The Normalization of Cosmetic Surgery and its Impact on Society and Human Development

(submitted as a final paper for Advanced Human Development, College of Education and Human Development, Counseling and Development Program, GMU, Fall 2011)

Abstract

In 2010, Americans spent nearly $10.7 billion on 9.5 million cosmetic procedures (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2011). Since 1997, the first year in which the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) began collecting data, there has been a 155% increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures. According to a recent survey, more than half of Americans approve of cosmetic plastic surgery. As surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures become normalized in our culture, changing expectations about age and beauty ideals may be altered in a way that can impact physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development throughout the life cycle. This paper explores the culture of cosmetic medicine, the social implications of its increasing popularity, and the resulting shift in ideologies that can contribute to increasing ageism and the unending quest for unachievable ideals, while also considering a cross cultural perspective and counseling implications.

Literature Review

There has been extensive research on the motivations that drive consumers of cosmetic procedures. While much of the literature focuses on college-age females, some studies have looked at the attitudes of older men and women. Regardless of age, many respondents who have either had one or more cosmetic procedures performed, or approve of cosmetic procedures, place less emphasis on the features for which they sought alterations, and more on the extraphysical benefits of doing so (Adams, 2010). In a study of motivational narratives, Adams found that the most prominent theme for the basis of opting for one or more procedures was “the notion that having surgery would have extraphysical effects, such as increased self-esteem or increased attractiveness to potential partners.” (p. 764). Adams went on to add “there was also an acute cognizance of the societal pressures to look young and attractive, and many respondents suggested that these messages, from media outlets and society in general, played a role in their decisions to have surgery.” (p. 764). The impact of media and the expectations of society are shown to have an impact in virtually every piece of literature reviewed for this paper.

In a study of the factors affecting the likelihood of having cosmetic surgery, Swami et al. found that there is a greater sociocultural pressure on women than men to attain and incorporate beauty ideals, and because these pressures are seen as normative for women, cosmetic surgery can appeal to those seeking a way to feel better about their bodies. (p. 217). Sarwer et al. had similar findings in their study of body image in its relation to the pursuit of cosmetic procedures. Their conclusion revealed that “for many individuals, cosmetic surgery appears to be an adaptive strategy to address body image dissatisfaction … thus, the pursuit of cosmetic surgery may be related to some form of psychopathology, which may be more appropriately treated by psychotherapy than cosmetic surgery.” (p. 107). Indeed, in the same study, breast augmentation patients reported more appearance related teasing, and more frequently used psychotherapy than the control group. (p. 106). In a case study by Lijtmaer (2010), a patient’s preoccupation with her outward appearance was a way to mask her intrapsychic feelings which were a result of unresolved conflicts with her mother.

It’s important to note that the pressures to move closer to an idealized image are not limited to women. Returning to the study by Adams, we see that men are opting for procedures that will make them more attractive to others in the “dating scene” (p. 759) and possibly give them more opportunities in a competitive job market where a younger generation is entering the workforce (p. 757).

Because some findings indicate the presence of a cohort effect from Baby Boomers who tend to feel that their physical age is incongruent with their mental age and are, therefore, more likely to resist aging naturally than pre-Boomers (Clarke, 2007), it is important to examine the motivations behind the largest age cohort in America. (Ferguson, 2010). In their examination of older women’s perceptions of natural and unnatural aging, Clarke and Griffin found that while women who had not had any surgical or non-surgical procedures viewed natural aging as the acceptance of the physical realities of growing older, another group who subscribed to the benefits of cosmetic procedures viewed natural aging as “unattractive, if not objectionable, as well as risky in light of the social and physical realties of growing older.” (p. 198). To this group, using medical technology to enhance or alter their appearance is a requirement of aging as later life becomes “further devalued and socially repugnant in a society underscored by ageist values and norms.” (p. 199). In a study by Slevec and Tiggemann (2010), they proposed and confirmed that aging anxiety defined as a “combined concern and anticipation of losses centered around the aging process” (Lasher, 1993), is a strong component in the decision to pursue cosmetic procedures. Aging anxiety and the pursuit of beauty are reinforced in the media and perpetrated by the cosmetic industry with books like The Wrinkle Cure (2000) by dermatologist Nicholas Perricone (as cited by Bayer, 2005) in which he refers to “wrinkled, sagging skin” as a “disease, and you can fight it”. Additionally, with the emergence of reality television programming touting the life-altering effects of cosmetic procedures while minimizing the risks involved, a normalization of participating in cosmetic enhancements has had a persuasive effect on potential patients. (Slevec, 2010).

