Salma Hayek Defends Ugly Betty  1/18/07

Salma Hayek has leaped to the defense of her new show Ugly Betty, insisting it challenges traditional notions of beauty rather than enforces them.

The sexy screen star has come under a barrage of attack from critics who fear the program, about a frumpy fashion assistant, is placing renewed pressure on girls to look good.

But Hayek maintains the show's title and content are meant to be an ironic take on conventional views.

She says, "The title has a lot to do with the tone of the show - it's sarcastic. I don't think Betty is really ugly, but what do we call ugly now?

"Some people think that anybody who is not super-skinny and really tall is ugly. Not me. I personally have seen a lot of really skinny, tall models that are ugly and need to eat a little more to look healthy.

"So the title is actually sarcastic, we're making fun of it - we're not really calling her ugly, we're making fun of the people that would think she's ugly. Personally, I think she's beautiful."