The Katywompus Journal Observing Life's Little Quirks by Diane Moody |
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Entry #50: Botox or Bust
I'm beginning to think I must be from another planet. I just don't get it. Week after week, millions of people are glued to television watching "extreme makeover" shows. With the whole world watching, some hopeful soul subjects herself to the wonders of plastic surgeons, eye surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair and make-up stylists, and even personal trainers. The result - the ugly duckling becomes the fair princess as her limousine waits to reunite her with friends and family. At least that's the intention. Of the two partial programs I stumbled across, in both cases the transformed individual wasn't that much improved. Oh, she may look radically different, but "different" isn't necessarily "better." Is it? And I have to wonder, when the gown went back to the designer, when she slipped out of the stiletto heels and washed all that gunk out of her hair, what did she see in the mirror? Because if beauty is only skin deep, then isn't she still the same person underneath all those alterations? I don't begrudge someone wanting to look better. I guess we all fall in that trap to an extent. Why else would the diet industry be a bazillion dollar gold mine? How else do you explain the success of the cosmetic companies and the fashion industry? My problem with these shows is the basic premise. As if these poor misguided individuals are saying, "I am NOTHING apart from the physical miracles you can work on me." CONFESSION: I have never watched, nor will I, an entire episode of one of these shows. I've seen just enough to know I can't stomach them. It's not the graphic surgical procedures that upset me. It's the obsession. So will someone please explain to me the fascination of these programs? Are we really that fixated on looks? Are we scared to death of aging? Are we becoming a society of the Botoxed vs. the Non-Botoxed? Do the crinkles around my eyes make me less of a person than Katie Couric whose ever-smoothing face greets me each morning? Is life just a series of botulism toxin injections at the altar of vanity? And at what point does "looking better" cross the line to "looking ridiculous"? Think Joan Rivers, Burt Reynolds, Mary Tyler Moore, George Hamilton. Very scary. These programs are a miserable example to our children. The message is loud and clear: the only thing that matters is how you look. Isn't that the exact opposite of what we should be teaching our kids? Granted, television is without question the worst "teacher" in our culture. But it is also the most invasive with more far-reaching effects than any classroom. Now, I may be from another planet, but I'm not an idiot. I know that beautiful people get the breaks. Is it fair? Not at all. That's just the way it is. Case in point: I saw a news special about an experiment using a class of first graders. A beautiful young woman came in as their substitute. She was nice, but she didn't make much of an effort to teach. The next day, another substitute arrived. She was very plain and ordinary, but she was an extremely gifted teacher who made learning fun for the students. Later, when the children were asked a short list of questions comparing these two "substitute" teachers, without exception they all favored the prettier of the two - even indicating they learned more from her than from her beauty-challenged counterpart who was clearly the better teacher. The sad reality is, human nature nudges us to gravitate toward those who are physically appealing over those who are not. Hollywood has capitalized on physical beauty from the beginning. There aren't many homely stars on the Hollywood's A-list. Julia, Jennifer (Anniston and Garner), Gwyneth, Reese, and Meg are all over the magazine covers. Of course, the first exception that immediately comes to mind is a man. Tommy Lee Jones must surely have one of the ugliest faces on earth. Yet, he's a brilliant actor and a huge success. Try to name an ugly female with that kind of success. Anyone? Back in the early 1500s, Ponce de Leon and his explorers searched in vain for the fountain of youth. They never found it. The harsh reality is, you're born, you live, you age, and you die. The greater lesson is to age with grace and dignity. It's a shame there's no Botox-like injection for sanity. Click HERE to send Diane an email. She welcomes your comments and suggestions. She's Flying the Coop Blessed are the poor... Back to School It All Started With Eve It's Almost Here! Forget About Weapons of Mass Destruction - let’s Talk Hormones The Other "W" "If only I could..." "Put Down That Remote and Step Away From the TV!" Take This Job and Love It! As the Stomach turns! Pet Peeves Cue the Balloons! A Picture Perfect Thanksgiving 'Twas Two Months Before Christmas . . . 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