Above is a photo of then-high school pole-vaulter Allison Stokke. Stokke was made into an involuntary pin-up when the photo was posted in 2008 to a sports blog, along with the caption: “Meet pole vaulter Allison Stokke… Hubba hubba and other grunting sounds.” The image went “viral” making her an instant celebrity, and sex symbol. As I wrote in 2021, “Oh, Allison did just fine: she became a model and married a pro-golfer. But that’s moral luck. Her photo might have triggered an obsession by a sheik who had her kidnapped and brought to his harem as a sex slave. You never know.”
This is just one of the ugly pathologies social media has inflicted on us. Even more people than before the internet are obsessed with appearances, particularly since the culture now actively cultivates narcissism. (I will never take a selfie to my dying day.) A particularly nauseating example occurred this week, when University of Georgia student Lily Stewart was arrested on March 8 for speeding, Morgan County Crime shared Stewart’s mugshot with her arrest information, and the photo went “viral” to the extent that the British tabloid The Daily Mail treated it as a news story.
The photo spawned King’s Pass (that’s Rationalization #11 on the list) comments like, “Whatever she did my heart says she’s innocent,” “Guilty of stealing my heart, your honor,” “They done locked up Miss America,”and “I guess being pretty is a crime now.”
Morons.
Unlike Stokke, Stewart exploited the attention, posting many of the comments on TikTok and making sure that the Web had access to more flattering photos than her mug shot, like this one…
One of the most persistent and, I am quite certain, indelible biases in our culture is so-called “lookism.” There is no way to fight it, but, of course, people who are not beautiful and are harmed by that bias will always try. Strong positive reactions to human beauty are hot-wired into human DNA, and the cognitive dissonance scale does the rest. What beautiful people say or do automatically attracts more support and favorable reactions than what the exact same conduct or rhetoric by average-looking people would get. It’s unfair. But it is reality.
Many studies have found that attractive defendants in criminal cases are less likely to be found guilty by juries, and frequently receive more lenient sentences from judges. I have seen this effect in person, as a defense attorney. I am certain I wrote about this episode before, but here’s the short version: I had a court-assigned defendant in a drug possession and shop-lifting case whose guilty plea bought an elimination of the all but the drug charge for an ounce of pot. My client was a gorgeous woman in her late 20s, and before the elderly male judge could pronounce sentence, my client tearfully blurted out that she had a young child, and was so, so, sorry and would never let illegal drugs invade her body again. The judge, who was supposedly tough on drug offenders, just melted, telling her that she was obviously a lovely young woman and that as a mother she should never jeopardize her health and beauty by using drugs like marijuana. He gave her a suspended sentence.
On the way out of the courtroom, I said, “Well, you handled that well.” She replied, “Thanks. It’s a good thing he didn’t know about my heroin possession case in Texas.”
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Pointer: Old Bill
Ethics Alarms 
Like the indefatigable, and missed (by yours truly, leastways) EA commenter wyogranny once posited: “Should looks make a difference? No. Do they? Yes.”
PWS
Heroin possession? Well, that’s a step in the wrong direction. Sheesh.
jvb
That’s why it’s called “criminal defense,” John, emphasis on “criminal.”
And check out her mug shot! This woman is so enamored of being in front of a camera, she even lights up like a Christmas tree FOR A MUGSHOT! Of course, girls are hard wired to light up in front of a camera, but this is clearly a cell phone- and internet-induced malady. It’s absolutely pathological.
During the early days of the Great Stupid, I noticed the Arizona Republic had suddenly stopped publishing mug shots when reporting on serious crimes, you know, murder and so forth. I wrote an email to a writer of such an article asking what was up. She responded that according to company policy they were no longer publishing mug shots because doing so wasn’t fair to the accused as they “were already likely having the worst day of their lives.” Clearly, the paper (part of the Gannett papers) didn’t want suspects of color appearing on their pages. And now, here is this chick, absolutely incandescent and delighted beyond measure to have her mug shot being taken. If the Arizona Republic reported this and didn’t include her mug shot, she’d likely sue for damages.
