During an intense bonding sesh in the locker rooms, Rebecca and Brigitte discovered they’d had very similar experiences in how often judged by their eye-pleasing exteriors – and not in a good way.
“I totally, totally, totally relate to you,” enthused Rebecca as she realised she had a compatriot in Brigitte.
“I know people are like that because they’re jealous,” rationalised Brigitte. Explaining she was not one of the “pretty and popular” girls at school, Brigitte confided in Rebecca she truly understands just how bitchy others act towards her because she’s undergone quite the physical transformation in the last few years.
“I didn’t have my big hair and my big boobs and I knew they [my friends] were jealous of the good looking girls from our school,” Brigitte continued. “If you had a photo of me how I was in Year 9 or Year 10 and you wouldn’t think it was the same person at all. I think it was end of Year 11, start of Year 12 I started going to the gym, I was probably about ten kilos heavier and I had short brown hair and wore baggy jeans.”
Rebecca nodded empathetically as Brigitte made clear she was never one to judge others based on their appearance – and how her transformation also changed others attitudes towards her. “Even though I didn’t judge the pretty girls or the popular girls the rest of my friends did,” Brigitte said. “As soon as I became one of the beautiful girls at school my friends judged me so much and but they hadn’t realised my personality didn’t change, just how I looked.”
Rebecca agreed she often copped superficial comments, but took a more active approach to stopping others in their judgemental tracks. “I’ve found that happens a lot with myself and friends but I try to stop it,” advised Rebecca. “But when people see you for who you are, they can’t hate you for the way you look if you’re a good person. They can’t.”
Stereotypes, especially the ‘emo’ movement, was next on Brigitte and Rebecca’s hit list. “Our stereotype is judged so much more than theirs,” complained Brigitte. “So what people say they’re sad people. It’s so much worse when people assume you’re a massive slut because you have big boobs or you’re wearing a miniskirt.”
Rima, who had joined the girls in the locker room, added her two cents to the conversation. “Sometimes being beautiful can be a curse in some ways,” wondered Rima, before offering Brigitte a piece of advice. “I think you just need to not give a shit what anyone thinks,” she said. “The reality of this Earth is we don’t get along with everyone - and everyone’s judged for something.”
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