Althouse: "When [Lizzie] Velasquez was in high school, she discovered a video of herself on YouTube that was titled 'World's Ugliest Woman.'"

January 8, 2014

"When [Lizzie] Velasquez was in high school, she discovered a video of herself on YouTube that was titled 'World's Ugliest Woman.'"

"She had to decide in that moment whether or not she would let these cyberbullies define her...."

21 comments:

Eric the Fruit Bat said...: I can relate to her situation, and I gave thought to becoming a motivational speaker, but ultimately, I decided that I was more suited to becoming an alcoholic.; 1/8/14, 8:57 AM
jr565 said...: poor lady. It sounds like what she has is one of those baffling illnesses that we don't know what to do with.
But also good for her overcoming her situation and remaining positive.; 1/8/14, 9:06 AM
MadisonMan said...: At first I'm thinking Why are there only women in the audience but then I see that it's the Austin Women's conference (whatever that is). Then I see a man and wonder what the heck he's doing there?; 1/8/14, 9:13 AM
Big Mike said...: Whoever made and posted that video are ugly on the inside, where it counts.; 1/8/14, 9:21 AM
Anonymous said...: Bush's fault. Obama fights for income inequality. He spent $4 million of our income for a vacation, spent $535 million of our income to pay back his sugar daddy Kaiser. Obama wins the fight for income inequality.; 1/8/14, 9:36 AM
Darrell said...: On YouTube or the Daily Mail, almost every woman posted gets called the ugliest woman in the world. Look at the fashion models posted. Or view a Gwyneth Paltrow piece. You can always call me the ugliest man as long as you send $1to me each time you do.; 1/8/14, 9:42 AM
madAsHell said...: She's a motivational speaker for women.

Hmmm....her story sounds like hate fuck in Wyoming, or the noose on the black professor's door knob.

Did she ever find her cyber-bullies?...or do they still plague her to this day? Is she defining herself as a victim?

yeah....I may be way off base. I couldn't bring myself to read the article. HuffPo says it all.; 1/8/14, 9:43 AM
mccullough said...: I never understood the attraction of circus freaks in the old days. But maybe it has to do with seeing humans so different it makes us question what it means to be human. Not too different from transgenders or transsexuals, at least until recently as they have become more familiar. The most of familiarity obscures from us the wonder of our being.; 1/8/14, 10:55 AM
Anonymous said...: It takes a "special" kind of bravery to be a cyber bully.; 1/8/14, 11:17 AM
Big Mike said...: @madashell, my comment at 9:21 applies equally well in the case of the scenario you implied.; 1/8/14, 11:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Mad dog, so many questions, yet too lazy to read the article, tsk.; 1/8/14, 11:35 AM
TMink said...: Still a human being with feelings on the inside. Why is that so difficult for us as a culture to grasp?

Trey; 1/8/14, 11:53 AM
paul a'barge said...: @Inga: Mad dog, so many questions, yet too lazy to read the article, tsk.

Men (and women) of real courage refuse to read HuffPo.; 1/8/14, 12:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Paul, with that attitude one will find themselves in the sad state of Epistemic Closure.; 1/8/14, 1:51 PM
LordSomber said...: What would we ever do without TED talks?; 1/8/14, 2:16 PM
Peter said...: Perhaps women relate better to the concept of "cyber-bully."

I understand cyber-war. Using computers to intentionally shut down large parts of the power grid when it's -17F outside might be considered an act of cyber-war.

But, bombarding my e-mail with nasty notes- perhaps even ones asserting that I'm the ugliest creature in the universe?

Well, that would be annoying. Especially if you didn't provide me with a convenient way to identify them. But, it's not quite war (cyber- or otherwise).

And perhaps "cyber-bullying"- as mean-spirited as it can be- isn't quite bullying, either.; 1/8/14, 2:24 PM
fivewheels said...: Cyber bullying, a pretty nebulous concept. I wonder what you think you are, Inga? What if you found out that one of your pugnacious sparring partners was 16 years old? Not that outlandish an idea, nor would I be so shocked to learn that you were a teenager.

Would you consider yourself a candidate for prison based on your online demeanor?; 1/8/14, 3:23 PM
Wince said...: Bless her heart.

Even as a motivational speaker, I doubt she'll end up eating a steady diet of government cheese and living in a van down by the river.; 1/8/14, 4:29 PM
Jim S. said...: Honestly, my first thought was "what a beautiful person."; 1/8/14, 6:55 PM
fivewheels said...: She seems like a perfectly lovely person, but I'm not a big fan of the concept of motivational speaking. It does seem like a kind of Oprah-esque idea. I feel like I should find motivation in other ways.

Then again, I've only seen one such performance, in high school. Maybe he was terrible at it. It seemed hokey to me.; 1/8/14, 8:53 PM
A. Shmendrik said...: 60 meals a day? She must spend a lot of time on the shitter!; 1/9/14, 12:00 AM