Kids' Book on Cosmetic Surgery

This book, self-published by a cosmetic surgeon, is supposed to help kids understand the wonderful transformation their mothers are about to go through, with the help of Dr. Michael, the superhero-like surgeon.

Read more in this post at boingboing.

Thanks, Nick W., and Jason S., and Green Ink!

New Boobs, Half Price!

This ad reminds women that they need to get their bodies ready before Rehab--and no, not that kind of rehab; it's a big party being put on here in Vegas. Without new boobs, you simply won't be "ready"--i.e., attractive enough--for this event. This could be useful as a really extreme case of ads that try to make people feel inadequate and provide a solution in the form of a product or service.

And as far as I can tell, what you're supposed to be "ready" for is to be sexually available--she's pulling her bikini bottom down and has a seductive look on her face.

Also, notice the doctor is having a "buy one, get the second 1/2 off" special if you bring in a friend. So women should encourage each other to feel uncomfortable about their bodies.

From Las Vegas Weekly.

Lies In Advertising

The fact that botox can be marketed with the phrase "freedom of expression" testifies to fact that there is no need for advertising to include any truth whatsoever.


Text:

Don't hold back! Express it all! Express yourself by asking your
doctor about BOTOX Cosmetic. Millions of women already have.

Actually, I have repeatedly heard about how Botox makes it impossible for you to make facial expressions, but I didn't really get it. Now I think I do:

While The Women Are Enhancing, The Men Are Reducing

Since we're on a plastic surgery kick...

Below are some before and after pictures of breast reduction for men. The latter two are just boys. According to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, breast reduction is the most common cosmetic procedure among 13-19 year olds (girls and boys combined). Members performed 17,269 in 2006. What I think is most amazing about the pictures below (borrowed from here), is how trivial the difference is between the before and after pictures. These men were diagnosed with "moderate" gynecomastia. The belief that men are flat chested and women are breasted is not based in biology. In reality, there is a great deal more overlap between men's and women's bodies than we're comfortable with... so off to the plastic surgeon.

Patient One

Before and after front view:




Before and after 3/4 view:



Patient Two

Before and after front view:



Before and after 3/4 view:



Patient Three (Adolescent)

Before and after front view:



Before and after 3/4 view:



Patient Four (Adolescent)

Before and after front view:



Before and after 3/4 view:

Free Fake Breasts

Check out MyFreeImplants.com, which asks:

Ladies... Have you ever wanted bigger breasts? But couldn't afford the expensive costs of surgery? Here is your opportunity to earn Free Breast Implants!

The women get free implants by getting "donations" from male "benefactors":

As a member of the MyFreeImplants website you have direct access to contact the many girls that are seeking help in achieving the physical appearance that they have long desired.

Once you create your account you can choose to buy message credits in several denominations. When you use your credits to send messages to the ladies they earn credit towards their procedures. You can buy credits for as low as $1.20. In addition, you have the option to signup for a monthly membership that gives you 5 message credits per month along with unrestricted access to over 1000 ladies profiles.

And:

... the best part is seeing the newly transformed ladies after the surgery when they return to the website to post pictures of the results. You can take pride in knowing that you helped her improve her self esteem and self image!

Don't worry, though--the men have to be respectful:

We request that you be respectful of the ladies on this website. While you may request particular outfits for custom photos, the ultimate decision is up to the lady. We encourage you to both work together in a civil manner so that everyone is happy. Abuse of the system or harrassment of any member will not be tolerated.

And since people like to see the results of their donations, the site provides before and after pics:

Asian Eyelid Cosmetic Surgery

Here is a link to the website of Dr. Frank Meronk, a plastic surgeon. This particular page showcases the Asian eyelid surgeries the doctor has performed. Here are some before-and-after photos:

And another set:

The website also has some interesting commentary on why Asians should get this surgery:

Irrespective of ethnicity, an upper eyelid is typically considered more
attractive by most people if it lacks excessive skin and fat, possesses a
reasonably defined crease (which makes the eye appear bigger--a universal signal
of youth and attention), and displays at least some platform of exposed skin
between the crease and the eyelashes (which, in ladies, allows for a more
effective application of makeup). A well-contoured lower eyelid free of bulging
fat projects an image of youth, energy, and rest. While all so-called
"standards" of physical beauty are culturally variable and dependent upon the
eye of the beholder, most experienced eyelid surgeons agree that the qualities
noted here are generally appreciated across many diverse cultures and not solely
a matter of Western bias.