I did not know Alison Stokke is Ricky Fowler’s wife! Hilarious. A SoCal marriage made in jock heaven. And Ricky used to race dirt bikes.
How fast does one have to be driving to get arrested for speeding? The article doesn’t say but she could face fines of $1000.
jvb
It’s usually something like “70 in a school zone”, though I’m not speaking from experience on that.
I had something happen to me a few days ago. In my apartment complex, there’s a parking garage, so you park on the floor you live on and then walk to your apartment, right? Sounds simple, straightforward.
Well, I was walking behind someone who I think lives here, as we were both going the same direction. She’s fairly attractive. I had my hands full of food and coffee. I was walking behind her, and I am pretty sure she took a left and went into the stairwell because me following her made her feel uncomfortable in some way, simply because of how I look.
If I was a good looking suave guy, I don’t think she would’ve done it. Previously, we also had a trash service with a woman who for some reason acted like she hated me. I had never even talked to her before, but she constantly gave me dirty looks. It was strange.
A few years ago at the college I work at, I left the bathroom right as another girl was walking down the hall, so I ended up walking behind her. She was also really attractive, and she constantly kept looking back over her shoulder. I was headed to the bookstore for a snack, so we had a short distance where I was behind her. Then she started speeding up, and I went into the bookstore.
I’ve noticed this doesn’t happen with every woman, just those that are on the higher end of the attractive scale. The same thing happened when I was a freshmen in college and I met my then girlfriend’s bestfriend for the first time. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me. Women can be just as cruel as men.
Anyway, stories can pile up, but I agree with your point.
I had an interesting experience at work with someone we hired. She is incredibly smart and was great at her job before she left and became a professor. I genuinely like her, but I had this weird bias about her because of the way she looks. She reminded me of an annoying church lady who thinks she knows everything. Even though she wasn’t like that and my bias never interfered with anything professionally, I still felt it. Even after I saw how great she was, I still struggled with feeling like she just was in over her head. I really can’t explain it.
So, even though the whole talk of “unconcious bias” is really overblown because the left tends to exaggerate everything, there is a core point there. I’ve experienced it, and I’ve also felt it towards others.
I think the best way to combat is just awareness. Being aware of your reactions when you see someone can actually mitigate. It just requires being honest and then doing something about the bias you notice in yourself.
Birds do it,
Bees do it,
Even educated fleas do it.
Let’s do it,
Let’s fall in love.
It’s all very mysterious and powerful and somewhat complicated, Josh. Survival of the species.
I was walking behind her, and I am pretty sure she took a left and went into the stairwell because me following her made her feel uncomfortable in some way, simply because of how I look.
If she was afraid of you, I’m not sure the stairwell was a wise choice. At any rate, allow me to offer the following:
I was walking home to my Boston apartment, alone, at midnight (reckless, I know) and walking toward me on the same side of the sidewalk was a man. I crossed the street. He began shouting at me that the reason I crossed the street was because he was black. His assumption angered me and so I shouted back that the reason I crossed the street was because he was a man. I was met with silence and he went on his way.
Again on a sidewalk in Boston, daytime but in the pouring rain, I walked past a very well dressed man in a business suit. As I continued toward my workplace, I could hear his footsteps quicken and get closer behind me. Scared, I pulled over to the side, put my back up against the building and scanned the sidewalk and street for anyone who might hear me if I screamed. He was completely startled, his eyes widened, and he said “I am so sorry! I was going to offer you my umbrella.” Kind, but I would never allow a stranger to get that close to me no matter what they were offering.
In both those instances, Josh, appearance had nothing to do with my vigilance. It was simply because they were men and I was alone.
I’ve noticed this doesn’t happen with every woman, just those that are on the higher end of the attractive scale.
