How often have you heard the cliche, “you should never judge a book by its cover”? A lot, right? Well, a new study by a major polling service just released its findings that “over 91% of all books sold each year are purchased based on the consumer’s attraction to the outward appearance or marketing materials of the publication.” Not too shocking, right? So, yes, looks matter.
Personally, I have come to understand this phenomenon when I starred in a friend’s music video recently. Well, I use the term “starred” loosely… I played a homeless woman, one of several extras; the band walks past us on the street in one scene.
Anyhoo, this particular production was “low-budge,” for sure. Craft service food consisted of lukewarm water bottles and small bags Cheeze-It snack crackers. But they had an excellent makeup person who truly transformed me and three others into realistic looking homeless people.
As many of you know, film and video production is a slow process, normally, with a lot of waiting for cameras, lights, and people to be placed properly. Well, I did this job as a favor — and will probably not do it again! — but I did gain a new perspective and empathy for the homeless. Let me explain.
Lunch, as you can probably guess, was not provided. We were on location downtown and the closest restaurant was McDonald’s. Well, try to picture me, face smudged with “dirt,” wearing tattered clothing, walking into that illustrious fast food eatery.
The employees and other customers did not know that a music video featuring homeless extras was being shot nearby, so I got a lot of disturbing looks when I walked in.
The bottom line is, I did not feel welcome. The sense that I was, at best, tolerated and, at worst, despised, was palpable. But it took me a moment to put it all together. Remember, from my perspective, I’m Cheryl Danziger, publicist to the stars, not a homeless woman about to rant about politics.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not justifying or decrying the behavior of those people in the restaurant. They were being human. I’m merely sharing this story because it reminded me that looks very much do matter.
To the nervous clerk behind the counter, I have to give her credit. I probably should have ordered a meal first, but I really had to go to the rest room, and it required a key. So I marched up to her and asked politely for the bathroom key without thinking much of it. There was an awkward pause that confused me slightly and then she handed it to me. It was only when I got inside and took a glance at the mirror that I realized why I was receiving such a cold reception and how much courage it must have taken the clerk to give me the key.
So I feel for the homeless who must endure this kind of treatment all the time. Is it fair? No. Are others behaving naturally? Yes. I’ll let you know when “Homeless Woman #3” gets her YouTube debut.
“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible….”
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray