Is the "ugly tax" real? episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 16, 2026 · 46 MIN

Is the "ugly tax" real?

from NO SUCH THING · host iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

This week, Manny, Noah, and Devan debate whether there's a such thing as an "ugly tax," social penalties for being unattractive. The more academic term for this is "lookism," which is the discrimination against people for the way that they look. Should less attractive people be a protected class of minority? Manny interviews Thomas Spiegel, professor of philosophy at the Miyazaki International University in Tokyo, and Stephanie Fairyington, author of "Ugly: A Letter to My Daughter." For more, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 16, 2026

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Is the "ugly tax" real?

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