A Blogger Penned An Essay About How Hard It Is To Be Pretty
Felicia Czochanski, a junior at Fordham University, just started a Cosmopolitan blogging gig. Herwriter profile reflects the usual carefree, undergraduate attitude from the city. She’s “in love with NYC, ice cream and lipstick.” There’s nothing wrong with those interests, which sound like a perfectly good time.
This story revolves around Felicia’s inaugural column for Cosmo, which wasn’t the best way to make friends in a new job. Writing for the internet isn’t for the faint of anything, especially for anyone with a feminine name. Treading carefully is a must, but Felicia hit hard with an essay called “People Judge Me Because I’m Pretty.” Such a title causes instantaneous eye rolls, and the text of the story didn’t help her case. Felicia says her blonde, all-American looks cause people to treat her differently. She insists that she’s not humblebragging:
“Imagine how it feels to have heads turn and all eyes on you when you are simply trying to get to where you need to be. It doesn’t make me feel beautiful or sexy. It makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me. The scrutiny is never ending. The immediate thoughts of whether my skirt is too short or my shirt is too low cause me to doubt the professional outfit that I put on in the morning. I wonder if there’s something stuck to my shoe, if I forgot to put on some item of clothing, anything that could be wrong with me that would cause people to stare. But it’s typically just because I’m ‘pretty,’ and sometimes, it seems like that’s all society will perceive me to be.
“Coming to terms with being perceived as “beautiful” wasn’t easy. It soon became how people knew me. People seemed to forget or simply ignore my accomplishments. They disregarded the fact that I’m an athlete, I’m intelligent, and I’m incredibly ambitious. Others did not bother to look past my appearance and actually get to know me, satisfied with the kind of person I looked like I could be.”
Felicia wants to be taken seriously, which makes sense, as do her complaints about catcalling. However, it’s difficult to be known for anything but looks when she made it the subject of her very first column. In response, the site’s Facebook comments gave a “bye, Felicia” vibe.
The readers on the Cosmo site, who are more used to fluff-style articles, weren’t feeling sympathetic to Felicia’s plight, either. In fact, their comments were just as cruel.
Another dilemma occurred with this story. When one opens up the door to discussing their own looks, that’s exactly what happens in response. Those comments are in plentiful supply at Cosmo. Here are some photos of Felicia, who is (as she says) a pretty girl. The Internet simply doesn’t understand the downside of beauty.
