Hiroko Togawa: Thinking about the Future of Lookism from the Perspective of "Appearance Issues"

2021/08/20

Simply put, lookism (the supremacy of appearance) is judging people based solely on their looks. Even if it is not that extreme, it refers to a situation where beauty or attractiveness holds strong influence in human relationships at school or the workplace, and where more attractive people are given preferential treatment. Whether I turn on the TV or look at the internet, I see an abundance of information that makes it seem as if appearance determines one's life, and I feel that "Japan is like a lookism paradise" (while there are synonyms such as appearance, physical features, or countenance, I will use the term "looks" here for the sake of clarity). Our NPO operates with the goal of creating a society where people suffering from misunderstandings and prejudice can live vibrantly and play an active role in today's appearance-oriented world.

In fact, when I was a junior high and high school student, I used to think, "No matter how much you dress up your principles, in the end, people are decided by their looks." However, as the years passed and I met many people and had various experiences, I realized that while "beautiful people often have advantages, the world is not that simple."

To use an analogy, as a child, one might choose a handsome and kind-looking doctor over a grumpy and scary-looking one. However, now that I am an adult, if I were to encounter a situation where I had to undergo life-or-death surgery, I would choose based on ability. Would you ask a handsome doctor with a 10% success rate, or a plain-looking doctor with a 90% success rate? It is an extreme example, but since life is on the line, it is obvious that you would choose the latter.

I believe that as people accumulate many experiences within society, they come to judge things based on various factors rather than just obvious things like appearance. This could be described as acquiring diverse values. And I think that as the values one possesses increase, ways of thinking like lookism naturally fade into the background.

It might be a bit blunt, but I believe the same logic can be applied to "society," which is a collective of people.

In fact, beauty pageants, which are symbols of lookism, have been changing significantly lately. Some competitions have stopped wearing wedding dresses or have abolished swimsuit rounds.

Society's reaction to so-called "appearance-based teasing," which makes fun of people's looks, is also becoming stricter. It was impressive to hear a comedian say on TV that "teasing people about their looks is gradually becoming less popular." Also, the news of the resignation of a creative director who proposed a performance for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony that mocked a female celebrity's body type is likely still fresh in your memory.

Based on the above, lookism will likely become outdated within the social trend of acknowledging diverse values.

By the way, have you ever heard the term "appearance issues"? "Appearance issues" refers to the difficulties faced by people who have characteristic symptoms in their appearance—such as birthmarks on the face or body, or scars, deformities, defects, or hair loss due to accidents or illness—because of discrimination and prejudice. They are stared at or hurt by heartless words. They easily become targets of bullying and hit major walls at life's milestones, such as school, employment, romance, and marriage.

For example, a man born with a red birthmark on his face was reportedly ignored by classmates and told he was "gross." Also, a woman whose one eye does not open properly due to a congenital illness was called "Oiwa-san" (a ghost figure) or told "Don't come near me because it's contagious," and was even subjected to violence.

Others have been verbally abused with words like "monster" or "die," or told things like "How can you live with that face?" or "If I were you, I'd kill myself." Some have even had people pretend to vomit in front of them, saying "Ugh, disgusting." Some are so deeply hurt and isolated that they take their own lives.

When lookism prevails, it becomes increasingly difficult for those with "appearance issues" to live. This is easy to imagine. No matter how much they deepen their knowledge or hone their skills, if physical beauty is required even once, they are robbed of the chance to utilize their strengths.

Just because of a birthmark on the face, or because the face is not symmetrical, it is as if life starts from a disadvantage. While facing such reality, those with "appearance issues" must survive.

I said that "lookism will become outdated," but the reality is that it still holds a lot of power. As usual, information suggesting that "looks are everything" is overflowing in TV, magazines, SNS, and YouTube.

However, as time progresses and diverse values spread, I believe the perfectly reasonable idea that "looks are not everything" will come to represent the majority. I want to continue our activities aiming for a world where people with visible symptoms do not have to feel small, as soon as possible.