Charlotte Sargent

Surgery Junkies and The Poor Have the Right to be Beautiful

Plastic surgery has become the solution to fixing self-esteem, weight, and body issues. Many people turn to surgery to solve their bodily insecurities, and it is becoming more and more common. In the article “Surgery Junkies,” it describes how people are getting more surgery because of the influence from the media and television, and getting surgery makes them feel like an entirely new and confident person; the person they truly are. In the article “The Poor Have the Right to be Beautiful,” it talks about surgery becoming mainstream, especially among those who are in lower classes or of poverty in Brazil.

            In the article “Surgery Junkies,” it talks about the television show “Extreme Makeover.” This T.V. show is all about completely remaking someone into the person that they want to be, by performing plastic surgery. This article told the stories of a number of people who participated in this show. For example, one story was of a woman named Stacey, she was always extremely insecure and unconfident about how manly she was and she had no profile or chin. She went through major surgery to rebuild her face, which also remade her hope for happiness, love, and confidence. Stacy described how she was “really nervous, but excited to know that I’m starting my new life” (47). This shows how because of plastic surgery, Stacey was able to completely reinvent herself to become a happier person, “now men will see Stacey for the real woman she is, instead of the mannish, unfeminine person suggested by her old visage” (48). “Extreme Makeover” gives the idea to people that they can be “who they really are” by getting surgery. If you aren’t confident or happy with yourself, you can always change it. This is a horrible idea to put into peoples minds and this is what causes people to have insecurities and to never feel like they are good enough or beautiful. What “Extreme Makeover” fails to show the audience is the pain, trauma, healing process, and recovery involved in these major surgeries. It usually goes from the before the surgery to the “Big Reveal.” Many people on the show did not expect the recovery to be so prolonged and uncomfortable. This TV show portrays just the benefits and positives of the surgeries and does not tell of the negatives. This show sends the message that people have the choice to alter their bodies in order to look their ideal or unrealistic selves.

In the article “The Poor Have the Right to be Beautiful,” it focuses on the rapid increase in plastic surgery in Brazil. It has become highly common for people to get plastic surgery because they are unhappy with the way they look. Doctors in Brazil are much more willing to perform surgeries in order to boost peoples self-esteem and to improve a persons psychological health. “The notion that appearance is integrally linked to the psyche became publicly accepted” (367). Doctors also know that the principal illness for those who desire plastic surgery is poverty. They know that those who do not live in wealth don’t have the access or guidance to staying fit and healthy. People who are poor focus more on their beauty than their success in other areas of life because looking attractive is more beneficial to how they feel about themselves. The poor also see what the rich people have and do, such as how they get plastic surgery, and they want the same things. “We operate on the poor who have the chance to improve their appearance and it’s a necessity not a vanity” (367). The poor have access to these surgeries and want to fix all of their insecurities. Not only are the doctors supportive, the media is also very positive about the growth of plastic surgery. “Some stories cite the international reputation of Brazilian surgeons as a point of national pride. Others view the growth of plastica as an indicator of economic health” (365). The media puts pride in plastic surgery and the work the doctors are capable of doing, which is portrayed to people all over Brazil, making them see it as positive as well. The plastic surgeons in Brazil think that they are basically a gift from god because of how much they can help and change people. This article also focused on “racial mixing.” Doctors claimed that because of miscegenation, the appearance of the Brazilian population was improving. One doctor recommended sun tanning because it would democratically darken Brazilians. The people in the country of Brazil view plastic surgery as a way to make oneself become beautiful, therefore causing cosmetic surgery to become a norm.

I think it is honestly horrible how much the increase in plastic surgery has gone up. The fact that people can and want to change themselves in so many ways is astounding to me. I think its one thing if it truly is a severe insecurity that is affecting someone’s life or if it is just one small operation that will make a person much happier and more confident, but the fact that people can reconstruct themselves is shocking. The media sends the message that in order to make yourself beautiful, get surgery. People now rely on surgery to be happier in life and I think it is actually really sad. The idea of beauty has completely changed and it is scary to think of how far people will go. People need to learn that plastic surgery is not the answer nor is it a social norm, and it is not the ideal way to make themselves feel better or more confident. The idea of beauty has only gotten worse over the years, I can’t imagine how people are going to feel and in what ways they will alter their bodies in years to come.