Man, I feel like crap! This illness, whatever it is, is trying to kill me. Anyway, onto the actual journal topic.
I don't have any idea what got me thinking about this today, but whatever the cause, I got to thinking about plastic surgery and its place in our society. It may have something to do with the fact that I saw a show called Extreme Makeover the other night. (?) I'm not sure.
Someone please tell me why plastic surgery, though common enough nowadays, is so completely frowned upon in our general society. Maybe we are supposed to love ourselves the way we are, but let's face it. We could all stand to be improved upon. I love my husband to death, but he could use a few minor improvements. And I'm not talking about his physique. We're supposed to want to change the bad on the inside, but not the bad on the outside. What I want to ask is WHY? If I think I could be happier with a face lift, a breast job, a nose job, or whatever the case may be, why shouldn't I try to get it?
People talk about looks not mattering, but this is idealistic bullsnot. Looks matter. Get over it. Everything we look at, every ad, every supermodel, every everything is dependent on looks, whether it's in the shape of packaging, clothing, a person, or whatever.
I know that all the "relationship experts" talk about finding a person who doesn't care how you look on the outside, but looks are our first impression of a person. You don't spot someone out at the mall or on the beach or at the gym and say, "Wow, s/he's ugly, but s/he looks like a really great person on the inside. Maybe I should go talk to him/her." The first thing we know about a person is how he looks. I'm not saying anyone (even anyTHING) should be chosen simply on that, but the fact is that it is a first impression. We look at someone and we at least notice whether or not the person attempts to take care of his looks. Are the nails and hair trimmed, is he wearing clothing suitable to the setting he's in, does he carry himself well, et cetera.
I don't want to hear any crap about "real men don't care about breast size." Sure, maybe after they get to know a woman, it matters a great deal less, but every guy friend I have is likely to say something if he sees a girl with an admirable bosom. You never see a guy point at a girl and say, "Wow! She has GREAT teeth! I'd like to get with THAT!" or "Did you see that?! She has a quiet, shy demeanor. I bet she's a wonderful person!" Let's get real. Men notice women's bodies. And women notice men's.
So why is it that we live in this society where looks matter so much, and when a person goes out and gets a look that renders compliments from the opposite sex, they're ostracized for it? I listened to two of my male friends yesterday discussing Lindsey Lohan's breasts. They're fake. And they had a whole conversation about it. I could tell by the way they spoke that they both look down on implants, but both of them love big breasts, so why on earth does it matter whether they're real? She now has a look that she likes and that men like. See what I'm talking about?
The way I see it, if you don't think anyone should get plastic surgery, you shouldn't wear makeup, heeled shoes, nice clothing, jewelry, colored contacts, or dye your hair. They're all used for the same purpose, and that's to engender a look that's pleasing to the eye.
Any thoughts?
-Ave
14 comments:
I think the main reason people like to "frown" upon plastic surgery is because they are jealous. It is expensive. It is one of the perks of being well off. I've watched the show "The Swan," and anyone else who has also knows the positive effects that what those women went through had on them. Oh, sure, they "say" it was the therapy that made them feel better about themselves, but I saw every one crying tears of joy when she looked into a mirror. Hell, I'm a guy and I was jealous of the opportunity those women had. My only snear towards it is when it is completely unnecessary (see Michael Jackson's nose). Some people do it "just" because they can, and that's stupid. If you need, get it. And yes, men love big breasts (I prefer C-cups, but I would never, ever turn away a DD).
interesting topic. the problem i have with plastic surgery, today, is it was created for people who were physically deformed. whether from birth or a horrible accident. in these original regards, i have no problem with it.
i do have a problem with people who have no "real" defects engaging in it and doctors letting them. it shows how insecure they really are and weak minded, imo. they do need therapy, although nothing will really help them. if someone can't be happy with who they are, than no amount of cutting will ever help. in the extreme cases it's a mental illness in a way similar to bulimia or anorexia. in the not so extreme cases, it's very insecure people who need to instead learn to like themselves and forget about a perceived perfection that will never happen regardless of how much corrective surgery they have.
i have never cared what i looked like and likely never will. i am who i am and i'm proud that all these past generations of suffering by my ancestors led to what i am today , but that's me. the genes i got are the genes i got and i seriously doubt any doctor can do better than 3 million years or so of evolution in action. there is a distinct reason why i look like i look and likewise for everyone else as well. i have very little faith in mankind outwhitting nature, and in every attempt in the past mankind has failed and will in this also.
on a side note: i refuse to watch "reality" tv. for the record it is anything but reality, instead it is more scripted than a sitcom. the state of television programming in this country in particular, is a complete disgrace. tv execs should be ashamed that they are willing to cater this drivel, that the lowest common denominator in this country demands, all in the name of what sells. just my opinion though.
j.h.