I wonder if it also happens with women who are not high on the attractive scale but you don’t notice them as much.
“He began shouting at me that the reason I crossed the street was because he was black.”
Glass half full?
You’re clearly less discriminating than Jesse Jackson; quoth he: “There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps… then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”
PWS
I appreciate your reply. I generally try not to walk behind women because I know the optics can create fear even if all parties are innocent. I’ve sat in my car and waited until a woman was out of sight before walking down the hall to avoid anything. I do know that there are certain times where it can feel threatening. I also try not to walk behind any women when I leave work and it’s dark outside unless there is a group of them. If we do end up walking together, I try to stay back or even pretend to play on my phone.
“I was walking home to my Boston apartment, alone, at midnight (reckless, I know) and walking toward me on the same side of the sidewalk was a man. I crossed the street. He began shouting at me that the reason I crossed the street was because he was black. His assumption angered me and so I shouted back that the reason I crossed the street was because he was a man. I was met with silence and he went on his way.”
I would probably do the same thing. I don’t walk at night (especially that late). I would’ve probably crossed the street as well. I’m not sure that situation is a male female issue so much as just an unknown person (especially if the dude was taller). The guy could likely also understand a woman being unsure of a man who is bigger than her.
Because of issues like that, I tend to try to give women plenty of space at night if we happen to be walking close to each other. Again though, sometimes if you walk too far behind, then that looks suspicious too, and sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in a situation such as when a cop thinks you’re guilty so literally anything you do will receive a negative interpretation.
I do my best to be aware of the dynamics, but at some point I’m just trying to live my life, and I didn’t actually do anything.
“Again on a sidewalk in Boston, daytime but in the pouring rain, I walked past a very well dressed man in a business suit. As I continued toward my workplace, I could hear his footsteps quicken and get closer behind me. Scared, I pulled over to the side, put my back up against the building and scanned the sidewalk and street for anyone who might hear me if I screamed. He was completely startled, his eyes widened, and he said “I am so sorry! I was going to offer you my umbrella.” Kind, but I would never allow a stranger to get that close to me no matter what they were offering.”
I can understand this one as well. I mean, since you didn’t know this person, him coming up to you fast could be considered weird. Maybe he just liked you and was trying to get a date? Anyway, I do think in that scenario he should’ve been more careful. I don’t do things like that. I don’t even try to make friendly conversation or say hello in the halls of my apartment complex if I see an attractive women for fear she may think I’m going to hurt her. I talk to other men or older women.
In both of your scenarios though, you were in a public place, and you didn’t know where the men you saw were headed. It’s understandable you would be on guard in those scenarios.
I was at school and just left the bathroom. It was natural for me to walk the same path she did because the other side of the school was either health professions or English classes, and nearly everyone who uses those bathrooms walks the exact same path. We were both headed to the main area of the main building. I can understand her being safe, but it also felt a bit mean-spirited, like I was below her and I better not even try to talk to her. It was strange.
The stairwell girl maybe made a bad call, but the stairwell is close to the exit for the apartments. Since she was ahead of me, she could’ve turned and run down and gotten outside (theoretically) before I could’ve done anything. But I was literally just walking to my apartment, and I park in the same area everyday. I have the decal on my mirror that shows I live there, and my hands were full of food.
“I wonder if it also happens with women who are not high on the attractive scale but you don’t notice them as much.“
Possibly, but they aren’t as openly contemptuous about it. They don’t speed up or turn their heads back constantly or anything like that. There is a certain type that tends to react in a predictable way.
And just for the record, I’m not a big dude. I’m 5’4. and I’m out of shape. Yeah, a shorter guy can still be a threat, and I believe men have a duty to try to make women feel comfortable by watching the tones of our voices and things like that. I still have a right to get out of my car and walk to my apartment without worrying someone is going to get paranoid and freak out on me for just living my life.
The respect needs to go both ways.
A display of contempt is rude and unnecessary. I’m sorry you were treated that way.