Ugly cover art

Ugly

Giving us back our beauty standards

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Ugly

By: Anita Bhagwandas
Narrated by: Anita Bhagwandas
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About this listen

 We've all had those moments. The ones where you look in the mirror and nothing feels ok. For Anita Bhagwandas, this started when she was a child and it created an enduring internal torment about her looks.

We're all told that this is just part of growing up, but it stays with us, evolving as we age. The internet tells us we should love ourselves, whilst bombarding us with images of airbrushed perfection, upholding centuries-old beauty standards which we can't always see. Our beauty rituals are so often based around things we think we need to fix, grow and develop - sometimes tipping into dangerous obsession.

So, what seismic shift does it take to break free from this mentality? In Ugly, Anita uncovers where these beauty standards started, unpicks why they've been perpetuated and unmasks the structures that continue to support them. From the ever-growing cosmetic surgery industry, to the hidden pitfalls of 'pretty privilege', it is time to finally break free from those limiting beauty standards, because feeling ugly should have nothing to do with how we look, and everything to do with who wants us to feel lacking.©2023 Anita Bhagwandas (P)2023 Bonnier Books UK Personal Development Self-Esteem

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All stars
Most relevant  
This book has really opened my eyes to the reasons why we see ourselves the way that we do and what we can do about it. Brilliant book.

Amazing book

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Well researched and interesting and I felt very seen!

Anita has a lovely way about her and would love to be her mate!

That said, I think the book would have benefitted by being read by a professional voice actor. The pauses in the sentences were often not in places that were comfortable as a listener and it would have benefitted from an experienced reader.

Overall, definitely worth a listen once you get used to the sentence pauses.

Thought provoking

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A straightforward and well researched analysis of perceptions of ugliness, how these are constructed and their multi-layered impact on women’s lives. Racial inequities in the social and economic play out of the ‘ugly’ mythology are observed closely. And historical contexts are used to show how women have been battling for aesthetic acceptance for ever and especially now when the anti ugly campaign has become so intensely monetised in the capitalist cultures of the west. The integrity of the author is humbling, and also empowering. I am very grateful to Ms Bhagwandas for writing and presenting this accessible exploration for us, our daughters and all men!

About time

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As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s I never felt more seen and understood than i just did listening to this book. I feel that way when you think you are broken and all alone and then someone writes a literal. book about it and you think 'ok maybe its not me, maybe im not just pathetic and deficient and weak, maybe this is a big deal'. It has helped me confront an ongoing literal life of self hatred towards my body that i thought was just normal, how everyone was and how it had to be - I thought that if I stopped hating and trying to fix myself I would just one of the weak ugly losers who 'gave up'. This book has changed everything for me and i cant recommend enough.

Relatable life. changing read

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This was a hard listen because it getting me to relook at the way I view the world my own ingrained prejudices and what I value when it comes to beauty with my unconscious or influenced biases.

it's a really good insight into where our modern day perception of beauty comes from and the challenges that anyone who doesn't fit the mould faces, daily.

I hope the listenership is diverse and especially male, because I think, most women, especially those who don't fit beauty ideals of the 'West', already know this.

Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?

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Anita has done a wonderful job of analysing how the beauty industry can pick on our insecurities and differences to profit on ‘fixing us’, solving our ‘problems’, or help us to ‘fit in’. She does this all while empowering us to shift our focus on finding the joy in beauty products to celebrate our individuality and express our truest self.

She presented her research in such an accessible and interesting manner, and this really helped me to pinpoint how the industry had been ‘othering’ me during my younger years. A must read!

All the right points

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What a fabulous book... a really insightful look at the history of beauty ideals and the truth behind them, weaved it with personal insights that are at times moving, (heartbreakingly) funny (or more shocking) and often relatable in one way or other - whatever your background or how you present. Everyone has their version of 'feeling othered' or 'ugly'. All women should listen/read! One I'll come back to when those outside forces feel overwhelming. Thanks Anita!

Educational & Entertaining - a must for all women

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It’s a series of thought-provoking moments, framed in historical context, different social settings and yet is relevant to every person in our modern society. So brilliant!

Anita is the voice of our generation

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The beauty industry impacts everyone in society in ways that many of us haven’t considered. Bhagwandas writes an incredibly well-researched, intelligent, and beautifully written book (that’s also fun to listen to/read with pop culture references) that unpicks deep seated beauty standards and societal issues. It’s a must read for everyone, not just women, but especially important to share with the next generations so they don’t have these ideals ingrained the way us elder millennials did!

A must read for everyone!

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