Ugly Duckling Core Just Reeks of Pretty Privilege

After riding the explosion of the “glow up” that was the past 15 years, we are re-entering our Ugly Duckling Era. ICYMI: The Washington Post reported that both teenagers and grown women are requesting metal braces over retainer options. In the last couple years, people have started opting for Bayonetta glasses over more flattering frames, and we’re in our athleisure era. It’s all the stuff we look back on in photos and think “now remind me why I wore those?” These are the classic Ugly Duckling accoutrements shed by many a protagonist before their glow-up. Think: Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries , Laney Boggs in She’s All That , and Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty . Even Elphaba in Wicked is subjected to Glinda’s attempt to lift her spectacles during the “Popular” number.