YES, it is. Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s not polite to stare? There are the BAD big three: Racism, Sexism, Ageism. And there’s a fourth, too–Lookism, a term which first became popular in the 1970s. Even Merriam Webster defines it. Basically, it is the bias toward physical appearance according to society’s norms. It became popular as part of the Fat Acceptance Movement.

It’s also a South Korean web toon (manhwa) written and illustrated by Park Tae-joon. The image here is of that Lookism, but note how good-looking he is in this pic. The story is about a high school student who can switch between a fat and ugly body and one that is handsome.

What is Beautiful is Good
But back to Lookism. The “what is beautiful is good” stereotype research shows that those who are physically attractive benefit from their good looks. And the inverse is true, as well: you can suffer if your looks are not “beautiful.”

RESEARCH
Eagly, Alice; Ashmore, Richard; Makhijani, Mona G.; Longo, Laura C. (1991). “What is beautiful is good, but”. Psychological Bulletin. 110: 109–128. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.109.

Photo by Hadis Safari on Unsplash