Adornment plus
I think it's fascinating where and why we draw lines - how fragile they really are, how the lines move, how people want desperately to paint the world in absolutes, when few, if any, actually exist.
I was talking with my Hair Guru last night while my head was all creamed up destroying any trace of evidence in my hair that I might be over 25, and we were discussing 'cosmetic procedures' and where the line is for each of us. She has a friend who is totally against all forms of cosmetic enhancement and plastic surgery. Friend thinks it's sad, a sign of insecurity, and even immoral. For the most part friend is congruent with her rantings - your earthy type chick.
People, women in particular, do many things in the name of enhancing our appearance. We wear makeup, colour our hair, paint our nails (and toe nails Edge*smiling*) We do maintenance things like shave our bits and pieces, apply lotion, and we pluck places that the Universe ought to have known women shouldn't have hair! We pierce our ears and other parts. We wear shape-flattering undies and push up bras . Wrinkle creams, botox, lasering, dermabrasion, peels and the like abound. Then there are the more serious 'procedures' as they call em. The lipo, the eye lifts or cheek implants, full-blown face lifts, tummy tucks, boob jobs and the like. Multi-billion dollar business this "looking good=looking young" thing.
I'm personally somewhat conflicted. I see shows like "The Swan" and it kind of rubs me the wrong way that women feel the need to completely overhaul their appearance, that they aren't enough without all the changes. Yet, I wear makeup, have my hair coloured, paint my nails, I'm big on the dangly earrings, wear perfume, shave and keep all my parts soft and smooth. I love the shelf bras to cradle the twins and present em like they used to be when I was 18 - POW. *laughing* Do I do this for me as well as any onlookers? Of course, I like how it makes ME feel. That I haven't had any 'procedures' (nice, clean,clinical term huh?) is about where my comfort level is, where I draw the line on a given day.
I wonder though, how many other things I would do if money and time and risk were no object. Would I do botox? Would I ask a surgeon to put my body back to how it was before my three kids? I want to say I wouldn't. I think I wouldn't. It disturbs me that I can't say absolutely, and certainly warrants further thought.
I can't accept Hair Guru's friend's premise that it's all bad. I think there is something wonderful to be said about adornment. That process of... preparing yourself for another (whether he be known to you yet or not) is exciting. It's sensual and spiritual and animal. It's part of being human, and for me, just a part of how I connect with my femaleness. But hey... each person has his/her lines... we're all different.
I was talking with my Hair Guru last night while my head was all creamed up destroying any trace of evidence in my hair that I might be over 25, and we were discussing 'cosmetic procedures' and where the line is for each of us. She has a friend who is totally against all forms of cosmetic enhancement and plastic surgery. Friend thinks it's sad, a sign of insecurity, and even immoral. For the most part friend is congruent with her rantings - your earthy type chick.
People, women in particular, do many things in the name of enhancing our appearance. We wear makeup, colour our hair, paint our nails (and toe nails Edge*smiling*) We do maintenance things like shave our bits and pieces, apply lotion, and we pluck places that the Universe ought to have known women shouldn't have hair! We pierce our ears and other parts. We wear shape-flattering undies and push up bras . Wrinkle creams, botox, lasering, dermabrasion, peels and the like abound. Then there are the more serious 'procedures' as they call em. The lipo, the eye lifts or cheek implants, full-blown face lifts, tummy tucks, boob jobs and the like. Multi-billion dollar business this "looking good=looking young" thing.
I'm personally somewhat conflicted. I see shows like "The Swan" and it kind of rubs me the wrong way that women feel the need to completely overhaul their appearance, that they aren't enough without all the changes. Yet, I wear makeup, have my hair coloured, paint my nails, I'm big on the dangly earrings, wear perfume, shave and keep all my parts soft and smooth. I love the shelf bras to cradle the twins and present em like they used to be when I was 18 - POW. *laughing* Do I do this for me as well as any onlookers? Of course, I like how it makes ME feel. That I haven't had any 'procedures' (nice, clean,clinical term huh?) is about where my comfort level is, where I draw the line on a given day.
I wonder though, how many other things I would do if money and time and risk were no object. Would I do botox? Would I ask a surgeon to put my body back to how it was before my three kids? I want to say I wouldn't. I think I wouldn't. It disturbs me that I can't say absolutely, and certainly warrants further thought.
I can't accept Hair Guru's friend's premise that it's all bad. I think there is something wonderful to be said about adornment. That process of... preparing yourself for another (whether he be known to you yet or not) is exciting. It's sensual and spiritual and animal. It's part of being human, and for me, just a part of how I connect with my femaleness. But hey... each person has his/her lines... we're all different.
posted by MysticSpirit (Sass) at 2:13 PM
3 Comments:
I'm writing a diddy on this exact subject right now...
I can confidently say that even if I had millions of dollars to spend on it, I wouldn't. I think where the line is drawn for many women lays in their level of self-confidence, obviously. With surgery... I think if it's for business (ie. sex industry workers) then that's fine. But when it comes to women who just feel badly about a part of themselves (ie. breasts, nose) well once they've got it fixed, it's only a matter of time before their focus shifts to another part of themselves that they don't like. Because the issue isn't their bodies, it's themselves. And so it goes... I don't care who says what, self-confidence can't be bought for $10,000 a pop at a surgeon because at that point the confidence you feel you have is most often as fake as the parts you have just purchased. In my humble opinion :P
Interesting perspective... I'm curious... how do you see things like wearing makeup, ear piercing, and pushup bras?
I have an opinion abou this(I know, I'm as surprised as you are)
I'm all for adornment, love it in all its forms. Alteration? Some. Some piercings, ears of course, belly button drives me crazy, the others, nose, eyebrow, etc. are a matter of taste. Tattoos? I have ones I like but I generally lean toward subtle, but again, personal taste. Surgical alterations and enhancements? They do nothing for me. I don't care for the feel of breasts that aren't natural, love the feel and look of small ones, large ones, in between ones, but love most that they belong to the woman I'm enjoying, hers, just hers.
Case in point (you were wondering if there was going to be one?) You two here. I've seen both of you and you are very different in many ways but I am immensely attracted to each of you. Your personalities are as varied as your appearances and of course enhance the look each of you have. You could surgically alter yourselves to look more like some standard others may deem more acceptable or desirable, but I wouldn't like that, nope. One could point out the hypocrisy in enjoying some enhancements and adornments and not others but I can only relate to what I personally find attractive.
I'll take you both exactly as is. I'm just sayin'.
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