My essay on cosmetic surgery, beautification and feminism. This was an extremely interesting topic to write on as there are so many different opinions on this subject! I especially loved reading about cosmetic surgery and its implications though - really interesting stuff.
Cosmetic surgery has long been considered as the ultimate way to define and remake oneself in order to conform to society’s expectations and ideas of beauty in the west. As a result from the increasingly sexualized images of women in advertising and media, it is only inevitable that cosmetic surgery is implicated with the construction of gender stereotypes of the body. A recent issue in Australia arising from men’s magazine Zoo contained a competition where men had the chance to win their girlfriend a breast enlargement. This story exploded within the media on moral and ethical grounds, with people questioning whether or not it was derogatory and offensive to women. While most condemned the competition as “unethical” and “immoral”, it was also obviously an issue where the judgments and reactions were highly influenced by gender. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that it is not only women who are affected by the social pressures to conform to what is defined as beautiful. In an era in which sex ultimately sells, it is both men’s and women’s bodies which are used as marketing tools to promote society's idealized gender image. Gender stereotypes affect all parts of our lives; therefore it is often that they influence what people think about certain issues. Zoo magazine’s recent issue has only just brought up a fresh debate about whether cosmetic surgery empowers women – or manipulates them into conforming to become just another idealized sexual object. Nevertheless, when cosmetic surgery is in question it is clear the dominant gender ideas we hold almost always influences our judgments on issues in some way or another, and this is only too evident in the recent issue of cosmetic surgery in Australia.
Cosmetic surgery is now considered to be a desirable procedure to improve one’s appearance and body – a way of achieving more acceptance and admiration in the public sphere. Feminism and cosmetic surgery have long distanced from each other in the west though, as the line between the two is flexible and constantly changing. On one hand, some argue cosmetic surgery empowers women, and allows them to express their own bodies the way they want people to see it. On the other, some see it as a way for women to conform to the idealized images portrayed of women in the media, and as a result become an object of presumably sexual desire for men. These two extremely different points of view often bring about the conflict between female empowerment and cosmetic surgery. Zoo magazines’ initial competition to “Win your girlfriend a boob job” was obviously seen as a major step backwards to most people as far as feminism went. Nevertheless, Zoo claims the “boob job competition” was its most popular ever - and it is easy to see why. Just by looking at various comments on the issue on the internet, it seems some females actually didn’t think it was unethical at all: “I think that the magazine is doing a good thing. Women make choices, and if their choice is to change size, go for it...For too long others have taken it upon themselves to make decisions for others that they have no rights to…” Along with this, Sheila Jeffreys states sexuality can be seen as “…a form of power, a strength, an asset…” This ultimate contradiction between sexual objectivity and empowerment begs the question of whether or not women in contemporary society share equality with men; or are still seen as sexual objects that are manipulated by everyday media to conform to gendered ideas of beauty. While there is no solid answer by feminists supporting either of the two sides, the influence of gender ideologies in the issue of cosmetic surgery is now obviously becoming more realized as women continually struggle to gain and maintain the society’s construction of beauty.
Zoo magazine’s controversial competition is actually not something new at all – there was actually a similar competition in Tampa, Florida, where one radio station organized a competition for women to win free breast augmentations for Christmas. It proved to be enormously successful, with more than 20,000 entries by the time it closed. From this it is becoming fairly apparent that cosmetic surgery is actually becoming a mere commodity – a trivial procedure that is seen as the easy way out to achieve the wanted result. Susan Bordo states that: “the body…is a medium of culture” – an idea or construct which changes and evolves with time. It is clear much of these ideas stem from celebrity/Hollywood glamour and the west’s glorification of youth. The influence of these ideologies from the west has increasingly permeated every corner of the globe, and with that the typical American idea of the female has homogenized the idea of beauty in many different cultures. Naomi Wolf states the “power of choice influenced the thinking of many feminists…” and that “agency, choice and empowerment” came as part of the liberation of women. However she also recognizes the fact that “…the more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us…” Ironic as this is, it is evident that this is what has happened in most of the Western society today. As a result of this, it is clear gender ideologies always influence our decisions in enhancing our physical body.
