Samantha Brick’s photos are so popular, they’ve practically broken the internet – but not in a good way.
The British columnist recently wrote a piece for The Daily Mail in which she extolled the difficulties of going through life as a “tall, slim blonde.”
Brick, 41, wrote a column on Tuesday called, “‘There are downsides to looking this pretty’: Why women hate me for being beautiful.”
Brick wrote about the struggles of having to go through life as a beautiful woman, constantly getting gifts – including free champagne – from potential suitors, flirting with male bosses, and dealing with her co-workers’ anger over her looks.
“While I’m no Elle Macpherson,” Brick wrote, “I’m tall, slim, blonde and, so I’m often told, a good-looking woman. I know how lucky I am. But there are downsides to being pretty, the main one being that other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks.”
By yesterday morning, Brick had become the focus of a Twitter campaign seeking to take her down a few pegs for her perceived vanity. Twitter users created the hashtag #samanthabrickfacts to crack wise about Brick’s alleged beauty.
“James Blunt wrote ‘You’re Beautiful’ after he briefly caught sight of Samantha Brick in a crowded place. #samanthabrickfacts,” tweeted on user.
“Samantha Brick was originally cast in title role in ‘Pretty Woman’ but Richard Gere vetoed it because she was too pretty,” tweeted another.
The Daily Mail piece has attracted over 3,000 comments in response to Brick’s article, many of which seem to doubt that Samantha Brick is really as pretty as claims to be.
Brick wrote in the piece that she recalled once posing to a male friend for a picture on his birthday, at the urging of the photographer.
“Another woman I barely knew pushed me out of the way, shouting it wasn’t fair on all the other women if I was dominating the snap. I was devastated and burst into tears,” she said.
Brick seems to have struck a nerve with her claim that any female who gets angry with her is just jealous.
“If you’re a woman reading this, I’d hazard that you’ve already formed your own opinion about me and it won’t be very flattering. For while many doors have been opened (literally) as a result of my looks, just as many have been metaphorically slammed in my face and usually by my own sex,” she writes.
Brick also described her relationships with other females, mentioning that she’s never been asked to be a bridesmaid, gets snubbed by female acquaintances in social situations, and is hated by married women who think she’s trying to play the role of home-wrecker.
“I’m not smug and I’m no flirt, yet over the years I’ve been dropped by countless friends who felt threatened if I was merely in the presence of their other halves. If their partners dared to actually talk to me, a sudden chill would descend on the room,” Brick said.
Many commenters on the piece take issue with Brick’s assessment of herself, writing ”Can we get a serving of humble pie with a side order of reality check over here please?” and “Oh get over yourself dear. You are NOT THAT pretty, just average. : VERY average. I think you’ve lost female friends because you’re a conceited delusional prat. Is this a belated April Fool’s story DM?”
Brick went on to say how much she’s looking forward to the time when her age will finally diminish her looks so she can “blend into the background” in her life.
“I can’t wait for the wrinkles and the grey hair,” she wrote.
Thanks to her piece in The Daily Mail, however, she will probably be more popular then ever.
One Twitter user summed it up nicely, tweeting, “April 3rd will now by known as international Samantha Brick day! #SamanthaBrickFacts.