“Likeability,” as a term, is intrinsically linked to the entertainment industry and is quietly gendered. It’s not sexist in an obvious way, in a way that needs to be caveated with a side note on its “problematic” nature. And yet there are no synonyms for it that carry the same invisible weight. It’s not usually applied to men unless it’s as a positive. But when a woman is characterized as “unlikeable,” there’s a cold shudder of recognition. A little side-eye wrapped in fear. Like a secret code, the word “unlikeable” causes a specific tenseness. The word itself may not be gendered, but the
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