Let’s Be Honest About What We Are Saying
The conversation about Shabba Ranks raises a bigger question about what we mean when we call someone ugly. Nobody has to find him attractive because attraction is personal. But saying, “He is not my type,” is different from declaring that his features are ugly. When those features are closely associated with Blackness, it is reasonable to ask whether the judgment reflects personal taste, cultural influence, or some combination of both.
Color Struck and Colorism
Colorism generally describes unequal treatment based on skin tone, while “color struck” is often used more informally to describe personal attitudes or preferences involving complexion and Black features. The two are related, but they are not identical. Personal preferences are not necessarily evidence of discrimination, yet they are also shaped by families, communities, media, and cultural standards. That makes it worth asking where our ideas about attractiveness came from without automatically accusing someone of prejudice.
Attraction Is Not Contempt
There is an important difference between lack of attraction and contempt for someone’s appearance. Attraction says, “This person does not appeal to me.” Calling someone ugly can sound more like a judgment that something is wrong with the person’s features. Nobody owes another person attraction, but beauty standards have histories. What societies repeatedly celebrate or reject can influence what individuals eventually learn to see as desirable.
Be Specific About What You See
That is why asking what someone actually finds unattractive can be revealing. The purpose is not to trap or shame anyone but to move beyond the vague statement, “He is just ugly.” Not every criticism of a Black person’s appearance is anti-Black, and we should not pretend otherwise. But when criticism repeatedly centers on features historically associated with Blackness, examining the standard behind that judgment becomes reasonable. Reflection is different from accusation.
Our Ideas of Beauty Come From Somewhere
Beauty may be subjective, but our standards do not develop in isolation. Family, friends, entertainment, advertising, and social media repeatedly teach us which faces and features receive praise. Over time, those messages can begin to feel natural rather than learned. Recognizing that influence does not mean people must abandon their preferences. It simply gives us an opportunity to examine which preferences feel genuinely personal and which may have been reinforced by the culture around us.
This Is Bigger Than Shabba Ranks
The point is not to convince everyone that Shabba Ranks is attractive. The larger issue is whether our definition of beauty makes room for the full range of Black features. When particular features are repeatedly mocked or treated as inferior, history and culture become part of the conversation. Examining that history does not require telling anyone whom to date or desire. It simply asks us to consider whether we can have personal preferences without turning Black features themselves into something that deserves ridicule.
Summary
Nobody has to find Shabba Ranks attractive. The more important distinction is between personal preference and treating certain features as objectively inferior. Beauty standards are influenced by culture, history, media, family, and individual experience, so examining those influences can help us better understand our own reactions. The goal is not to police attraction but to become more thoughtful about the judgments we attach to people’s appearance.
Conclusion
Before turning “not my type” into “ugly,” it may be worth asking what we actually mean. We can have preferences without treating our preferences as universal standards, and we can question inherited beauty standards without accusing everyone who disagrees with us of prejudice. Beauty will always be subjective, but understanding where our standards come from gives us a chance to see a wider range of people without automatically treating difference as a flaw.