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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

On Beauty

posted by on December 4 at 12:43 PM

Not everyone in Buenos Aires is beautiful. Gonzalo Otalora, for instance, is downright ugly, and he is not embarrassed to admit it.

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But Gonzalo Otalora does not much care what he looks like. He planted himself in front of the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada or Pink House, to harangue President Nestor Kirchner to change the law… Beauty is a natural advantage and he wants the good-lookers to be taxed to finance compensation for the ugly people.

Thanks, BBC.

RSS icon Comments

1

I'd gladly give him a paper bag gratis.

Posted by kinaidos | December 4, 2007 12:50 PM
2

His problem isn't that he's ugly, it's that he's whiny. If he changed his glasses and fixed his teeth, he'd be cute.

Posted by Irena | December 4, 2007 12:51 PM
3

@2,

Nah. His status would be upgraded to average, not cute.

Posted by keshmeshi | December 4, 2007 12:58 PM
4

Nothing a few million in plastic surgery couldn't fix.

Posted by Will in Seattle | December 4, 2007 1:15 PM
5

Why should the gov't pay for nature's doing? This guy's been watching too much tv.

Posted by Katelyn | December 4, 2007 1:16 PM
6

Maybe the government should pay for Proactiv, braces and contacts. Problem solved!

Posted by Amelia | December 4, 2007 1:35 PM
7

@2: i think that's his point. only, he wants a beautiful person to pay for it. of course, he might as well insist an intelligent person pay for it...

Posted by infrequent | December 4, 2007 1:46 PM
8

I'm sorry to say that one of the great things about being a guy is that it matters much less what we look like. If this guy is smart and funny (and of course having money doesn't hurt either) then he could find a beautiful woman no problem. There's a limitless number examples of this in the real world, but it's almost impossible to think of an unattractive women attracting an attractive man based upon the force of her personality.

Posted by PJ | December 4, 2007 1:56 PM
9

kurt vonnegut, there's a novel in here somewhere...

Posted by max solomon | December 4, 2007 1:57 PM
10

"it's almost impossible to think of an unattractive women attracting an attractive man based upon the force of her personality."

Enter Online Dating.

Posted by Katelyn | December 4, 2007 2:00 PM
11

Feo has a point, and in a place like Buenos Aires or anywhere in Latin America where good looks determine wether you get a job or not, than why shouldnt the ugly cadre try to get a wee help from the Peronistas. In Latin America they ask for pics when you submit a resume, unless of course somebody gets the job for you. Of course his plight is nothing compared to Feas who have it much worse.

Needless to say, I decided to embrace a bohemian lifestyle.

Feos of the world unite!

Posted by SeMe | December 4, 2007 2:20 PM
12

@9

a short story actually: Harrison Bergeron

Posted by el Rutherford | December 4, 2007 2:25 PM
13

I feel like I had to read a short story like this in junior high school. It was about the government trying to make everybody equal, except they did it by giving artificial handicaps to everyone who had any advantage whatsoever. Strong people had to carry heavy weights to make them weaker, beautiful people wore ugly masks, smart people didn't get to sleep very much, etc.

Posted by Greg | December 4, 2007 2:42 PM
14

that guys got some balls, though. maybe he should be taxed on those and the money given to less courageous lads.

Posted by infrequent | December 4, 2007 2:57 PM
15

"it's almost impossible to think of an unattractive women attracting an attractive man based upon the force of her personality"

Not true. Maybe not in TV land, but in real life, sure it happens. I can think of a whole bunch of examples among people I've known where the guy was better looking than the girl.

@12 & 13, yes, the story is Harrison Bergeron. Not one of Vonnegut's finer moments.

Posted by Irena | December 4, 2007 3:35 PM
16

@12,

He also incorporated it into Sirens of Titan.

Posted by keshmeshi | December 4, 2007 3:36 PM
17

Gonzalo either has never read "Harrison Bergeron", or has, and sympathizes with Diana Moon Glompers.

Posted by Gomez | December 4, 2007 3:41 PM

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