Robert, that doesn't make any sense. People who are jealous of others who can actually afford the plastic surgery should then also frown on those who have nice homes, boats, or other expensive items. Most people envy that sort of thing, they don't look down on it.
Most people who get plastic surgery DON'T need it, but they want it. Just like they want nice clothes, makeup, et cetera as I mentioned in my journal entry. It's just something that's nice to have. If I want colored contacts to change my eye color, I go out and get them. Likewise, if I want hair removal, I go out and get the laser surgery to have it done (I mean permanent removal, not waxing or shaving).
Avril
J, despite the reason it was created originally, cosmetic surgery is, in fact, a fashion now. I think if therapy can make a person more secure, cosmetic surgery should be a viable option as well. I totally disagree that plastic surgery can't make a person secure. If they have what they want and look a way that makes them feel good about themselves, then what reason do they then have to be insecure? Besides, plastic surgery can, in the long run, be WAY more inexpensive than some extravagantly priced therapist. On top of that, I don't see therapists as perfect, and in many cases, shrinks often fail at their work. I believe this is mainly because our knowledge of the human psyche is still young and we haven't explored it very well yet.
So I guess that explains what I think about your thoughts on cutting never making a person secure. :)
Comment to be continued . . .
Ave
I was neither deploring nor commending reality TV, by the way. I don't watch TV as a general rule, but once in a while I watch something different. I know little to nothing about reality TV, but I think it's interesting and kind of ironic that the shows are scripted. Learn something new every day. :) I DO know that the people I saw on the show actually applied to go on the show, and that they actually went through with the surgery, which means they wanted it.
Now that I'm on a different topic, do these people get paid to go on these shows? I've always wondered about that. The couple on Extreme Makeover was gone for two months. I know *I* couldn't afford to be gone from my job for that long. And what about the people on Real World or Survivor? They're gone for months. Hmmm . . . Maybe I should do a Google search.
Avril
Anyway, it's great that you don't care how you look, and I would never knock that. But a lot of people DO care how they look, and I think that's fine too. Besides, it's apparent by your own movie reviews that you at least care how OTHER people look. That's what I'm talking about. People today have put an emphasis on how people look, or at least how people take care of how they look, but when someone goes to an extreme to get that look, other people ridicule and laugh at them and tell them they have mental issues. The difference between anorexia nervosa or bulemia nervosa and plastic surgery is that the people who suffer from the nervosas are actually HARMING their bodies, literally killing themselves, in order to fulfill that skinny mold. And I am not entirely convinced that anorexia or bulemia is fully a mental illness.
I don't think the goal of cosmetic surgery is to "outwit" nature, I think it's to give a person a certain degree of confidence. Reducing cosmetic surgery to an attempt to outwit nature means you also have to agree that medical practice is the same thing. But we all know that medical practice was created for a GOOD reason.
Final thoughts on comment to be continued . . .
Avril
let me say first we are debating a topic, not personal stuff. so you know my comments are just that comments on the topic, not directed towards you or anyone else in this discussion. so we don't get off on the wrong foot.:)
well it's true that i do enjoy looking at good looking people more than i enjoy looking at not so good looking people. to say anything else would be a lie. unfortunately we all have our place in life, and for those who can't accept there fate...too bad...they have a rough ride ahead of them as plastic surgery will not fill that hole. most don't stop at one procedure, so it's about as fulfilling as therapy. btw, therapy only works if someone wants it to.
i would disagree on plastic surgery not doing harm to someone. sure one procedure wouldn't likely kill someone, but for a bulimic, throwing up once wouldn't either.
if plastic surgery is "fashion" then this tells me that everyone has lost their minds. look, for someone missing a nose when it was ripped of in a car wreck..yeah i can understand plastic surgery and endorse it. for someone who has a perfectly functioning and normal sized nose and still wants it shaved down...they have issues, imo. either that or they are very vain, shallow, self centered, or insecure or all of the above? take your pick.
yes i think medicine is a bit of a waste.....they still can't even cure athletes foot permanently, and people have become so disillusioned that actually think there is a pill to fix everything, which just is not true. for every problem medicine or technology for that matter fixes it creates many, many more. nature has it's plan and will win out one way or another. we just don't live long enough to see nature win, so we are fooled by our short lives and warped perception.
j.h.
