Plastic Surgey: The New Beauty Norm?

This is a good topic to discuss especially now since the popularity of all the make-over shows. I have always been curious as to why people, mostly women, have this idea that they are expected to look a certain way in order to "fit in" with society.

We all would like to believe that quaint saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", but how true and meaningful is that phrase when the beholder has been brainwashed, so to speak, into subscribing to the belief that beauty is the artificial look we see on glamour mags, in TV commercials, and even in some children's books? For some time now, that image has consisted mainly of white women and the "white standard of beauty".

I decided to take this question of plastic surgery and the search for beauty and see how it can affect some women in the African-American community. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, African-Americans make up only 6% of plastic surgery patients. Why is this? Do African-American women have a more positive self/body image or is it that many cannot afford it? And for the 6% who do have surgery, to which standard of beauty were they trying to aspire?

I chose to start my search for the white standard of beauty in 1960. I chose that year because at the time, a TV show was airing that sought to teach moral and societal lessons through fantastical tales. Two episodes of this show were very telling and prophetic, and they both dealt with how society viewed beauty and the expectations placed on women to be "beautiful". That show was, The Twilight Zone.

Beauty in 1960... Rod Serling offered us a tale of beauties and beasts in episode #42 entitled: Eye of the Beholder. Here's a brief synopsis of the show I found at The Twilight Zone Guide: Janet Tyler anxiously awaits the outcome of her latest surgery. Janet, who's abnormal face has made her an outcast, has had her eleventh hospital visit - the maximum allowed by the State. If it didn't succeed, she will be sent to live in a village where others of her kind are segregated. As her bandages are removed, she is revealed to be very beautiful. The doctor draws back in horror. As the lights come on we see the others, their faces are misshapen and deformed. As Janet runs from her room crying, she runs into another of her kind, a handsome man named Walter Smith. He is in charge of an outcast village, and he assures her that she will eventually feel she belongs. He tells her to remember the old saying: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Although the show was filmed in black and white, we can clearly see that Ms. Tyler is Caucasian. The doctors appear to have darker skin, nevertheless, the idea here was that the viewers empathized with Ms. Tyler because she was the classic blonde, slender beauty commonly seen in 1960's fashion magazines. As the show closes, the narrator speaks: "Now the questions that come to mind. Where is this place and when is it, what kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm? The answer is, it doesn't make any difference. Because the old saying happens to be true. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this year or a hundred years hence, on this planet or wherever there is human life, perhaps out among the stars. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lesson to be learned...in the Twilight Zone."

1964: The Standard Continues Episode #137, in Season Five, is called, "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You", and was adapted by a short story called "The Beautiful People". In this episode, we meet Marilyn, a young woman who is about to go through a rite of passage in her community. This rite is called "The Transformation" and it requires citizens to choose among several models of bodies into which they will be transformed. The message here is that this society only sees one standard of beauty and that one will not be happy unless they look and act just like everyone else. Opening Narration: "Given the chance, what young girl wouldn't happily exchange a plain face for a lovely one? What girl could refuse the opportunity to be beautiful? For want of a better estimate, let's call it the year 2000. At any rate, imagine a time in the future when science has developed a means of giving everyone the face and body he dreams of. It may not happen tomorrow--but it happens now, in the Twilight Zone."

Once again, the beautiful people are all white and we don't see any women or men of color. What was this episode trying to tell black women about beauty? The closing narration: Portrait of a young lady in love--with herself. Improbable? Perhaps. But in an age of plastic surgery, body building, and an infinity of cosmetics, let us hesitate to say impossible. These and other strange blessings may be waiting in the future--which after all, is the Twilight Zone."

Beauty 40 Years Later

Some aspects of beauty standards have changed, but not much. We do see more black models and beautiful black women, but when you look at the majority of the more famous ones, (Tyra, Halle, Janet, Vanessa Williams, Beyonce, a few of whom have had plastic surgery, on their noses and other body parts), you can see straight away that they have many Caucasian attributes: small, pinched noses, lighter complexion, lighter eyes, straight, lightly colored hair. It is rare that you will see a model with very dark skin, a tight afro, wide, round, larger nose, and full, large lips. Flip through any issue of Vogue or Glamour and look for that image I just described. Then look for the first image I described.

So, are black women trying to aspire to the white standard of beauty when they seek plastic surgery?

According to Cynthia Winston, assistant professor of psychology at Howard University in Washington, D.C., We really don't know much about how blacks are influenced. Most of the research focuses on perceptions related to skin color. Foe most African-Americans, perception can be shaped by their environment. For example, an African-American woman growing up in an all-white neighborhood in Nebraska may be more likely than an African-American woman raised in inner-city Detroit to compare herself with white images of beauty.

