Pretty privilege is the tendency for people who are seen as more physically attractive to receive more opportunities, benefits, attention and other favorable treatment than their less attractive peers. The term has no single founding figure and instead emerged from online feminist discussion of the pressure on women in particular to appear attractive, and it has become an increasingly common term as large social media platforms built around physical appearance, such as TikTok, have widened public discussion of the underlying social dynamics. Its effects have been described across a person's career trajectory, their social acceptance, their treatment in the legal system, and gender dynamics more broadly.
Facts
Core ClaimPeople viewed as more attractive receive more opportunities, benefits, attention or other perks than less attractive people 1 First Described YearThe term was first introduced by Edward Thorndike in his 1920 paper, "A constant error in psychological ratings". (w-bbfill-psychology6-0926) Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Wikipedia: Pretty privilege
Lead paragraph, sentence 1
to receive more opportunities, benefits, attention, or other perks than their less attractive counterparts
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
The phrase pretty privilege is a tendency for people who are viewed as more attractive or "pretty" to receive more opportunities, benefits, attention, or other perks than their less attractive counterparts.
View the Source2. Wikipedia: Pretty privilege
Wikipedia article textQuote, Wikipedia article text
The term was first introduced by Edward Thorndike in his 1920 paper, "A constant error in psychological ratings".
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