LOL, sorry, I know I gave my opinions rather forcefully, but I was not trying to debate you as a person. Rather busy doing something else at the moment, but will come back to this later.
MEEP!
Ave
i should have added, but ran out of characters allowed. these journal setups are not the best for debates as it's hard to remember every point, especially in mulitiple comments as well as the 2000 character limiter...make it quite hard to make a full and complete point. nonetheless it is fun though.:)
j.h.
I stand by my opinion that most people look down on plastic surgery because they are jealous. Jealousy, whether most realize it or not, is a great motivator. I'm jealous of those who can afford things I can't. And I know there are people who are jealous of some of things I can afford but they can't. And you really can't compare plastic surgery to make-up or jewelry or colored contacts. Surgery is permanent (in most cases, breast implants do have a shelf life, but they still last longer than any make-up I know of). It's not something you can put on and then take off. I'm not against it by any means. If it can make you more beautiful, then go for it. It's when people make themselves look ugly throught plastic surgery when I get confused (once more, see Michael Jackson's nose). If I could afford braces, I'd get them. If I could afford lipo, I'd hire a personal trainer...lol.
i'm not sure i understand your point, Robert? i don't think jealousy has anything to do with it one way or another, except maybe being a motivator for someone to try to change their face or body via plastic surgery, because they were jealous of what others look like. i don't think i've ever heard someone say ferrari or porsche sucks, because they couldn't afford one? same goes for any of the finer things in life? maybe i'm missing/missed the point, as i do that sometimes.....thanks.
j.h.
Robert, J. already restated my point about the jealousy issue. But sure I can compare makeup and eye contacts to cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery does tend to be permanent, but I know a lot of women who would be happy if they didn't have to apply their makeup EVERY DAY. Because I know plenty of females who would never leave the house without it. Have you ever dyed your hair? Whitened your teeth? I have. And to me that's just a milder form of the same thing. Cosmetic surgery is only extreme because of what we have to do in order to get it. And that's go under a knife.
Avril
J., I copy/paste the comment I'm responding to in an empty e-mail and refer to it, then just delete instead of sending. Seems to work okay for me. And if I run out of space . . . I just post multiple comments. lol. After all, this is MY journal, I can write as much as I want.
The difference is, if you have bulemia, you will throw up all the time. If you throw up once, I don't think that counts as bulemia. Just like if you don't eat for one day, that doesn't make you anorexic. I didn't mention people who become addicted to cosmetic surgery at all, but maybe I should have. Any addiction is bad, whether it's drugs/alcohol, caffeine, gambling, or surgery.
So someone is dissatisfied with the shape of their nose, that's okay, but if they have it fixed, they have issues? I think people in general blow the thing out of proportion. Someone dissatisfied with their own looks shouldn't be blown off as a person with mental issues. It's simply a matter of putting on . . . dare I say it? . . . permanent cosmetics. That's why it's cosmetic surgery. Which is what makes me say it's no different from putting on a suit or formal gown, or having your lashes or hair dyed, or even shaving your legs. It's just a look.
I think people realize more than you think they do that medicine is fallible, and when I say medicine, I'm talking about all kinds, not just the chemicals they shove down your throat or the lotions they have you put on your body.
Avril
good idea on the blank email. thanks, and i already cut and pasted to the comment area so i didn't have to rely completely on my memory, but the 2000 character limit is still an issue and makes it hard to spit out a complete thought, let alone multiple thoughts.
your mixing my thoughts..so i'll reiterate it. if someone has repeated multiple surgeries they are mentally ill similar to bulimia or anorexia (like michael jackson for example). if someone has one surgery due to the fact they think it will make them look and feel better...yes they do have "issues," imo.
i disagree with your take on the general publics perception of medicine. go to the doctors office and it is filled with people with colds which a doctor can do nothing for. yet these fools still ask for prescriptions. look at gm's presription drug plan for it's retirees.....it will blow your mind..these people are popping so many pills. it costs an extra 2-3k per vehicle added to the end cost to just cover gm's retirees presription drugs. that doesn't even count other medical costs like doctor visits, etc. so the facts are on my side on that issue. if you don't believe me look it up..i already have. you are giving people too much credit. most people are complete dunces in every regard. it's rare i run into someone like yourself and a few others who can actually think. anyways... it was a fun discussion..but all of us are beating a dead horse. we all stated our opinions on the topic and now we have resorted to nitpicking, so that to me means we are done on the topic..although it could probably be debated forever if we really wanted to.:)
j.h.
Post a Comment