While some people argue that age-defying and beauty-enhancing products and procedures can be liberating against the seemingly unstoppable effects of aging, Bayer proposes that such options “buttress the notion that looking old — and thus, being old — is socially, medically, and personally undesirable.” As cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures become more affordable in a competitive market, it is important to consider the psychological and social ramifications of body altering procedures. (Gilmartin, 2010). In her review of current literature, Gilmartin concludes that the medical system “bolsters and benefits from the larger consumer-orientated society by colluding with the beauty ideal and cultural mores.” (p. 1807). In a report on ethical challenges within the cosmetic surgery industry, Atiyeh et al. also concluded that physicians participating in the selling of cosmetic services and offering aesthetic services face inherent conflicts of interest, pointing out that it becomes “ethically suspect, breaching obligations of beneficence and honesty, when a physician trades on the status of doctor to sell a clinically unproven product (2008).” In so doing, not only is the culture at large exploited through their insecurities and poor body image, but those with psychopathologies such as eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder are at greater risk of exacerbating their condition through procedures which by virtue of their disorder can not produce the results they seek. (p. 1804).

Discussion

The increasing popularity in cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures seems to take us down a slippery slope. Where does one draw the line between getting a pedicure, putting on lipstick, using Botox injections, or having abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)? By participating in a beauty culture, are we adding to our potential or entering into a vicious cycle of body dissatisfaction? According to Sarwer, some studies have revealed continued improvements in psychological functioning in the first year following cosmetic surgery. However, Sarwer also points out it is possible that “improvements may diminish, particularly if they are related to the frequency of positive feedback patients receive about their postoperative appearance.” (p. 109). More studies need to be done to research the long-term psychological impact of cosmetic surgery, particularly in a culture of medicine where many surgeons’ mantra is said to be ‘start early, do often’, (Gilmartin, 2010), a philosophy internalized by many pro-cosmetic procedure participants across numerous studies reviewed for this paper. Additionally, with 19% of cosmetic procedures performed on racial and ethnic minorities in 2010, more research needs to be done on the relationship between the work being done and its psychological impact on members of different cultures who have to mitigate the ideals from their own cultures with those of a new culture in which they desire to become a part of.

Though ideals of beauty change over time as a result of many influences, Western cultures, and in particular, white cultures seem to dominate the ethos of beauty. In Lijtmaer’s review of the literature, she found numerous studies that point to an increase in body dissatisfaction as non-white groups become acculturated into American culture. (pp. 205-207). With the current widening in socioeconomic gaps, access to cosmetic procedures could further reinforce the difference in status between the haves and have nots, which may be delineated across cultures with minority groups in lower income brackets and less access to expensive procedures.

Another concern I have is the possible pressure exerted on those who otherwise have a healthy body image and self perception. As cosmetic procedures become more accepted and affordable, we run the risk that it becomes a new standard and practice in which we are to participate if we wish to be deemed normal. Take for example the predominantly female practice of hair removal. Though women may not want to participate in the practice, in American culture, it is seen as socially unacceptable to have hair on the legs and underarms, and indeed, according to Toerien et al., “body hair is a flaw, unfit for public display”, (2005). Therefore, women practice hair removal as a necessary part of maintaining femininity, an act, which Toerien suggests serves to “reinforce the view that underpins all the body-changing procedures, from make-up application to cosmetic surgery: that a women’s body is unacceptable if left unaltered.” (p. 400). So, although at this time, I choose not to color my hair, accepting the gray as it comes with age, there may come a time when I am competing for a job, or perhaps even a mate, against peers who participate more extensively in the beauty culture and present a younger facade which in turn may give them an advantage — an advantage that I too could obtain by making similar choices. So one can be faced with giving in to a new norm or facing the consequences of trying to stay true to oneself.

