Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the high amount of ‘obviously once beautiful’ turned scary looking ladies strutting the streets of BA? What is the obsession with beauty? Is it just a global phenomenon or did someone up the ante in Latin America? Why do hundreds of women look like their faces are melting? Don’t you realize ladies, as a nation, you are already beautiful! Cut us Anglo chicas some slack already.

Flipping through the local television we have started to play ‘spot the scary surgery’. Women are looking weird on there. Dare I say it, kind of like a drag show at Les Girls but no one is cheering.

“This woman who had everything is dead because she wanted to have a slightly firmer ass,” said Roberto Piazza, a fashion designer and close friend of Solange Magnano, who frequently appeared as a runway model in his fashion shows (SMH – Dec 2009). Surgery is serious, you can die like the former Miss Argentina!

Reasons for and against are understandably debated. As a women light on booty, or otherwise, I get it. But not really.

For: Who cares about the future I want to look gorgeous now. You might look hotter with big breasts/butt/fake abs and calf implants. You might get more attention. You might even assist in reducing wrinkles in your face due to the new balance in your chest. Men might like the way you look more. You might get that job/promotion or pay rise. Yes that nose job might actually improve the way you breathe. If you have health problems; like you’re so uncomfortable because of your naturally huge breasts, then sure, full kudos for surgical reduction. I have friends that definitely feel more self confident about ‘stuff’ after braving the knife. Ad infinitum the logical reasons for cosmetic intervention.

Against: It will freakin hurt. You might die. You could look uglier. It costs a shite load. You might suddenly start prematurely drooping as some women do. Or look like you stood too close to a fire over the holidays like this lady. Perhaps you will only attract dudes interested in how you look. Your face could become expressionless and no one will be able to understand what you are on about. You could lose all sensitivity in your lips! You could be part of the global experiment with botox that will be reported in history books as a medical disaster. Women will have an opinion. Some women might judge you as shallow or something. Not that I’m judging.

But what’s going to happen after another twenty years of society trying to cement the aging clock?
Will we be reminded of non smoking ads using former movie stars with tracheotomies preaching not to light up? Perhaps Kylie Minogue will be talking to youth about not knowing the danger – “It all started with one jab”. It could be fashionable again to have a natural face and body. Maybe non retouched lady magazines will be resurrected as retro cool. It could become trendy to flash your cellulite. Too far?

It scares me as a woman. A woman faced with the same challenges of aging we all have. It sucks. You have to look your vanity in the eye every day and deal with it. I really don’t think this trend is fuelled by the majority of men, even though men do somehow look better with wrinkles and grey hair, women are our own worst enemies. After strolling around the National Gallery this week I was reminded by the changing perception of what is considered beautiful. Rubens thought chunky was lovely, different artists have portrayed style in all shapes and sizes. Basically men will always find different things about women attractive. It’s a fact.

Perhaps there will be an uprising; instead of bras being set alight, there will be a global show of feminine solidarity. Women might just decide to take it easy on each other and ultimately themselves.

Kris

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