Evelyn Barge
Asst. A&E Editor
Since the season premiere of “The Swan” hit TV screens across America on Monday, I’ve been asking myself some serious questions about why plastic surgery makeover shows are so popular.
First, there was “A Personal Story.” The TLC show, which is no longer on air, followed individuals as they went under the knife to improve their looks and confidence. The show was tasteful, and many of the procedures were done out of medical necessity rather than for cosmetic purposes. But it may have been the beginning of a fall down a slippery slope toward exploitation.
Then came “Extreme Makeover.” This was a radical step away from the single-procedure operations on “A Personal Story.” Suddenly, participants were selected to go through every conceivable cosmetic procedure. And last year, we were introduced to “The Swan.” In my opinion, this is the most egregiously exploitative show on television. Women who are literally described as “ugly ducklings” are put on national television, not only to undergo dramatic plastic surgery, but also to compete in a beauty pageant.
“The Swan” deliberately aims to undermine these women’s self-esteem and confidence. After the women have been transformed into so-called beauties, they still have to face the critical eye of beauty contestant judges. For the women who are eliminated, the message is this: No amount of plastic surgery could make you beautiful enough to compete in our pageant. Also, “The Swan,” unlike its predecessors, only features women as contestants. Society has placed a high standard of beauty on women and “The Swan” only propagates it.
Women had 87 percent of the cosmetic procedures done last year, and those numbers are on the rise. It’s clear American women feel pressured to stay young and beautiful, and they will go to drastic lengths to so. Rather than curbing America’s unhealthy obsession with image and beauty, television networks are doing everything they can to boost the plastic surgery industry.
We’re being inundated with stories about heroic plastic surgeons on programs like “Body Work” and “Dr. 90210.” The disturbing reality is that many people, including me, are fascinated by these shows. Even though I find “The Swan,” morally reprehensible and detrimental to my own well being, I can’t help but be intrigued.
I am not wholly opposed to plastic surgery, but I do believe that true transformations begin from the inside, not the outside. Those who elect to have plastic surgery are making a very private decision that should be kept that way. Save your 15 minutes of fame for another occasion.
Still, I know better than to expect the entertainment industry to stop producing these shows, which are making millions of dollars and spawning new, lucrative spin-offs every season. Television is rarely guided by ethics, but that does not mean television viewers should sit helplessly by and allow the degradation to continue.
Change begins with the viewer. When ratings drop, television executives start exploring new programming options. TV viewers need to prove to the entertainment industry that they are not happy with exploitative, low-caliber programs. America is truly in need of a television revolution that will teach women and men to stop hating their bodies.
10-28-2004
