Samantha Brick*

Who is she? Well just over a week ago, virtually no-one knew who she was…..until she wrote the article “'There are downsides to looking this pretty': Why women hate me for being beautiful”.

‘Highlights’ of her article include:

“Throughout my adult life, I’ve regularly had bottles of bubbly or wine sent to my restaurant table by men I don’t know. Once, a well-dressed chap bought my train ticket when I was standing behind him in the queue, while there was another occasion when a charming gentleman paid my fare as I stepped out of a cab in Paris.”

“And whenever I’ve asked what I’ve done to deserve such treatment, the donors of these gifts have always said the same thing: my pleasing appearance and pretty smile made their day.”

“While I’m no Elle Macpherson, I’m tall, slim, blonde and, so I’m often told, a good-looking woman. I know how lucky I am. But there are downsides to being pretty — the main one being that other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks.”

“If you’re a woman reading this, I’d hazard that you’ve already formed your own opinion about me — and it won’t be very flattering. For while many doors have been opened (literally) as a result of my looks, just as many have been metaphorically slammed in my face — and usually by my own sex.”

“And it is not just jealous wives who have frozen me out of their lives. Insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work.”

 “Unfortunately women find nothing more annoying than someone else being the most attractive girl in a room.”

“I find that older women are the most hostile to beautiful women — perhaps because they feel their own bloom fading.”

“So now I’m 41 and probably one of very few women entering her fifth decade welcoming the decline of my looks. I can’t wait for the wrinkles and the grey hair that will help me blend into the background.”

“Perhaps then the sisterhood will finally stop judging me so harshly on what I look like, and instead accept me for who I am.”

You can read the entire article and see what Samantha looks like here.

Needless to say, this article has caused controversy…….women and men have all thrown in their 2 pennies worth. A few of the comments left on the article:

“I don't judge on looks, but this writer seems so deluded, I thought perhaps she needed a reality check. Sorry if this sounds mean, but the writer is not that attractive. In fact, she is only marginally ok looking. Her arrogance, however, is breathtaking. Perhaps the reason that other women don't like her is because she comes across as an unlikeable self-obsessed narcissist?” – Annie from Toronto Canada

“Is this an article written for April 1st? Unbelieveable! If it is serious, and the DM have actually paid for this load of pap, then I have a message to Samantha - Get over yourself dear, you're actually a lot less attractive than you evidently think you are. No doubt this will be explained away because I'm jealous, fat and ugly.” – JeannieJeannie, France

“Looks average to me, bit of a dreamer perhaps.” – Les, Leeds

“Other women cannot stand her because she is warm and has a sunny nature. Beauty is not only looks but attitude and a kindheart, men are attracted to her because she has a sweet sunny nature. She is not an ice queen. The jealousy of other women is what makes them ugly. They cannot bear loveliness because it shows how rotten they are.” – Ella, Croydon Surrey

“This article has truth in it. Gotta love the jealous women clawing at each other. Women hate another woman prettier than them, or they become friends with them to try and get some of their friend's male attention.” – Dave, Bristol

The backlash was such that she did a follow up article confirming that she was right in her assertions - you can read it here.

Here are a couple of quotes from the second article:

“While I've been shocked and hurt by the global condemnation, I have just this to say: my detractors have simply proved my point. Their level of anger only underlines that no one in this world is more reviled than a pretty woman.”

“Without doubt, this is a gender issue. For not only is it mostly women who are attacking me, it is also because I am female that I am being attacked for acknowledging my attractiveness.”

When I read the original article and looked at its author, I laughed. She is definitely not ugly, but I couldn’t see what the excitement was about. Yes, she is good looking for a woman of her age…the blue eyes and the bottle blonde hair certainly help her. But I view her as a Plain Jane. To think that women are jealous of her and threatened by her average looks are probably down to their own insecurities rather than her self-proclaimed lush appearance. I thought that some of her comments were rude and arrogant – this in turn made her less attractive.

I discussed it with friends, who also found it puzzling how this woman could really view herself in such a way. One friend went so far as to say she had “psychological deficits”!

The articles have since got me thinking:

• Do women as a whole really dislike attractive women?
• Is it her looks or ‘confidence’/personality that women are apparently threatened by?
• Was she correct in making those assertions?
• Should she treated in this manner for these bold comments?
• Do I have ‘Samantha Bricks’ in my life? Am I threatened by them?
• Can I blame her for thinking this way?

Like I said before, she is not ugly; she is certainly not a threat (to me anyway) but I have seen far more beautiful people than her. The contents of her articles are quite audacious, but she is a big and knew that that it would cause controversy – the results were never going to be pretty. I urge you to read both articles………

They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”……well beholders, what do you think?

*so 10 days later i realise i've got the woman's surname wrong - it's Brick not Bright! so silly of me......

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