Analysis Of Why Looks Are The Last Bastion Of Discrimination

Tattoos, homosexuality, body fat, and age; all pieces to the judgmental puzzle our society calls "reality." In present day culture, people are continuously examined, critiqued, and then spat back out into reality; creating a viscous cycle that relies upon the restrictive conformities set into place by religion, government, family, etc. Alongside these heavy demands, sits a never ending list of effects one could experience by living in such a pressing civilization. This wide range of possible effects, such as discrimination, eating disorders, or decreases in physical health, leaves every member of society vulnerable. Various sources support this particular argument, for instance, "Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrimination" and the second
Positively, society and the people within it have changed for the better in many ways throughout the past; examples of these effective transitions include the abolishment of slavery, removal of segregation, and offering of marriage rights to the LGBT community. However, parallel to all the beneficial changes society has made remains a shadowy cloud of social constraints we can't quite seem to break free of. Unquestionably, discrimination proves time and time again to be problematic within society, causing an abundance of undesirable consequences. Many argue that The Constitution has already outlawed every discrimination type known to be practiced throughout history, such as sex, race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin; however, "lookism," or judging someone based on their appearance, still actively exists today and is often overlooked at as a notable cause to any harm. Deborah Rhode, author of, "Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrimination," recounts numerous examples of this type of discrimination throughout her essay. For example, Jennifer Portnick was denied a franchise by Jazzercise simply because of her 240-pound, non-toned body style. Even though Jennifer was an aerobics teacher and worked out six days a week, she
Scott Bridges, in the second episode of season one of 30 Days, "Anti-Aging," decided to venture into the tricky area of reversing his age. Scott, like many other members of society, found himself missing his younger body and wanted to find a shortcut to bring it back. Throughout the process, Scott suffered both mental and physical hardship as a result of the testosterone injections and macronutrients he was receiving. Since society favors younger looking people, Scott took the risk of experimenting with anti-aging products purely for the hope of returning to a more attractive body type in society's standards ("Anti-Aging"). On the other end of the spectrum, many people experience emotional distress when attempting to go against the grain of society. People are viewed as outsiders, or abnormal, when they don't quite fit the "acceptable" mold that has been put in place by society's harsh requirements, often leading these individuals to be unhappy and depressed. Without discriminative requirements within a society, people would be free to express themselves as they please, especially without the fear of being judged by