There is no denying the inherent appeal of beauty throughout animal nature. Birds have their plumage to attract a mate, flowers have bright, bold colors to attract their pollinators, male lions have large manes to intimidate their opponents. All of these attributes signify their potential ability to be successful in their environment, surviving challenges and attracting a mate to produce offspring. It could be and has been argued that humans, in this regard, are no different, at the basic level, which provides a basis for our quest for youth and beauty. If, at our core, our purpose is to pro-create, then we are likely to seek out those who reflect the ability to successfully do so. However, as humans, we have the benefit of higher thinking to take in a bigger picture when assessing the desirability of others, whether we are seeking a mate, an employee, a friend, or a nanny. What alarms me about the rising numbers of people seeking cosmetic procedures is that it places an increasing importance on outward appearance while potentially diminishing the value of what is inside. As discussed in depth by Namir (2006), when the outward body becomes the ultimate means for expression through transformation, a person risks abandoning the inside for the outside. In Namir’s interpretation of one patient’s decision to have procedures done, she chose to hide “in homogenization, looking as the world deemed attractive rather than emerging from her own aliveness, radiance, sensuality and self-expression.” (p. 218).

Counseling Considerations

The counseling considerations in relation to the booming cosmetic surgery industry are wide reaching since its impact spans all four domains of development across the stages. As children enter into adolescence and face changes in their bodies, pressure to make their bodies conform to physical ideals that may only be met through unnatural means could lead to risky behaviors such as disordered eating. At a time when identity formation is at its peak, increasing emphasis on physical appearance can lead to a devaluation on internal qualities that make up the identity. As a person continues throughout the life cycle, the pursuit of physical ideals might lead to continued disappointments as an individual tries in vain to live up to fabricated ideals that hold no basis in reality. Maintaining a focus on superficial traits can influence social relationships as a person forms personal connections with others based on externally formed values. And while the long term physical affects of plastic surgery and more recent cosmetic procedures have yet to be extensively measured, it seems impossible to escape at least some negative physical ramifications of these procedures.

Interventions

As clients evaluate their own self worth in the therapeutic setting, it is important to consider the impact of the beauty culture within which we live and work with clients to set standards for self evaluation that are less dependent on external measures while also allowing for the inevitable pressures placed on us by society to look our best on the outside regardless of how we feel on the inside. With patients who are considering or have already used cosmetic procedures to enhance their self perception, counselors should evaluate the goals the patient ultimately believes they will attain by having procedures done and work to understand the underlying psychopathologies that may be contributing to a diminished self image. Interventions could include working with a client to discover internal measures of value, focusing on past accomplishments that occurred irrespective of the client’s physical appearance, and working on goals that can continue to build on a person’s inner qualities. Also, since a focus on external appearance may be a coping mechanism for masking interpsychic conflicts (Lijtmaer, 2010), a greater understanding of unresolved issues that may have arisen even far in the past may present a relevant context for their attitudes and allow for an opportunity of resolution.

As a counselor, I would have to be cognizant of my own body image and views on cosmetic surgery. Past struggles with an eating disorder and defining my value based on physical appearance predisposes me to judgements about others in decisions they make based on their own physical appearances, particularly when they engage in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Prior to researching this topic, I felt certain that in most cases, a patient’s body image and overall psychic well being would not benefit long term from cosmetic procedures because my assumption was they were focusing on external, easily manipulated “problems” rather than focusing on deeper issues that may present bigger challenges a patient is not ready to face. While that may be the case for some, I would need to remind myself that each person presents different experiences and therefore different responses to those experiences and some may in fact benefit from the very procedures I naturally find myself opposed to.

