Be "Ugly", Be Real

ABC has announced plans to begin a new public service campaign designed to promote their Thursday night comedy "Ugly Betty" as well as send a positive message to young women: "Be real, be smart, be passionate, be true to yourself and be ugly".

Betty Suarez (played by the gorgeous America Ferrera) is the star of "Ugly Betty", a new comedy series about a young woman who may not necessarily posses conventional movie-star looks, but is smart, capable and a wonderful human being at heart, adored by over 13 million people who tune in every Thursday to watch her troubles and joys of working in the cruel and youth-and-beauty-obsessed fashion business.

According to ABC, "ugly is the new beautiful" and re-defining beauty is in the cultural zeitgeist in America, for which reason the network will use the backlash against the images of starved models to send out the positive message.

The highlights of the campaign include:

1. ABC will launch a new website at BeUgly07.com. Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz has composed an original song, The Beauty in Ugly, which can be heard on the website starting Dec. 30.

2. Hundreds of Betty look-alikes will be in Times Square and Walt Disney World in Orlando on New Year's Eve handing out Ugly Betty masks. On Jan. 1, look-alikes will distribute masks at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

3. On Jan. 8, Ferrera, at a Cosmo Girl event (she's on the February cover, out Jan. 2) in New York, will unveil a T-shirt to raise money for Girls Inc., a non-profit group that promotes educational programs to help young women be strong and smart.

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