(Source: African-American Women & Plastic Surgery: Self-Improvement or Self-Hatred? By Angela D. Johnson, Sept. 2, 2003)

Now What?

I suppose, it all comes down to how one feels inside about themselves. But there is this viscous cycle of doubt that women constantly face so it's often hard to reconcile your inner voices with the outside images thrown at you everyday. Many women buy into the trends and fashions that dictate beauty. TV shows and print ads abound with images of sexy women. Fitness clubs persuade women to join not so they will lower their risk of heart disease, but so they will aspire to be beautiful on the outside. No one tries to sell things that will help them on the inside.

In the end, you can look at all of this and say that there will always be standards of beauty and those who aspire to live up those standards, and those wanting to make a profit off those standards (cosmetic companies, ad agencies, modeling agencies, fashion designers, plastic surgeons, psychotherapists). The media portrays what people want to see and apparently, it's sex and "beauty".

Ms. Martin currently resides in sunny Southern California with her son. When she's not writing, she works part-time as a preschool teacher where she hopes to help all children develop positive self and body images.

---

Beauty Tips: 10 Steps for Radiant Skin

When it comes to a glowing complexion what we put... Read More

Testimonials on Permanent Makeup

Testimonials on Permanent MakeupI first thought about getting permanent eyeliner... Read More

What is Your Hair Type?

Everyday you see people with all color and style of... Read More

Collagen Injection

Collagen injection is a type of cosmetic procedure that augments... Read More

The Art Of Perfume Notes - What Are They?

When people hear the word 'notes' they often say "yeah... Read More

Color Contact Lenses - Change Your Eye Color in the Blink of an Eye

Did you ever wish that you had a different eye... Read More

Rhinoplasty Facility Costs

No matter where the doctor and the anesthesiologist are going... Read More

Do You Really Need To Wear A Moisturizer?

You just may be able to get away without using... Read More

Sunless Sun Tanning

With more and more of us understanding the serious consequences... Read More

Plastic Surgery: Rhinoplasty / Nose Job Information

What is a Rhinoplasty?Rhinoplasty is a very common procedure which... Read More

Should You Make Your Own Beauty Products?

With the huge range of beauty products on the shelves,... Read More

Get Free Cosmetic Samples Just for Completing Offers

There's almost nothing more irritating than buying a lot of... Read More

Natural Mineral Makeup, a Natural Alternative to Greasy Makeup

Mineral Makeup is a natural alternative to acne causing and... Read More

Natural Beauty: The Benefits of Holistic Skin Care

What is holistic skin care? It's a regimen that recognizes... Read More

Home Tanning Beds Are A Great Investment

If you're like many of us and just have to... Read More

Help Prevent Wrinkles Through Dieting

How many times has your mother told you, you are... Read More

Cosmeceuticals: The New Wave in Skin Care Solutions

Cosmeceuticals are the new wave in skin care. They are... Read More

Turning Back the Hands of Time

When you shop for an anti-aging cream at your department... Read More

The Secret To A Good Tan Is In The Bulb

The secrets out! Tanning bed bulbs in salon tanning beds,... Read More

Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Skin

Not sure what to look for when choosing cosmetics? Need... Read More

Beauty Sleep

Beauty SleepThe health and beauty of a good night's sleep... Read More

Buying A Wholesale Tanning Bed

The tanning industry is showing no signs of stopping. If... Read More

Reversing the Aging Process

Many scientists would say that we don't know what is... Read More

Beauty, Wrinkles, and the Science of Laughter

When most of us think of "memory" we think of... Read More

Holiday Hair Style: How to Look Perfect in Summer

Keeping your holiday hair style under control isn't just about... Read More

Trends in Gift Giving ? Jewelry a Timeless Favorite

In times of rapid change, constants lend comfort to our... Read More

Hyaluronic Acid ? Newest Celebrity Beauty Secret?

We can always count on celebrities to serve as guinea... Read More

Self Tanners: Your New Best Friend?

Have you ever known a sun worshipper, one of those... Read More

Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) Information: Worth the Cost

The nose is the central part of the human face,... Read More

It?s All in the Name of Beauty? Baby

From firming the skin, decreasing wrinkles to achieving a healthy... Read More

The Pedicure - A Treat for Your Feet!

So often we take our feet for granted as they... Read More

Contact Lenses and Dry Eyes

Until recently, contact lenses and dry eyes seemed to come... Read More

The Revolution in Skin Care

Q: With so many skin care products on the market... Read More