References

Adams, J. (2010). Motivational narratives and assessments of the body after cosmetic surgery. Qualitative Health Research 20(6), 755-767.
American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics, 2010.
Atiyeh, B., Rubeiz, M., & Hayek, S. (2008). Aesthetic/cosmetic surgery and ethical challenges. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 32, 829-839.
Bayer, K. (2005). Cosmetic surgery and cosmetics: redefining the appearance of age. Generations, Fall 2005, 13-18.
Clarke, L.H., & Griffin, M. (2006). The body natural and the body unnatural: beauty work and aging. Journal of Aging Studies, 21, 187-201.
Ferguson, R. & Brohaugh, B. (2010). The aging of Aquarius. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 27/1, 76-81.
Gilmartin, J. (2010). Contemporary cosmetic surgery: the potential risks and relevance for practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, 1801-1809.
Lasher, K.P., & Faulkender, P.J. (1993). Measurement of aging anxiety: development of the anxiety about aging scale. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 37, 247-259.
Lijtmaer, R. (2010). The beauty and the beast inside: the American beauty — does cosmetic surgery help? Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry, 38 (2), 203-218.
Namir, S. (2006). Embodiments and disembodiments: the relation of body modifications to two psychoanalytic treatments. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, 11, 217-223.
Sarwer, D.B., & Crerand, C.E. (2004). Body image and cosmetic medical treatments. Body Image 1, 99-111.
Slevec, J., & Tiggemann, M. (2010). Attitudes toward cosmetic surgery in middle-aged women: body image, aging anxiety, and the media. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34, 65-74.
Swami, V., Arteche, A., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Furnham, A., Stieger, S., Haubner, T., & Voracek, M. (2008). Looking good: factors affecting the likelihood of having cosmetic surgery. European Journal of Plastic Surgery, 30, 211-218. DOI: 10.1007/ s00238-007-0185-z
Torien, M., Wilkonson, S., & Choi, P.Y.L. (2005). Body hair removal: the ‘mundane’ production of normative femininity. Sex Roles, 52, Nos. 5/6, 399-406. DOI: 10.1007/ s11199-005-2682-5.

Review: America the Beautiful

One of the first questions Darryl Roberts asks in his documentary America the Beautiful is “Who benefits from women not feeling beautiful?” As the film spends the next 105 minutes trying to find the answers to that question, you witness the full impact of our obsession with beauty through tales of girls with eating disorders, plastic surgeries gone wrong, and the whirlwind modeling career of Gerren Taylor who did her first runway shows at the age of 12.

Roberts, who undertook this project after the search for the perfect women led him down an empty road filled with false promises of happiness, examines the different industries that benefit from America’s preoccupation with perfection. One 12-year-old boy interviewed in the film sums it up quite simply when he says “companies put people down to make money”. He realizes already that the more people feel bad about themselves, the more they will seek products and services to improve their self image.  This might explain that while America has 5% of the world’s population, we are exposed to 40% of the world’s advertising. Talking about creating a perfect image, world-renowned fashion photographer Marc Baptiste remarks “at the end of the day, we’re selling dreams”. But of course, they are dreams that can never be realized.

As Roberts follows Gerren’s pursuit of her own dream of becoming a super model, he interweaves her tale with a closer look at the cosmetics industry, the media and their role in creating unattainable expectations for both men and women and the toll that is taken, physically and mentally on our society.

America the Beautiful features insightful interviews of people from all sides of the issue. There is the guy who starts out saying “my idea of a perfect women is, first of all, she’s gotta be hot,” raising the question “is this the person for whom we are trying so hard to reach perfection?” There are interviews with representatives from the media industry some of whom admit to some amount of culpability, while others laugh at the mere suggestion that media has any role on the behaviors of those to whom it is targeted. (Of course, isn’t that why advertising exists in the first place?) We also meet plastic surgeons, toxicologists, and various girls and women who can only see their shortcomings.

My favorite interview though is with Eve Ensler who wrote and performed in the play The Vagina Monologues. As someone who has achieved great success and has been such a strong voice for empowering women worldwide, she would seem above suffering from a poor body image. And yet her description of a conversation with a woman in Africa about not knowing how to love her own body makes the viewer realize that even the strongest of women are vulnerable to the idea that there is such a thing as the perfect body.

Ultimately though she realizes that we all have a vision problem. “Every woman is beautiful in her particular way; if we developed eyes and we develop spirit, we would see that every woman is beautiful.” This statement alone really sums up the whole point of the film, but equally profound is her comment on plastic surgery: “Stop fixing yourself. You were never broken.”

Roberts spends considerable time delving into the darker side of plastic surgery — a side to which every woman considering any procedure should become acquainted. We learn that, thanks to a FTC ruling in 1977, anyone with an M.D. can hang a sign up on their door saying they are a plastic surgeon and start doing business. And there is no end to the procedures that can be done to “enhance” one’s features, including creating “designer vaginas”. But as Eve Ensler says, “to think you’re not tight enough, well, get a bigger dick.”

