OUR STORY
How two friends turned personal pain into a movement for change
BEAUTY IS NOT MERIT
The Future is Ugly is dedicated to challenging society's obsession with conventional beauty standards and advocating for the rights of the aesthetically challenged. We believe that a person's worth should not be determined by their appearance.
Lookism is only a symptom of a deeper obsession with appearance that runs through our whole culture. Our aim is to challenge that obsession itself — to help people notice how much it shapes our society, our choices, and our sense of self.
Through our policies, we encourage imagining a world where worth isn't measured by looks — a world where people are valued for their character, kindness, and contributions. When we can see beyond appearances, we can begin to value what truly matters.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
ADAM C. WEBB
Co-Founder • Actor & Musician from Newport
Adam is an actor and musician from Newport who has experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating the entertainment industry without conventional attractiveness. His passion for performance and deep understanding of industry bias drives much of our Hollywood initiative.
BELLA WAYNE
Co-Founder • Activist & Advocate
Bella brings a fierce dedication to social justice and equality to our movement. Her advocacy work and commitment to challenging societal beauty standards has been instrumental in developing our comprehensive policy proposals and community outreach programs.
Adam and Bella first connected through their shared experiences of appearance-based bullying and discrimination. After countless conversations about the unfair treatment they had witnessed and experienced, they realized that individual stories of lookism were part of a much larger, systemic problem.
What started as mutual support between two friends evolved into a vision for societal change. Together, they founded The Future is Ugly in Bristol, determined to create a movement that would challenge beauty bias at every level - from Hollywood casting rooms to job interviews, from dating apps to courtrooms.
"We realized that if we didn't speak up for the aesthetically challenged, who would? Our personal pain became our purpose, and our shared vision became a movement for change."
OUR PRINCIPLES
The foundation of our movement
EQUALITY
All people deserve equal treatment and opportunities regardless of their appearance.
REPRESENTATION
Advocating for more diverse representation in media, advertising, and entertainment.
JUSTICE
Fighting against discrimination in employment, dating, and social opportunities.
JOIN OUR MISSION
Help us create a world where appearance doesn't determine opportunity, justice, or love.