Plastic Surgery

During our discussion on plastic surgery, I started feeling bad for people who undergo plastic surgery. I frequently hear about plastic surgery horror stories in the media and have a hard time imagining what could prompt someone to take that risk in order to permanently alter their appearance. I found myself thinking about how low their self-esteem is and how sad it is that they let it get the best of them. It made me sad to think that anyone would be that miserable.

Yet later that very day I caught myself in a web of my own hypocrisy. There I was, in front of the mirror, examining my face from all angles, wishing that I could get a nose job. I remembered being no more than 9 years old and asking my mom if I could get my nose fixed. I was picked on all the time at school for having a larger nose and it really tore at my self-esteem as a child, and apparently it stuck around. I started wondering why as a little girl did I think that plastic surgery was a viable option. I didn't know anyone who had plastic surgery, and it certainly was not a huge part of Seattle culture like it is in Los Angeles.Plus, my mom didn't even allow me to own Barbie dolls because "they portray an unrealistic ideal female beauty, which would have severely negative consequences for my self-esteem and body image". Yet something obviously triggered that interest.

Oh yeah, the media! My favorite movie for a long time was Clueless. I saw it in first grade when it was released onto VHS. If you recall, each of the main characters either discussed or actually had a nose job while they were in high school. They had plastic surgery and then showed up at school with a white bandage over their nose. I thought this was somehow indicative that plastic surgery was no big deal, and a quick solution to my facial woes. I still love Clueless and would never want to make it sound like I'm blaming such a great movie for my insecurities. I just think it's interesting that one single tiny aspect of a movie I saw when I was 6 years old is still something I associate with plastic surgery.

It makes me wonder how the endless magazine covers about celebrities undergoing plastic surgery, the countless celebrities and non-celebrities having surgery, and the overall normalization of it in the media might impact kids today.