The “Yaeba” trend in Japan is not so different from American cosmetic trends
Orthodontia and the pursuit of correcting crooked choppers is big business here in the US and Western cultures. While certainly used for reasons other than aesthetics, the primary purpose for seeing an orthodontist is to correct a misaligned mouth.
Yaeba: Another way to infantilize women and sexualize child-like appearances.
Historically, a straight smile was a status symbol, implying that those bearing braces or corrective devices came from families of financial means.The actual word “orthodontia” comes from the Greek word orthos, meaning “straight” or “proper” or “perfect” and odus from “tooth.”
In Japan, dental beauty trends are quite different, where a popular look called Yaeba is desirable. Yaeba means “double tooth” in Japanese and describes a sort of “fang effect” where teeth are crowded to the point of pushing the incisors into a prominent display in the mouth. A multitude of dental “salons” in Japan offer cosmetic procedures by which dentists actually implant artificial teeth to induce overcrowding, forcing the incisors into a more prominent place in the mouth or adhering plastic covers to the tooth to lengthen and sharpen it.
Is a breast-implant voucher a good gift for a 7 year old?
Six-year-old Poppy poses with the breast enhancement voucher her mother gave to her.
Recently, there seems to have been a spate of moms encouraging their daughters to have cosmetic procedures. First, there was “Botox Mom” Kerry Campbell, who claimed to have injected her 8-year-old daughter Britney’s face with Botox. Then, “Human Barbie” Sarah Burge gave her 7-year-old daughter Poppy a voucher to get breast implants once she turns 16.
The Botox Mom story turned out to be a hoax, as “Kerry Campbell” was in fact Sheena Upton and was apparently paid by a UK tabloid to play the role of a mother who would give her daughter Botox injections. Which is, you know, not nearly as bad as being a real-life mother who would subject her real-life daughter to that kind of publicity in the first place.
So far, the Poppy Burge story seems to be real, perhaps because her mother is already known as an advocate for plastic surgery, having more than three quarters of a million dollars worth and counting, and is a celebrity in her own right. And Poppy seems delighted, saying: “I can’t wait to be like Mummy with big boobs.” Continue reading
E! stoops to a new low with “Bridalplasty”
E! stoops to a new low with "Bridalplasty," premiering November 28.
In the words of a dear friend, “What. The. F%$#!?”
Seriously, how else could anyone react to the upcoming train wreck/sign of the apocalypse that is Bridalplasty?
Just as I was about to reluctantly praise the executives at E! for handling the subject matter of What’s Eating You? with some tact, they began running promos for what is potentially the worst piece of reality trash to hit the airwaves since The Swan.
According to the official website, Bridalplasty viewers will have the pleasure of watching “brides-to-be compete in challenges to earn plastic-surgery procedures in a quest to win their ultimate dream wedding.”
I’m not even sure where to begin – it’s just that bad. Continue reading
“Make Me Young” makes us think about the world of anti-aging
Mitch McCabe explores the anti-aging world in "Make Me Young."
I laughed, I cried, I contemplated Botox.
It’s true – filmmaker Mitch McCabe’s awesome documentary, Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain, was a serious roller-coaster ride through the world of anti-aging, stirring up all kinds of emotions.
The daughter of a plastic surgeon, Mitch explores her fascination with going under the knife by traveling across America, interviewing a host of patients, experts, and skeptics.
What I found so touching and refreshing about Make Me Young was that it didn’t seem to have a moral message, condemning those who opt for nips and tucks. Nor did it glorify the $60 billion a year anti-aging industry that keeps us all anxiously monitoring our crow’s feet and frown lines.
Mitch just wants to talk to people, and find out what they think about themselves, and our youth-obsessed culture. And along the way, we get some insight into her personal past, and how her dad’s work seriously impacted her own preoccupation with growing older.
Watch the trailer below, and if you feel like laughing and crying your way through an exploration of injections and lifts, order the DVD on Amazon.
– Michelle
Gallery of Winners: “America the Beautiful” exposes some ugly truths.
Produced by: Sensory Overload Productions
DVD available in Fall 2009. See the film’s web site for more details.
Questions to Consider:
* Is America obsessed with beauty?
* Do the beauty and fashion industries need to promote the thin body ideal to be successful?
* What are some mixed messages that girls get about their appearance and sexuality?
* Who decides what is beautiful?
What We Think:
In this award-winning documentary, filmmaker Darryl Roberts critically and light-heartedly tries to answer the question, “Is America obsessed with beauty?” He follows aspiring young models (and watches one crumble under the industry’s pressure). He interviews fashion magazine editors, celebrities, plastic surgeons, and everyday men and women. It’s a candid and enlightening movie that will make you feel more empowered and more aware, wondering, “Who decides what’s beautiful, anyway?” (by Kate Elston)
See more about America the Beautiful in our blog entry “America the Beautiful”: Why beauty is out of control.
