty and ignored. After the 5th time he was attended to and I was ignored, I stared at him, waiting for him to turn my way. He finally saw me and smiled saying, "It's always like this." He shrugged his shoulders and went back to his drink and snacks.
Power puff scientist 9 months ago
you can just talk to flight attendants and ask for something, especially if they cone by to check on your neighbor all the time anyway.
anne sane 9 months ago
Id be rage hitting my flight attendant button for ALLL the things. 😄 especially if paid to be there. Dude. I was in hospitalty for many years and never changed my service bc of how someone looked. Attitude on the other hand.... Sorry that happened to you. If its any consolation, they are terribly shallow.attendants much less people.
Well, most of the time, good-looking people are considered smarter, more capable, trustworthy, and simply as just better people. It all comes down to something called the “halo effect.” Basically, it’s when a good impression in one area, in this case, looks, influences positively the view of other areas, in this case, the character of an individual.
The thing is that this privilege doesn’t only apply to things like dating; it applies to many sides of life. For example, economic advantages can come from it – attractive people are more likely to receive raises and promotions. Also, good-looking people are less likely to be convicted, or at least are more likely to get less harsh sentences, for the crimes they commit.
#13
I was the second least experienced guy in my law firm, but I probably dressed the best and I'm pretty okay looking. They asked me to basically head a new office when it opened and also asked that I attend all the local business networking events.
People in general just have a positive outlook towards you or choose to interpret the things you do in the best possible light. And while I do think I'm genuinely hardworking, I have no doubt that it's helped me in my career a lot.
#14
The benefit of the doubt.
#15
When you unalive someone and get bunch of love letters in your prison mail.
Sara 9 months ago
Difference between Luigi and the other murderers on this list is that he killed a bad guy. I'm ready for the down votes.
Lee451 Henderson 8 months ago
So, if you consider someone a "bad guy" it is ok to terminate them?
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Multa Nocte 9 months ago
Sad to say that happens to almost all who go to jail/prison for something infamous, no matter their looks.
DrBronxx 9 months ago
It was both. Certainly more the latter, but it's impossible to discount the former.
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Billo66 9 months ago
I'm going to have to do a little research on the victim. I have Cancer and COPD and that insurance and they have covered every penny for almost 10 years now.
Billo66 9 months ago
But at the end of the day, you can't take the law into you're own hands. That being said, if it were about some guy and my daughter. He would meet his doom in the courtroom laws be damned.
Load More Replies...For more examples, in fact, more specific ones, you can take at today’s list. It was collected from answers netizens provided in a thread under the question “What are examples of ‘pretty privilege’ for men?” The question suggests that most of them apply to men’s experiences, which is just as important to talk about in relation to this topic as women’s.
At the same time, some of these experiences could just as well be applied to women too, as they’re more about attractiveness overall, not gender. So, make sure to check out the list and express your opinion about it by upvoting and maybe even sharing your examples in the comments!
#16
Tons of people want to befriend them, even though the guy is boring
#17
How in meetings, everyone looks to them for answers. My colleague is a 6’6” Greek Adonis. He turns heads everywhere we go. In meetings, they always look to him for answers even if he’s not the team lead. They say his name constantly wanting his affirmation. It reminds me of those hostage situations where they say the victims name over and over to make them seem like a real person and not an object.
He’s a smart guy, but often delivers terribly because he can’t read a room to save his life. But, it’s always ok because he’s so pretty.
#19
I had a friend who became single in his early 30s. He was not unattractive but his age was starting to show a bit. He wanted to hit up the bars to meet women and I went along as a wingman.
This dude had ZERO game. He had like negative game.
Yet all throughout his 20s he was constantly with very attractive women.
It was just that he was SO attractive that women would approach him. THEY would pick HIM up.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
No wonder he became single then. His age, btw? He's barely adult, that's not AGE. More and more people live to 100 now, he can have 70 more years of life. Teenage girls might be rather superficial, but they are still children, not mature enough to see depth in people yet. If that friend focus on other 30-year-olds, he might have a better chance.
#20
Being offered a woman’s phone number without asking for it!
Being given store discounts when I didn’t ask if there were any! 🤭😂😂
panther 9 months ago
I got a store discount, it was a senior discount when I was in my mid 40's. Not sure how I feel about that.
Papa 9 months ago
The same thing happened to me when I was about the same age. I was amused by it (and I didn't correct them).
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#21
Being able to have options when it comes to dating and also you don't need several decades of self-improvement to be enough for women to date you.
