Plastic Surgery in the Media Its Effect on Society


In the late 20th century, many celebrities and socialites have decided to go under cosmetic surgery procedures such as Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore, and Michael Jackson. Whether this was pressure from being scrutinized under the public eye or living up to the high standards as role models to a generation, this led to being one of the many factors spurring a huge increase in the traffic for plastic surgery for people of all types.

There are many other factors, inspiring souls to under-go the knife, for the addition of this multi-billionaire dollar industry include a preoccupation with a negative body image, body dysmoprhic disorder, and the media’s portrayal of beauty, most notably seen in the early 21st Century.

For the latter factor a large increase in cosmetic surgery awareness was greatly induced by a television show on MTV known as “I want a Famous Face”. Where many individuals apply to the MTV network by sending in videos for a chance to win the opportunity of being featured on the MTV Special. These individuals aspired to have similar aesthetic appeal to such celebrity faces including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Ricky Martin, and Janet Jackson.

This reveals that to a large extent for a media pressure for cosmetic surgery. However there is also much social pressure as well. There are those desiring or deciding in plastic surgery between a large variety of options, including those of the buttocks, thighs, facial, nose, and breasts.

The social effect is due to men for a multitude of reasons. More aesthetically pleasing females or women who have had plastic surgery helps them excel in the work force (in the sense they land promotions and earn higher wages… beauty, artificial or natural does not have statistical correlations with work ethic or intelligence) and this has been proven by statistical research.

The following may sound misogynistic but is backed by statistical research. The more work done means more expenditure, many females who have plastic surgery are dependent on men for the finance of their procedures (the cipher in effect here relates to prior paragraph’s motif about higher earnings which men is at the root of which).

Also plastic surgery is somewhat of a recurring cycle due to both psychological factors and that of the science of plastic surgery itself.

Psychological factors being that related to new surge in the media dubbed ‘cosmetic surgery addiction’. The science of it being is where many procedures require check ups and additional surgeries to maintain a more consistent youthful effect of appearance, such as in procedures like collagen injections, botox and face lifts.

Two revealings in the media of cosmetics, premier episodes of MTV’s “I want a Famous Face”, (these episodes can be found in the links below under the media page) included individuals seeking to accomplish a similar appearance akin to that of Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.


Source by Josh Saitowitz