The article titled Outside-In: Body, Mind, and Self in the Advertisement of Aesthetic Surgery written by Deborah Caslav Covino discusses the increase in plastic and aesthetic surgeries. According to the article, between the years of 1997 and 1999 the number of aesthetic procedures increased 119%. This increase brought the total number of procedures to 4,606,954 with liposuction topping the list of the most popular.(Covino,D. 2001). It is believed that changing one’s body image will in turn change the mind. Because aesthetic surgeons are cutting into bodies that are functionally sound, the industry needed to improve its status within the medical community (Covino,D. 2001). The argument that improving a patient’s psyche by performing aesthetic surgery seemed to appease many. The outside-in benefit to aesthetic surgery claims it has always been known that improvements to the inner psyche and spiritual changes brings out an external radiance but it can also work in reverse. If restoring the lost years of a person who is struggling with negative social reactions, the inner light will glow once again (Covino. D, 2001). The industry has evolved this theory of the years and now believes the mind and body work together as one. Changing the outside will not change who you are inside, but it may give you greater confidence and sense of security. The increase in aesthetic surgery has prompted growth in surgery centers as well as advertisements. Many people believe they can enjoy the deep and long lasting changes that come from aesthetic surgery and this has resulted in the increase popularity of the term aesthetic rather than cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic encompass beauty in all aspects including mind, body and soul. Surgeons are now being considered artists and the work they do on bodies is being compared to famous artwork such as the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David (Covino, D. 2001). Advertisements have also emphasized this point describing procedures as Liposculpture, Permanent Lip Enhancements, and Feathertouch Skin Resurfacing (Covino, D. 2001). This article claims that to most people beauty does matter and the steady incline of the people opting for aesthetic surgery supports this idea. If external beauty can improve a person’s internal psyche are the risks worth taking? So many people have decided the answer to that question is yes. Personally, I do not necessarily agree with this article. I believe that natural aging is part of life and every wrinkle or scar tells a story or shows how hard you’ve worked in life. I also believe aesthetic surgery is a personal choice. If an individual truly believes the only way to be happy is to enhance their appearance then that is a choice they must make for themselves.
Reference:
Covino, D. (2001). Outside-In: Body, Mind, and Self in the Advertisement of Aesthetic Surgery.
Journal of Popular Culture. (35), p.91
2 comments:
I agree to disagree on the subject. I dread the idea of looking old. Sometimes we feel much younger on the inside and want to look the same on the outside. I do agree that it is up to the indivual. I thought of the show Nip Tuck when I read this article. They think they are artist, but it is only a show.
Good analysis
I dread the idea of looking old too (although it may be too late, lol!). There are degrees of work that you can have done, some of it isn't really extensive. A little Botox, a little filler can make a world of difference. I wouldn't want to look like Joan Rivers, she's had way too much done (at least she can joke about it), but some of the minor procedures are more like putting on makeup.
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