The film also highlights some startling statistics like the fact that in 2004 Americans spent $12.4 billion on cosmetic surgery, while the estimated cost for basic nutrition and health care in developing countries is $13 billion. In addition, we spend over $45 billion per year on cosmetic and beauty products. And yet, we put little thought into exactly what it is we are applying to our skin. According to Roberts’ research, there are 884 toxic ingredients found in cosmetics. While the EU has banned 450 ingredients commonly used in cosmetics, including the phthalates which have been shown to be toxic to the reproductive system, the FDA has banned only 6 ingredients and continues to allow phthalates which of course the cosmetic industry still argues are perfectly safe.

At one point in the movie, after we question if a woman who has just undergone plastic surgery will awake from anesthesia — which ultimately is what carries the most risk in plastic surgery procedures — Darryl Roberts says he called every man he knew and told them to tell every woman they know that they are beautiful exactly the way they are.

Going back to the beginning of the movie, Roberts draws a correlation between women gaining the right to vote, and the introduction of the Miss America Pageant, suggesting that to keep women from gaining too much power, women were becoming more suppressed by the burden of beauty, requiring a whole new level of preoccupation. I have now seen this movie three times, and each time I am left wondering how much we could change the world if we took all the time, effort, and money that we devote to beauty, and put it towards something important, like world hunger, basic human rights and the protection of our environment. Perhaps one day self-improvement will be equated with improving the lives of those around us, and Robert’s film will remind you that your own beauty has less to do with looking like the photo-shopped pages of a magazine, and more to do with what you radiate from within.

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Could the Tide Be Turning?

First there was the image of Lizzie Miller, sitting naked, belly resting on her lap, and looking confident in the pages of Glamour magazine. After a huge response with women crying for more “Lizzie Millers”, Glamour responded with a commitment to feature more of a variety of body shapes and sizes within the pages of their magazines. Then there was designer Mark Fast’s move to feature plus-sized models on the runway during London’s Fashion Week. Not long after that, we heard that France is debating a law requiring magazines to display health warning labels on altered images in an attempt to dispel the beauty myths propagated by magazines. And now this week, one of Germany’s most popular women’s fashion magazines, Birgitte, announced it would no longer use models in photo spreads, instead planning on using readers and staff members, recognizing that “attractiveness has many faces”.

I am hesitant to hold my breath, wondering if all of these moves are nothing more than the fashion industry paying lip service to the rising movement against the narrow representation of beauty produced in glossy pages, runways, and red carpets. Will the storm that has been brewing lately clear with the winds of complacency, allowing designers and fashion editors to slip back into doing what they know best: creating looks and styles meant for one percent of the population creating an elitist standard the rest of us struggle — but always fail — to live up to?

But then I realized ultimately, it is in our control as to what happens next. In fact, it has always been in our control. Just like any other industry, the fashion industry manufacturers what they can sell, whether it’s designer clothing or fashion bibles like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Glamour. If we don’t buy it, they won’t sell it. Sure it might take a while for it to sink in, but ultimately, if they think they can sell more of their products by doing something different, then that’s what they’ll do. It’s not about being socially conscious, it’s about business. Just like Mark Fast realized he could sell even more clothing if he made it to fit real women with real curves, the fashion magazines might just be realizing they could sell even more magazines by featuring pictures of women that look like the rest of us, if that’s indeed what we really want. And to be honest, I think it’s taken us a long time to figure out that we really do want to see images of women like us.

For so long, we have been convinced that the “ideal” splayed out before us was one that we had to live up to. We didn’t consider an alternative — that we could possibly already be beautiful even though we looked nothing like what we saw before us, that we could be beautiful with protruding stomachs, cellulite, and stretch marks, that we could be beautiful with streaks of gray in our hair and wrinkles on our face. And yet, that IS the alternative. Every one of us has the right to feel beautiful and we shouldn’t have to kill ourselves through starvation or go broke buying beauty products to achieve that feeling. Bit by bit, we are waking up to the idea that beauty doesn’t have to be a size 2. It doesn’t have to be collar bones jutting out of the skin. It doesn’t have to be be achieved by photo editing tools that wipe away “flaws” to reveal a “perfect” image. By coming to this realization, and then demanding a new standard by putting our beauty-consumer dollars into the products that reflect that standard is sure to bring about the change we now so strongly desire, especially after having a little taste of what can be.

