Plastic surgery, a family affair
Did you think this was a scary sign of the times? My Beautiful Mommy was written by plastic surgeon, Michael Salzhauer M.D., and published in 2008 to help children deal with the excitement and stress of mommy’s efforts to “achieve beautiful results.”
Well, what about this? Reported last year, this 50 year-old-woman in the UK spent 10,000 pounds to look like her daughter.
Or the reports that plastic surgery among married couples was and is on the rise? Reported here, here and here. And, apparently, it’s not just celebrities like Gene Simmons and his wife but regular folks like the couple in Atlanta that run a construction business together.
Or, the latest trend, mother/daughter plastic surgery, like Christie Brinkley and her daughter, Alexa Ray?
Picture, Star Magazine
When my mother-in-law had her facelift, she scheduled it right before our visit. The night before our flight she told us what she had done and how glad she was that we’d be there during her recovery. I was horrified. We supported her choice but were very uncomfortable seeing her so bruised and cut. Even as an adult I was unprepared for the onslaught of emotions that comes with seeing a beloved mother-figure submit to being cut up in the name of beauty.
Comment by paponda — April 30, 2010 @ 2:59 am
I felt the same way when I saw my own mother recover from a much smaller procedure to remove eye bag and eye puffiness. The bruising, the stitches and bandages were a recall wake-up call to some of the less discussed realities of plastic surgery.
Comment by Melanie — April 30, 2010 @ 6:51 am
In the Beautiful Mommy book, is the daddy overweight and average looking? Sometimes what bothers me most about the beauty expectations in our culture is that once a (heterosexual) couple is married the pressure is (for the most part) off men to maintain an appearance. Mommys must fight to be thin, unwrinkled, and ‘beautiful,’ but Daddys drink beer and get fat. Just think TV sitcoms.. “According to Jim” or “Family Guy.” How many overweight or healthy weight women do we see on TV who are considered desirable or who have the stereotypical attractive husband? Yet, every overweight guy in a show or in a commercial for cleaning supplies has a Beautiful, thin, young Wifey. I wish our culture could focus on promoting active lifestyles for men and women–not to fit a certain look, but to take care of our bodies! Being happy takes work and a commitment to honoring Self. I think people–addicted to instant internet communication and fast fast fast everything–forget that.
Comment by Jess — May 4, 2010 @ 11:34 am
I haven’t seen pictures of the dad. I agree with you on the double-standard: http://feministfatale.com/2010/04/fat-talk/ and http://feministfatale.com/2010/03/would-hollywood-ever-make-hes-out-of-my-league/
Comment by Melanie — May 4, 2010 @ 1:30 pm
[…] myth, trumps all other facets of a woman’s character or accomplishments. Even pregnancy and motherhood are not excluded from the pressures of the socially constructed measure of beauty. The MILF, a term […]
Pingback by The Beauty Myth: Worth Fighting Against? | Adios Barbie — May 27, 2010 @ 5:44 am
I think the baby boomers are all trying to hold back time! Middle age is now 60! Looking younger does have a mental impact. Just don’t have pictures taken right after surgery!
Comment by Joe Rink — September 3, 2011 @ 9:59 pm