xbl0x180 wrote:Apparently,
this broad thinks her good looks matter inasmuch as guys fawn over her and other girls are jealous of her

I don't see her appeal but then again, she never claimed that she's incredibly gorgeous and even admitted the opposite. On the matter of the actual issues brought up in the column, I also don't see anything hard to believe about Ms. Brick's issues with other women. I've heard these complaints brought up before by better looking women and verified in interview studies, where more attractive female interviewees are given more negative evaluations from less attractive female interviewers. Women are very self-conscious and the less attractive ones can lose confidence very quickly. When that happens, they'll hate the source of decline.
Whether the situation here is a result of her attitude, looks, or both isn't entirely clear. In fact, it's possible that her personality isn't ideal and that men treat her well simply because she looks decent enough. Ms. Brick obviously thought about that option and chose examples that explicitly indicated to her that good looks were the main problem. I see no reason to not believe her. There was no way she could clearly explain the full situation without indicating that she looked pretty so I don't consider that to be the faux pas that self-adulation usually is. And she never said anyone else was unattractive.
It's interesting though how many responders brought up the writer's looks when they have very little to do with the claims themselves. Whether man or woman, it's almost expected online nowadays to put others down to feel better about yourself. But my response is: if you really think you look good, who cares what others think about you or themselves? I used to act in a similarly negative way when I was younger and less confident, and now I find that behavior to be shortsighted. If anything, it's just that the column title is a little provocative (making the article seem more about self-praise) and doesn't exactly fit the arguments being made.
My views on this matter may partially stem from my personal experiences. While I say "no comment" to looks, I've noticed an analogous situation even in the relatively modest arena of competitive fighting games. When I won on a regional scale, nobody minded my explanations of tricks and opinions on the scene. But after placing on an international level, I picked up a few detractors. Apparently for them, every trick I share now just showing off and every opinion I give is out of arrogance.
Just as in Ms. Brick's case, it's possible that my behavior was the cause. However, logs exist of my posting history and upon review, I don't see much difference in what I said then and now (some are essentially paraphrased repeats). If anything, I'm less caustic now at calling other folks out. It was at that point that I realized that as much as my detractors refused to believe, their criticisms were predominantly made out of envy. Thankfully, in our scene, the vast majority have remained positive and I've no doubt received more positive feedback than negative due to the exposure. And I'm personally confident, which is really all that matters.
I hope Ms. Brick enjoys her time in the spotlight because even though the negativity may be annoying, youthful good looks are never something you'll get back. And I hope others learn to praise themselves rather than become so upset over someone else with confidence. More positive people will make a more positive world.