There are a couple of particularly note-worthy points here--the argument that a particular eyelid shape is just universally more attractive (a fact attested to by "experienced eyelid surgeons," who would clearly be objective), and that it's worth undergoing surgery to be able to wear makeup more "effectively," whatever that means.

And don't worry--they can do this surgery on you even if you're of "mixed heritage"!

Luckily, patients don't wait until they start aging to take care of their eyelids:

In general, patients seeking double eyelid surgery to create or enhance a weak
crease are not just young but often very young. Aging
tendencies have not yet made an appearance.

Don't worry, men can have the surgery too.

Production, Consumption, And Reproduction

This post is dedicated to my pregnant friends. You should buy this t-shirt.

In class this week my students and I are talking about the triple threat of production, consumption, and reproduction that characterizes modern capitalism. I use the cultural imperative that women have and raise babies (reproduction) and be beautiful and sexy while doing it (consumption), all of which is paid for by someone who is busy earning money at a job (production). Below are some of the images I use.

Be beautiful while pregnant (images from A Pea in the Pod and covergirls Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera):


Running in high heels while in the third trimester? Why, of course!



Get your body back as soon as possible (as demonstrated by Gwen Stefani and Tori Spelling):



If you're not sure how, buy some books (all the better)!





Resort to suspicious drugs if you need to:



Or get a Mommy Makeover. Extensive cosmetic surgery, that is:



Recommended by Parenting Magazine!

1936 Plastic Surgery Ad

The caption to the photo said, "New York plastic surgeon Jacob Sarnoff drew this vision of total transformation--entitled 'diagrammatic illustration of common deformities amenable to plastic surgery'--in 1936."

I found this in Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery, by Elizabeth Haiken (1997), page 13.

It's A Brave New World

New (or new to me) body modification trends (the first four found here):

Look like a dragon (found here):

Likes spikes (found here):

Eyebrows (found here):

Boob job (found here):

This one is braille (found here) :

It might be interesting to discuss the different reactions to the body modifications... that is, people might think the braille one is kind of sweet, but the boob job one as disgusting. How do we decide which body modifications are good or bad, neat or stupid, etc?

Some Graphs of Trends in Cosmetic Surgery

Growth in specific surgeries over the past 10 years
Most common surgeries by sex
General trend in cosmetic procedures over time
Most common procedures overall

All of these come from http://www.surgery.org/.

Cosmetic Surgery Ads

Here's an ad for breast implants:



Clearly in this situation the solution is to get breast implants, not a new date.

The company's website is here.

This ad encourages women to be envious of "perfect" women and to compare themselves unfavorably:



Try plastic surgery if your eating disorder doesn't do the job:



Here's an older ad for nose jobs, from the 1980s:



The center is still in business, but I think a different doctor is in charge now.

CAUTION: Labiaplasty (Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery) Website

Here is a link to Dr. Pamela Loftus's website. She is a plastic surgeon who specializes in labiaplasties, which are increasing in popularity. I'm just putting up the link instead of the actual photos because the site is NOT work-appropriate, unless you have the kind of work where bringing up a lot of photos of labia on your computer screen is ok.

Charity Organization Capitalizes on Grossness of Aid Recipients

I found this ad in the January 2008 copy of Ladies Home Journal. It's for an organization that's called The Smile Train. It performs surgeries to correct cleft palates in the developing world.

What I think is interesting about this fundraising ad is that we, the potential contributors, are clearly supposed to find this child totally disgusting: "Imagine living your entire life looking like this..." We're supposed to pity this child not because he's hungry or has no access to clean water or might be caught in a civil war, but because of how he looks.

Breast Appraisal

Apparently, those "If You Really Love Her, You Have To Buy Her Diamonds" ads only tell one side of the story. You can still objectify a woman's body and commodify your relationship with her, but on the cheap! Apparently, some folks are on a limited budget, so you can have fake breast or real diamonds, but not both.

Increase In Cosmetic Surgery

Data on the prevalence of cosmetic surgery is notoriously difficult to find. This is data on the five most common procedures, according to one association's members:


Pretty amazing.