English 1301
13 September, 2013
Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrimination
Through my reading and interpretation of this essay, I’ve come to realize that there will always be discrimination because of how a person looks, acts, and presents themselves, but I don’t think there should be a reason for individuals to get so distraught over the issue. Although looks and physical appearance shouldn’t be something one person should judge another over, I firmly believe there are certain standards for particular situations, and we, as people, should come to understand that. When Rhode brought forward the issue with the waitress being denied a larger uniform due to health issues, I felt sorry for her, almost to the point of pity. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the casino, just like any other business, had a certain image to uphold, and they had a certain standard for the way their employees should look and portray themselves. And even though she had a legitimate reason why she gained some weight, the waitress signed a contract with the casino which required her to keep an “hourglass figure” (247).
I think we, as humans, “discriminate” one another because it’s in our nature. When we are trying to figure out where we fit in this world, we desire to look like and portray what we aspire to be, and because we have so many diverse interests, ultimately it causes us to separate ourselves amongst each other. While one person may choose to associate themselves with someone who is clean cut and modest, another person could very well want to befriend someone whose body resembles an art canvas. People come from different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles, so there will always be a difference in the way people act, dress, and look. There will always be some kind of discrimination in the world, whether it be racial, sexual, religious, or in this case, looks and physical attributes.
Is it truly wrong to judge another