Over the past few days the mugshot of convicted felon Jeremy Meeks has gone viral. His photo was posted on the Stockton Police Facebook page, and he has been arrested for felony weapons charges. His mother claims he has been stereotyped, and is trying to raise money for his legal proceedings. Whether or not he has done the crime is still in question. He has a wife and a child. But most importantly, he’s attractive.
As of Tuesday, the mugshot has almost 100,000 Facebook Likes. Some of the comments underneath the photo range from, “I hope Jeremy can turn his life around with a modeling career” to “Here in Brazil, [he] already has a legion of fans. #Gorgeous.” Others warn against supporting criminals, of being judgmental, and perhaps most crucial of all: he’s taken.
Beauty captures us so easily. Whether it’s Meeks, or anyone else who’s beautiful, we see a face and a body and find it hard to look beyond it.
But beauty isn’t what makes people who they are. Beauty should be celebrated, but it shouldn’t define someone. Jeremy Meeks himself had this to say in response to all the hubbub: “I appreciate that. But I just want them to know that this is really not me. I’m not some kingpin.”
