Samantha Brick, the Daily Mail writer, who sparked an avalanche of debate when she declared 'Why do women hate me for being beautiful?' is dominating the internet for a second day running - this time for her fierce reaction to her critics. In just hours Samantha's article yesterday became a worldwide sensation and today her name is still trending globally on Twitter as users continue to discuss her controversial opinion....Don't get me wrong, some of the backlash is hysterical. But the reality is that the behavior she's describing is no less real for all that it's being directed at a very moderately attractive middle-aged woman rather than a gorgeous actress. The reality is that most women intensely dislike other women who put them in the shade, whether they are very pretty 18-year olds or post-menopausal purple-coiffed blobs. Being a) blonde, b) not noticably overweight, and c) plain-featured, Samantha Brick is probably the belle of the ball in her various social circles and commands attention from most of the men in it.
She also said: '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.'
The fact that she wouldn't attract so much as a second glance, assuming there was a first one, on Hollywood Boulevard is entirely irrelevant. It's not her place on the absolute standard of human beauty that determines how she is treated, but rather, her place in comparison with the women around her and how the men around them respond to her.
And while based on her writing, it is almost surely true that Brick is a solipsistic cow, that's not why women dislike her. When women dislike other women on sight, logic dictates that it doesn't have anything to do with their characters. Confirmation can be found in this comment at the newspaper site:
"This woman is pretty, I won't deny that, and I'm sure plenty of men and women would find her attractive. However, she's not so overwhelmingly beautiful that I would hate her just for sharing airspace with me."
Translation: Me pretty so me no hate her. Me only hate pretty pretty.
