something missing from s.c.w.a.m.p.?

Examining the ideas of power and privilege the past weeks in class have encouraged me to consider the concepts of s.c.w.a.m.p. in most if not all of my daily activities. Discussing the issue on a deeper level as Johnson, Delpit and Lake have helps to create more awareness of issues that though present in our society may have lost the attention of some people; possibly because they feel the problem has been solved, or simply because public outcry has become simple and monotonous.

Thinking about the idea of privilege, there is a particular group of privileged individuals which members can be of any sex, racial group, heritage, religion, sexual orientation or social class. This group even transcends human beings and applies to animals, plant life or basically anything tangible. It is very difficult to officially distinguish members of this group because those who belong aren't supposed to admit that they belong. The group i speak of is beautiful people.

Attractive people are favored over others in most societies, especially ours. Manny professions require a desirable, welcoming atmosphere (restaurants, retail, face-to-face sales). These employers are more likely to hire a more attractive staff to lure in more business. Working in restaurants for over 12 years now, I personally have seen competent, experienced, overqualified applicants passed over for more attractive applicants, sometimes with no experience. Employers will even intentionally hire one or two less attractive people to simply avoid any accusation of favoritism.

I believe people pay more attention to attractive people. Again, working in bars i have a front row seat to the dating show. If an attractive girl sits at the bar by herself there's a very good chance someone will try to converse with her or offer a drink. That simply doesn't happen with less attractive women. This can affect not only one's self esteem, but family future also.

My final example (of many) involves the media. Most of our pop music stars, movie stars, t.v. and cable news personnel, even (yuk) reality tv "stars" are beautiful; hardly an accurate representation of what we see every day in the real world. Yes, some of these people who we admire, inquire about and strive to be like have talent. Yes, some have dedicated all their effort to their craft and deserve our respect as artists or journalists, but a small minority of them. It truly makes me sad to think of all the talented, dedicated, hard working musicians, actors, or journalists who were passed over because they didn't fit the physical mold. (Who knows, maybe pop culture would actually have some form of artistic credibility instead of just dumbing down our society.)