First coined by Invisible/FACEandLMS/MyFemaleEquivalentDoesntHaveToWork on PUAHate.

THE LOOKS SCALE

0 ----------- 3 ----------- 5 ----------- 7 -------------10 (less......>>>........... more attractivness)
FAILO EFFECT.........................................HALO EFFECT

The Halo effect is well known. We associate beautiful (tall, slim, good face, youthful hair, healthy youthful skin, etc) people with good qualities, such as confidence, fitness, charisma, less likely to commit crimes, more giving, better parents, more skillful, etc. We are more likely to remember a beautiful face. And when we do, we will be more likely to remember positive things about it.

We tend not to associate any qualities (as strongly) with average looking people - as most people are average looking. Looks are on a bell curve: very few people are really ugly, very few are really attractive - most hover around "average". We tend to be more neutral towards average looking people. We find them forgettable.

However, in contrast to the Halo effect, I coined the term "the FAILO effect". If you see an ugly man, who's short, balding, wrinkled skin, fat, and wearing thick glasses, you associate his ugly looks with negative qualities such as low self esteem, unfitness, no charisma, more likely to be a criminal, etc. You are more likely to remember the ugliest person you've ever seen than an average looking person. And along with that, you will most likely remember negative things about that person.
Brad Pitt walks up to a slim, young, beautiful woman and asks her out on a date:
Her: "Omigod, yes. What are you doing now? Wanna go somewhere?"
Him: "I be halo-effecting women on the daily, yo".

Danny DeVito walks up to a slim, young, beautiful woman and asks her out on a date:
Her: "Eew, creepy. Go away, you bald manlet".

Him: "I just can't get away from that Failo Effect."
by FACEandLMS December 19, 2013
Get the Failo Effect mug.