She Has The Face Of A Potato

Sydney Sweeney, apparently. 

Whilst scrolling Reddit yesterday, I came across a post from a Blind young woman, saying they struggle with body image because they don’t know what they look like. Being passionate about inclusion, particularly disability inclusion, I thought this was a really interesting insight into the lived-experience of someone who is Blind. The post went on to say they wish they had someone in their life who they could ask to paint a ‘word-picture’ detailing what they look like so they could have a better idea. They then made an edit saying thanks for the offers, but they were not going to upload a picture of themself so that anonymous Redditor’s could provide a description (wise choice, IMO!).

Reading through the comments, someone pointed out that you can’t trust the judgement of people on the internet as they say things such as “Sydney Sweeney is ugly”. This proved fairly controversial, with many people pointing out that Sydney Sweeney is ugly though. One comment stated that she “is ugly though. She has a weird face”, with another saying “if YOU think Sydney Sweeney is pretty, your judgement cannot be trusted. She’s the classic potato face, big boobs architype”.

I don’t really follow movies or TV shows. I love a Netflix binge, but I generally don’t know actors by name - more an ‘oh, I recognise this person, what else have they been in’ kind of thing. However, I just had to then google her to see what this was all about! 

For those equally as unaware, this is Sydney Sweeney. This is the aesthetically-offensive woman that so many people felt the need to argue is ugly. This is the woman whose appearance seems to be so offensive to many peoples’ eyes, the one who, unless you agree she is ugly, means your judgement cannot be trusted. 

Sydney Sweeney, a young white woman with blonde hair styled in a ponytail, wearing a light-coloured floral dress, poses gracefully in front of a blurred backdrop.

I intentionally tried to find a candid, less-polished photo for this blog to give a realistic overview of what she looks like, but honestly she looks gorgeous in them all. Just do a simple google search of Sydney Sweeney and you’ll see what I mean. 

Now, maybe I’m outing myself as having poor judgement here, I don’t know, but can anyone tell me what is wrong with her? As far as I can tell, I see a beautiful young woman with lovely hair, a healthy weight, nice teeth, and good skin. She has a lovely smile that warms her face, and her more-posed images look hot AF. Am I missing something? 

Where is the line? As a woman, it feels like the goal-posts are constantly changing. We need to be 100% perfect at any moment otherwise we don’t have permission to engage in the world. You’re having a bad hair day? Your nose is crooked? Your teeth aren’t perfectly straight? Stay at home, do not subject the general public to your monster-like qualities! I just don’t understand how we as a society have got so far away from what normal is. Is this a problem for people who are chronically online? Is it a case of some people needing to get out into the world, touch some grass and see real bodies? Is it just men holding women to these standards, or is the misogyny coming from inside the house? 

I am overweight, I have a gap in my front-teeth, my nose is not chiselled, my eyes are a little too wide, I aren’t 100% happy with my bingo-wings, and as a curly-hair-girl, it is very rare that I’m having a good hair day, but honestly I couldn’t care less about any of that. I aspire to be a beautiful person, but not by my outward appearance. I want to be beautiful by the way I treat others, by the good I do for the more vulnerable members of society, the charity work I do and the positivity I spread. I want to be beautiful because of the values in my heart, my intellect, and the power of my thoughts, not the boobs over my heart or the shape of the skull my brain is contained within. Is my worth as a woman, my place in this world, only subject to me looking pristine at all times? 

Where is the hope for young women, or girls going through puberty, or anyone with some kind of difference? Do we need to just accept we are lesser-than, or hide away? Should we be on-show in an exhibit for having very normal features? 

I don’t know the answer, and truth be told I’m not even really sure what the problem actually is or how wide-spread this issue is, but either way it is completely disheartening as a ‘normal’ person to see that some people still deem perfectly normal appearances to be ugly. Just as I start to feel that the world is an okay place for anyone with a difference to be treated as an equal, I see crap like this that feels like we’re going one step forward and two steps back. Just to clarify, I don’t see any differences or special qualities about Sydney Sweeney at all - she looks like a perfectly normal, beautiful woman to me.  

I think we should all embrace our differences and learn to love the bodies we’ve been given. Aim to be the best you there is but don’t pick faults with things out of your control. Our flaws should be celebrated as they are what make us, us. I know this is easier said than done, but we, as a society, shouldn’t be putting others down for having very normal qualities.

Love the body you’re in, and live and let live. True beauty comes from our values, how kindly we treat others, and the positive impact we have on the world around us - not whether your face is symmetrical or your hair is in-place. 

Together we can embrace our individuality and cultivate a society that both celebrates and appreciates the diverse beauty of individuals, empowering us all to shine our brightest.