Feminine beauty is an idea which often stems from the culture we live in; and in a world saturated by media content containing extreme gender ideas of femininity, it is hard not to see why a lot of women now turn to cosmetic surgery to ‘belong’. Myra MacDonald states “the body has historically been much more integral to the formation of identity for women than for men.” This links into the argument by Estelle Freedman, who states “…rather than being considered mere reproductive or sexual bodies…women should be allowed a life of the mind.” Despite this, it is also becoming apparent that men also undergo social pressures constructed by Western society to conform to the idealized masculine form, where the pressure to look good has even affected teenagers of both genders. It can now be seen that the idea of masculinity is changing synonymously with femininity – with new masculinities such as metrosexuality being more accepted. As a result, it is noticeable that there are significant pressures on both genders to remain beautiful and young as part of the major values in Western society. A TV show like Extreme Makeover is typical in emphasizing the importance of beauty for both genders; where the before and after picture essentially defines society’s view on beauty and the body. This also fundamentally illustrates the fact that there is really only one dominant gender form for both males and females. While it is accepted that both genders have significant pressures by society to conform, it is still a fact that more women undergo cosmetic surgery than men. Statistics also show a marked increase in all areas of cosmetic surgery in Australia, with it now being more freely available to the middle classes. The increase in cosmetic surgery is significant in highlighting the acceptability of the procedure in mainstream society, as well as the increasing need to enhance the body. Sheila Jeffreys argues “men…are not required to wear makeup to work or wear high heels to please the dominant sex class…men engage in beauty practices only for the sexual satisfactions they gain from masochistic cross-dressing…” While this is debatable, it is also significant in stressing the difference between male and female beauty practices. Although it is a man or woman’s choice to undergo cosmetic surgery, decisions to enhance ones’ looks are unquestionably influenced by gender constructions created through society.
The progression of feminism through the years has opened a lot of doors for women, but in doing so has also created debates over what modern feminism actually means today. While some feminist critics of beauty have pointed out that beauty is a cultural practice and one that is damaging to women, “new” feminists argue that women are now “free in their personal lives…to indulge the, “real, often wickedly enjoyable relationship they have with their clothes and their bodies…”. It is indisputable nonetheless that the majority of women do indulge in society’s glorification of the ideal female body – whether for pleasure, admiration or abuse. This can be seen in the growth of women’s magazines since the advancements of the women’s movement and the evolution of the ideas of beauty. “A magazine’s front cover is about the construction and presentation of gender identity…;” this is only too apparent in today’s society where magazines are saturated with extreme gender ideas of both the male and female. The influence of gender in relation to cosmetic surgery and beauty is quite obviously being relayed through virtually all other media forms though, such as the TV – which highlights the enormous influence of gender ideologies in the debate between agency and objectification. “Images of women in advertising, films, art and fashion can perpetuate gender inequality,” and where women’s bodies are constantly used as a marketing tool, it is probably accepted by the majority of people that women are still incredibly disempowered and manipulated by the media. With the constant use of sex and sexualized young women in various media forms, the message of the need to look beautiful and stay young is all but clear.
A lot of women in the West today see themselves as free, liberated and empowered into making their own decisions about their lives, and having equal opportunities to men. However, Jeffreys also points out “…these same women are hobbled by clothing and shoes, maimed by surgery…” Coinciding with this, Naomi Wolf states: “in terms of how we feel about ourselves physically, we may actually be worse off than our unliberated grandmothers.” The agency of women is significant when looking at the influence of gender in relation to cosmetic surgery - as it is an active choice which displays the person’s free will. The pressures faced by women today have undoubtedly increased drastically since the 1950’s, with it seeming to stem from the commodification of women in the media and the emerging power of pornography, which holds a considerable amount of swaying power in influencing gender images. Women’s partaking in the construction of these ideas is also problematic when doing a feminist approach on cosmetic surgery. It is not just men who are the instigators in deciding what is beautiful, but also women who largely force others to conform to society’s gender ideas. This ultimately underlines the major point of conflict in this debate – that the role of women in this issue is a major factor which is preventing either side from arguing a strong case for or against cosmetic surgery of women. “In spite of shame, guilt, and denial… women are wondering if it isn’t that they are entirely neurotic and alone but rather that something important is indeed at stake that has to do with the relationship between feminist liberation and feminine beauty…” emphasizes the importance women place on beauty, even though it is also problematic in regards to feminism. This factor continues to persist in feminist debates of beauty and agency, and is what blurs the line between objectification and empowerment.
Through the examination of the responses and critical analyses of the debate of cosmetic surgery – recently reawakened by Zoo magazines controversial breast augmentation competition, it is clear that the relationship between feminism and beauty is not at all clear-cut. While there are different points of debate of whether the pressure to look beautiful is disempowering for feminism, there are also considerations when men are also looked at in the same perspective. The social pressures on both genders are unquestionably high in today’s society, and it is obvious that the gender ideas we hold always influence our decisions in changing our physical features. The conflict between feminine agency and sexual objectification is quite problematic though and there is no clear answer to the implications of women using cosmetic surgery to augment their beauty. Nevertheless, cosmetic surgery still remains to be a highly sought after procedure in the quest to become beautiful. As Wolf points out, “if [women]…are to free themselves from the dead weight that has once again been made out of femaleness…it is a new way to see.” Reiterating her point, it is undoubtedly important that women take a stand against the beauty stereotypes that exist in the media, and accept all women for who they are. This possibly will be the ultimate solution in the great conflict between feminism and beauty.
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