In the past, this doctored image of Filippa Hamilton, making her look even more emaciated than what has been the industry standard would have gone relatively unnoticed as far as ads go, except for the collective sigh at the newest standard of thinness we were supposed to live up to. But instead, there has been a huge backlash, and Ralph Lauren who has yet to apologize for the grotesque alteration, does admit it is a distorted image that does not reflect the integrity of the brand. Ok, so no culpability here, but if you read between the lines, I think they realize this something they can’t get away with anymore.

As I wrote in the post Giving Glamour Another Chance after they announced their commitment to body diversity, I have renewed my subscription to show my support and wrote them a letter saying so. And I will put my money where I see others making similar commitments, and ultimately it is our money that may speak louder than words when it comes to changing the tides.

What do you think? Is the tide actually turning?

My Body Is Like a Prius

No, I haven’t figured out the secret to making my body more “fuel” efficient with the same amount of fuel. I am speaking more of aesthetics.

I am a car person and I notice cars — all cars. I can tell you the make and models of most popular cars on the road (except for the ones that are just arbitrary letters and numbers — those throw me off). I don’t know (or care) much about the engines, except to note how fuel efficient (or not) a particular car is. But I do notice the lines,  the details, the trends in design.

When the Prius came out, it was an entirely new look (and still is). I thought it was one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen. It reminded me of  the concept vehicles you see at auto shows, but that never actually make it to market. I appreciated its standing as the most fuel efficient car on the road, but I just couldn’t get over the looks. I would never be able to drive one of those things. Especially after they redesigned it to its current and even more modern look.

Fast forward to present day, and if I could pick any car to drive, it would be the Prius. Yes, I have become more aware of my impact on the environment and would like to minimize that impact as much as possible. But I can honestly say I love the look of the Prius. I guess you could say it has grown on me. The first time I saw it, it was such a departure from the norm, it was hard for me to appreciate it. But now, at least where I live, the Prius IS the norm. They are everywhere. Consequently, perhaps through the simple processes of desensitization and acclimation, my standard of what a beautiful car is has changed.

So  how does this relate to my body? Well, there was a time when I would stand in front of the mirror naked, feeling completely repulsed by what I saw. There was a vast disconnect between the images that led to what I believed were ideal — images that are hard to avoid — and what I saw in my reflection. I justified this mindset by arguing that I wasn’t striving for Hollywood thin. I just wanted to look fit and healthy — like the women on cover after cover of Fitness, Shape, and Self magazines, all of which I subscribed to. Everywhere I looked, I saw images of what I should look like, or at least what I am supposed to WANT to look like, and every time I looked in the mirror, it was like looking at the Prius for the first time. It wasn’t what I was used to seeing in terms of everything I saw around me, and I didn’t like it.

Finally realizing how unhealthy this mindset was, I went about the process of desensitizing myself, much in the way I became naturally desensitized by my increased exposure to the Prius. The more I saw the Prius, the more I liked it. So, I thought, why not force myself to stand in front of the mirror, without sucking in my stomach, without looking for the most flattering pose. Just stand in front of the mirror and see me. Just me. Without comparing that image to anything else. And suddenly I realized that not only was nothing wrong with what I saw in the mirror. To the contrary, what I saw was a remarkable, beautiful thing. I removed my preconceived ideas from what I saw, and when I observed each part of my body — my protruding belly, my “saddle-bag” thighs, my puffy knees — I realized they are just that. They are not better or worse than another woman’s body. They are just different. Just like the Prius was different. My body’s beauty comes from its uniqueness.  And everywhere I look now, I see that beauty in other women. When I go to the gym, I certainly see women with perfect bodies (though I’d be willing to bet they don’t see them that way), but I also see women of all shapes and sizes who don’t fit the standard idea of beauty, but are beautiful nonetheless. So let’s all become a Prius, and change what it means to be beautiful.