Take Action! Contact:
E-mail the filmmaker, Darryl Roberts, your thoughts on the movie.
We love (this interview with) Margaret Cho!
Margaret mugs for the camera
“I didn’t mean to be a role model,” says Margaret Cho. “I just speak my truth.”
Well Margaret’s truth is blunt, brazen, and hilarious, and anyone who’s seen the comedian in action can attest to her role-model-worthiness.
From her humble beginnings in San Francisco to her current mega-success with the TV show “Drop Dead Diva” and her upcoming comedy album Cho Dependent, Margaret’s racked up a lot of life experience. While she’s had her ups and downs with body image and self-esteem, it looks like Margaret has finally emerged on top. And whether or not she considers herself a role model, we sure do.
Check out our interview with the insanely talented star:
Joan Rivers: the face of feminism?
The comic contemplates her next revolutionary move in "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work."
She’s nipped, tucked, Botoxed, and damn proud of it.
So maybe Joan Rivers is a less-than-likely representative of female empowerment, but the woman has certainly made her mark. The new documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work examines a year in the life of the legendary comic, and I certainly got more than I bargained for from the indie flick. Like a new role model, for instance.
Sure, many people know Joan more for the ever-progressing plasticity of her face, but the 77-year-old has been cracking jokes and offending the masses for half a century. Whether or not you care for her current repertoire (she’s lately been known to pick on celebs like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus via Twitter), A Piece of Work underscores the impact Rivers had on a previously prudish American audience.
Regarding one of her earlier risque routines featured in the film, Rivers said,
I was the first one to discuss abortion, and it was very rough…And I couldn’t even say the word “abortion”…And by making jokes about it, you brought it into a position where you could look at it and deal with it. It was no longer something that you couldn’t discuss and had to whisper about. When you whisper about something, it’s too big and you can’t get it under control and take control of it.
Say what you will about the woman, but bringing an issue like abortion to the forefront of America’s consciousness in the ‘60s was pretty courageous. Continue reading
On pressure, plastic surgery, and giving in.
Yesterday I realized that I am a Susan Boyle in a world of Heidi Montags.
Singer Susan Boyle's decidedly plain appearance has gotten just as much attention as her beautiful voice.
Let me explain. After having 2009’s best-selling album, Susan Boyle has been heralded as much for her glorious voice as she has been scrutinized for her plain, frumpy appearance. Media attention has been as focused on her outward makeup as on her inner gift.
Meanwhile, reality television star Heidi Montag just had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day in order to compete in what she admits is a superficial industry. The procedures included a brow lift, pinning her ears back, breast augmentation, fat injections in the cheeks and lips, chin reduction, neck liposuction, liposuction of waist and thighs, and a buttocks augmentation. Heidi has stated that she wanted to uncover her “best self,” but has since appeared on the covers of magazines and been the subject of articles and blogs all wondering the same things: Is she obsessed? Is she addicted to plastic surgery? Even Heidi’s own mother is reportedly “horrified.”
When Susan Boyle was laughed at prior to the triumph of her voice, I wanted to hug her and reassure her that she was worthy and beautiful. Continue reading
Cosmetic surgery hits home: When your mom goes under the knife
Right now, Karen has a scalpel to her face, and went under anesthesia thinking “When I wake up, I’ll be beautiful.” She’s deeply unconscious, and probably pretty bloody, as the well-reputed and trusted female cosmetic surgeon performs her “art”. She will receive an untold number of stitches and will be bruised for at least two weeks.
Karen*, who is in her early 60s, is my friend Sara’s* mother. Because Sara was my best friend growing up, it’s like Karen is my own mom. I grew up going to her house every day after school, and I saw and hugged her at her daughter’s graduations and wedding. I almost can’t bare the thought that she would want to change her face. Sara is, simply, distraught.
Karen’s face is one of the faces that has a permanent place in my mind, an unchanging, perfect face, just because it’s hers. I can’t even determine whether it is beautiful or not beautiful to others. Today she is choosing to change that face, and I really don’t understand her decision to be on the operating table today.
But really, this isn’t about what I think. I’m writing this piece about, and for, her daughter — my friend — Sara.
When Sara called me, crying, a few weeks ago, to tell me that her mom had her surgery date set for a facelift and eye lift, I felt a shocking jolt in my body. “I’m so disappointed in her,” Sara sobbed. “I mean, she always was my feminist mom. She was always telling me that my looks weren’t as important as my smarts. She’s so smart. She taught me to fight inequality. And then she goes and does THIS… it’s the ultimate ‘giving in’ to our messed-up culture.”
The ugly truth about cosmetics
Do you know what's in the products you use?
Are the beauty products you use hazardous to your health? The answer is, most likely, “yes”.
When it comes to personal care products in the United States, the FDA does little to protect consumers from harmful chemicals. But we can protect ourselves by researching the products that we purchase and use.