Celebrities undergoing plastic surgery is nothing new. Stars have been going under the knife to manipulate their bodies into a socially-constructed form of perfection. But what does this mean? What are the implications?
In A Star Is Born, we see Esther consider plastic surgery to correct what she perceives to be visually unappealing facial features. This willingness to undergo such procedures for fame and success is troubling. In the end, it is only when a man recognizes her inner beauty that Esther chooses to show herself as she naturally is.
A character in A Chorus Line chooses to get plastic surgery to enhance her physical appearance for the sake of success. What does this say about femininity or masculinity? If we can go under the knife to create it, is it just a social construction? Is there such a thing as true femininity and masculinity? Is plastic surgery ok, so long as it is for the person doing it (and not society)?
Check out this clip from A Chorus Line.
Check out this clip from A Chorus Line.
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ReplyDeleteThere are so many implications of people getting plastic surgery in order to become what our culture has constructed as true beauty. People, both adults and children, are constantly bombarded by photos of "perfect" celebrities in the media, which are always filled with commentary about their looks. What most people don't take into consideration is how fake these stars are- whether it is plastic surgery, photoshop, makeup, etc. As a result, it furthers what our culture's construction of what beauty is. I think that the media gives people not only unrealistic expectations of what other people should look like, but also provides impossible guidelines for what people need to look like in order to be considered beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI think there is such a thing as masculinity and femininity, but it comes in all forms and should not be something that is socially constructed and that someone must follow certain guidelines in order to fall into one category or the other. I think that plastic surgery definitely plays a part in our culture's social construction of what is masculine and what is feminine, but I think that the film/TV/the media's portrayal of women and men has the biggest influence on defining masculinity and femininity, and that people get plastic surgery to fall into these categories, which furthers our culture's social construction of beauty and gender.
Plastic surgery doesn't only deal with beauty but also signifies immortality. Many individuals turn to plastic surgery as a means to escape the inevitable aging factors making "growing up" a bitter and dreadful stage in life. People begin to lose an important part of life, making us almost inhumane. Age and beauty are connected by the hip that people now believe that the younger you are the more beautiful, and hence why many people end up in bitter divorces! But it is so sad because every stage in life should be celebrated and enjoyed. Growing up and aging is beautiful and something you are blessed to have! My grandmother is 75 years old with long grey hair and a beautiful natural body and I find her absolutely beautiful because of her looks and her confidence! There is something elegant about natural beauty, even if you have weird teeth or and bump on your nose. Perfection is always flawed and fake! I hope people wake up and realize that being who you are is beautiful in its own!
ReplyDeleteSupplemental post #7
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you wrote about this because I have strong feelings on the subject of plastic surgery. I do think that succumbing to plastic surgery because of the pressures of the entertainment world is probably not the best reason to go under the knife. I also believe that it is not super healthy to do it over and over again, in what clearly becomes a cry for something more, for being good enough. In today's society it has become so accepted and generally a part of life, as the media constantly tells us how important it is for us to look young.
That being said, I think that plastic surgery can be great if used for a certain reason. I used to mock plastic surgery and those who received it (especially celebrities), but in the last 2 years my opinion changed. A friend of mine hated her nose. It wasn't just that she didn't like it, it literally prevented her from seeing any other worth in her body. When she looked in the mirror, all she could see was her "big nose" and she neglected to see her beautiful eyes, mouth, and otherwise beautiful face. Her parents always said that if she really wanted to change it she could, but it wasn't until her mom heard her talk about how much she hated it her second year at college that she finally took her to see surgeons. She ended up getting the surgery, and I cannot explain the difference in her attitude. The boost of confidence that this surgery gave her is incredible. And it's not that suddenly she was beautiful, it's that suddenly she thought she was beautiful, so she projects confidence none of us had ever seen in her before her plastic surgery.
Because of that, I am an advocate for plastic surgery if it seems like it will really make a person feel better about themselves. For instance, Blake Lively got a nose job after Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Obviously everyone already thought she was beautiful, but clearly the surgery was more for her own confidence than social acceptance.