Jay Scales 9 months ago
Handsome often DO need a lot of self improvement. A pretty face will get you noticed, but it's nothing in the long run if you're stupid, unpleasant, selfish, dishonest etc.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
Handsome might get a lot of first dates, but if you are boring as drying paint, you won't get that many second or third dates...
#22
Getting texted randomly by different girls with the words I want you, shopkeepers will give me small free things like candy or raspberries or something, they’ll throw in stuff for free when I buy s**t. You have a longer leash at any job you do as well can arrive late and eat breakfast at work and it be fine while others get chewed out.
#23
Being able to partake actively in hookup culture.
#24
There's no handsome homeless
trixiefly11 9 months ago
This just shows, it isn't their looks but their clothes and hair they are talking about. A not great looking guy can still look good and radiate confidence if he takes care of his clothes, hair and hygiene.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
Didn't Richard Gere go "undercover" as a homeless man and was ignored by almost all people? Only one person was kind to him, or something. You BECOME ugly by living on the street.
#25
Women will actually treat you like a human being and bend over backwards for you.
rainy_days (fae/faer) 9 months ago
the wording on this one makes me a bit iffy, i get the point but conflating 'being treated as a human being' and 'being bent over backwards for' in the same sentence as if they are equivalent rubs me the wrong way
trixiefly11 9 months ago
I feel that a lot of these are guys who don't actually try, and are angry that women don't swoon over them. Guys that look attractive but don't take care of themselves also don't get women. Unless it's a woman who also doesn't take care of herself.
Lena Flising 8 months ago
People bend over backwards for human beings? They bend over forwards to non-human beings? How are you treated like a human being?
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What do you think ?
DrBronxx 9 months ago
This post comes across as very, very bitter. And I say that as a fat hairy mess.
SpiderWoman13 8 months ago (edited)
Good looking people do get the advantage, but a lot of it is they KNOW they're good looking and so have great confidence; rejection slides off like water from a duck's back. I'd even venture to say looking well-groomed, smelling good (not overpoweringly so) and very clean is even MORE important than merely good-looking...It's better to have 4 outfits that fit you as if tailored, suiting you to a T and enhancing your assets, than 20 that fit so-so...Every single person has something attractive about them.
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Earonn - 9 months ago
So many of these are a long version of "I don't get all the s*x / every woman I want". Guys, if you're like that, it's not your face. It's your mindset. Loot at Mr "women treat you like a human being". In comparison to what? People are 90% just polite to others. They might not swoon at your feet, but they are friendly and give you the same effort and attention they give every other stranger. But apparently, that's not enough. That's "inhumane". Who wants a person who thinks like that?
Papa 9 months ago
It sounds like you're saying that men who are attractive don't have an advantage over those who are not?
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Mimi M 9 months ago (edited)
What I think is funny is people (often men) who think women are not visual. They can be not in shape, look any which way, take a s**t picture and still wonder why they get passed over. Because they think 'women are not visual'. Sorry, we very much are. What each woman finds attractive may have more variance, but we're still definitely keyed in to what is attractive for us.
DrBronxx 9 months ago
This post comes across as very, very bitter. And I say that as a fat hairy mess.
SpiderWoman13 8 months ago (edited)
Good looking people do get the advantage, but a lot of it is they KNOW they're good looking and so have great confidence; rejection slides off like water from a duck's back. I'd even venture to say looking well-groomed, smelling good (not overpoweringly so) and very clean is even MORE important than merely good-looking...It's better to have 4 outfits that fit you as if tailored, suiting you to a T and enhancing your assets, than 20 that fit so-so...Every single person has something attractive about them.
Load More Replies... Earonn - 9 months ago
So many of these are a long version of "I don't get all the s*x / every woman I want". Guys, if you're like that, it's not your face. It's your mindset. Loot at Mr "women treat you like a human being". In comparison to what? People are 90% just polite to others. They might not swoon at your feet, but they are friendly and give you the same effort and attention they give every other stranger. But apparently, that's not enough. That's "inhumane". Who wants a person who thinks like that?
Papa 9 months ago
It sounds like you're saying that men who are attractive don't have an advantage over those who are not?
Load More Replies... Mimi M 9 months ago (edited)
What I think is funny is people (often men) who think women are not visual. They can be not in shape, look any which way, take a s**t picture and still wonder why they get passed over. Because they think 'women are not visual'. Sorry, we very much are. What each woman finds attractive may have more variance, but we're still definitely keyed in to what is attractive for us.
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