L.A. – The Culture of Cruelty

It’s not a big newsflash: L.A. is a self absorbed culture that feeds on the insecurities of star-gazed performers who base their entire self worth on the opinions of others. But at what point does vanity cross over into cruelty? In L.A. they seem to be one in the same, since vanity is derived from insecurities that are played out in the degradation of others.

Take auditions for example. Mia walks in, a tall, thin brunette with striking features. And yet, she is told she’s “not pretty enough”. It’s one thing to not be right for the part. And there would be no real harm in a casting director saying so to the one auditioning. But it seems the casting director, who from accounts are often overweight and unattractive (by Hollywood standards anyway) themselves, apparently sooth their own insecurities by being in a position of power that allows them to make others feel worthless. In what other profession can you openly discriminate against people for noses that are too big, breasts that are too small, legs that have too much cellulite, etc.? I understand that casting directors have a certain image they are trying to portray in filling key roles, but what right does that give them to play God in determining the worth of others based on physical attributes. And I only exaggerate slightly when I say they are playing God, because a few short words from a casting director to an insecure aspiring actor can lead to plastic surgery, starvation, and drug use including Clenbuterol, a drug used on horses to control asthma, that has also been found to contribute to weight loss in humans — but at what cost? Not to mention the alcohol and recreational drug use often used to numb the constant feelings of rejection and self loathing they face.

Meanwhile, the rest of us sit back and enjoy the results brought on by casting directors in the form of the idealistic beautiful people that end up gracing the silver screen. We don’t think much of the people that weren’t cast in the film. The people that were rejected because they might have a mole in the wrong place on their face, or their breasts sag too much. We just go to see the Brad Pitts and the Angelina Jolie’s who herself seems to have recently succumbed to the Hollywood Thin Machine. And if we aren’t buying the movie tickets, we sure are picking up the tabloids, feeling relief and disgust at the pictures of this star and that with cellulite. (Egad!) If you do a search on Google for ‘celebrity cellulite’, you will get 150,000 results. One site devotes an entire section to celebrity cellulite. While I think the intent is to make us all realize that everyone, even those we think of as perfect has “flaws”, I think the intent backfires and instead sends the message that since these women, who at a size 2 have cellulite, what hope is there for the rest of us. We love finding the imperfections in our beloved celebrities because it helps us feel better about ourselves in the same way that the casting directors boost their egos through insults.

Periodically, a celebrity lashes out as Jennifer Love Hewitt did last year after pictures of her romping on the beach in a bikini revealed that she had grown out of her 16 year old body and acquired some cellulite. Nevermind that she was still a size 2. All that mattered to the papparazzi was to reveal her “flaws”. When criticism of her body was showing up in the media and in blogs she responded on her web site: “I’ve sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I’m not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.”

And the cruelty doesn’t stop at the studio gates. It’s so ingrained in the culture that even homeless people expect perfection from women. While Sarah dined at a street-side cafe, a drunk homeless man began harassing customers, trying to get someone to buy him alcohol at a nearby liquor store (from which presumably he’d been banned). When he got to Sarah, and she politely declined to “help”, he began his verbal assualt: “You FAT FUCK. You FAT FUCKING PIG! I would rather be ME than you, you fat pig!” And so it went for about 30 seconds, though to Sarah it felt like an eternity. To add insult to injury, all those standing around gaping at the scene, maintained silence and feeling glad it was not them he was after. Sarah, who has cerebral palsy, has had numerous surgeries, takes medications around the clock, some of which contribute to weight gain, and has been virtually immobile for much of the last few years, does struggle with her weight, for obvious and understandable reasons. But to her, the reason no one stepped in to stop this homeless man’s verbal assault is because he was in fact right (to all those around). To everyone standing there, the worst thing in the world is to be fat, and even being drunk and homeless was a better lot in life than that of Sarah.

So where does it all stop? When do we as a culture, finally draw the line and say “enough is enough” with the emotional torture in LA that we encourage, if not actively, then at least passively by not DIScouraging it? It’s great when a celebrity — like Jennifer Love Hewitt — steps out here and there to criticize the media, but one size 2 actress with a little cellulite speaking out every now and then is like trying to tear down the Berlin wall with a chisel. We as a society need to reject what has become a standard — if not for the skeletons that walk the red carpet, then for the rest of us in taking back the idea of real beauty and not defining it by jutting collar bones or the number of ribs you can see.