You may have heard of it before, but even if you have, I'm letting you know a bit more about "the World's Ugliest Dog" competition, held annually in Sonoma, California. At first thought, you may ask yourself, "Should there really be such a competition that names "the world's ugliest dog"?" But, the organizers of the competition have the following disclosure on their website: "The annual World's Ugliest Dog® Contest is not about making fun of "ugly" dogs, but having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful!" So, what do you think? Do you think this competition should be held? Do you think it's offensive, or just some good ole fun, with a good purpose underneath it all?
I don't think it's that offensive since the dogs can't understand it anyway. Also, I think they are mostly just doing it as shock value and I don't see any harm in it. The term ugly can be used in a more adoring term anyway, such as when used between friends, so I'm guessing the owners of these dogs probably consider the usage of the word in a similar way.
Awesome awesome response friend! I do agree with you, it perhaps really is for the shock value of it all. With a title like that, it's bound to catch the attention of viewers and supporters worldwide, all who want to seriously catch a "glimpse" of whether they could finally see the world's actual "ugliest dog". It's more of an entertainment venture, I guess, and like you, I don't really see the harm. If people were really offended, then they wouldn't be entering their dogs into the competition, to see if they'll win that title, and also there wouldn't be any spectators, because they'd "opt out". The fact that it's been "up and running" for quite a little while, shows that there's an interest group, and...they're interested! Thanks for your view!
I always feel kind of bad for these dogs but I don't think it hurts them. It's just a little fun. I often find the dogs who win oddly adorable. There are some strange looking dogs out there! If they've been entered into the contest that means they have an owner who loves and takes care of them so I have no complaints.
I hadn't heard about the world's ugliest dog competition but since I know there are weirder competitions, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Ugly is a label we attach to something whose appearance we don't like but [the same thing] might look pretty to someone else. The fact that there are people who actually have these "ugly" dogs as pets implies that they don't see them as ugly. For that reason, I suppose the competition is OK as long as the owners of such dogs don't find it offensive.
I don't really think it's offensive, I mean, the dogs don't understand, all they know is they're getting attention and it's pretty great. The owners obviously aren't offended since they're the ones bringing them, so if they're all happy, I don't think it's a very big deal in the long run. I mean, I kind of feel bad for the dogs, but then again, if they're healthy, it's perfectly fine. Not my cup of tea, wouldn't be something I would want to go watch if I had an "ugly dog" I wouldn't bring them, but to each their own.
It's quite obvious that some dogs look better than others, while other dogs look unpleasant. So I think it's just another lighthearted way of honoring their "unique and exotic" look. And like what has been said, dogs don't have any distinction of being ugly or pretty, so it's all good, both for dogs and humans. Dog wins the contest, and the human gets the prize.
