Are we just fetishists? Different people have different preferences — for beauty, style, and so forth — maybe I'm just choosing what I like, and am really no different from those who are interested in more traditional beauty.

There is some truth in this.

Big round blue one, with a little round exposed chocolate dot, off-center.

That said, I still think this is a worthwhile endeavor, since it may open my and others' eyes to the variety in the world, and to the idea that one need not fit traditional moulds.

What started out as a plain one, but then had a large puck of extra material slapped on. Then encased in green shell.

To celebrate differences is not bad, but at the same time it would be disingenuous to pretend that our preferences are somehow special.

A grainy, faded orange nut, somewhat faceted.
A grainy, faded orange nut, somewhat faceted. The other side, revealing a fairly clean cross-section, with mottled orange coating.

Some people genuinely prefer what is new, shiny, and perfect. There are times when I do, too. They don't have to like the defective candies.

You don't have to pretend that stepping in dog poop is lucky if you don't think it is.

A plain brown malformed one.

If trying to find beauty in these grotesques feels forced and wrong to you, that's okay. But I think it's healthy to try.

A small green one, but the 'm' looks like it was drawn with someone's non-dominant hand, and there's a swath of revealed chocolate along the underside.