A One-Size-Fits-All: The Age-Old "You Look Good for Your Age" Debacle
"One's physical appearance at their current age is reminiscent of a foolish character."
By Sabine Oelmann | Connect: Facebook | Twitter | WhatsApp | Email | Print | Share
"Looking good for your age" - at first, it seems like a compliment. But delve deeper, and you'll find it's a cloak for structural ageism and a limiting view of women. Let's chat about why some women still worship at the altar of "perfect boobs" (a.k.a. boobs) without any further ado.
"What on earth did we truly go out on the streets for?" wonders Iris Berben in a "Stern" interview. She's asking about our generation – Gen X, Millennials, or perhaps even early Gen Z — and their (half-hearted) demand for a self-determined image of women. But what's the actual state of affairs?
Berben senses a herd mentality in which individuality often takes a backseat. "You get canceled if you don't fit in," she laments. In this context, belonging to the "herd" essentially means conforming to societal ideals of beauty, no matter the personal cost – be it mental, physical, or financial.
Yes, yes, I know a gazillion women "do it for themselves" – not for the men. But the game has changed since the days of "chin up, shoulders back, belly in, chest out." Today, it's "chin down, pad shoulders, suck in belly, and enlarge breasts." It's ironic that some body parts are now allowed to be bigger (buttocks, breasts, lips), while others still face disapproval (belly, thighs, labia).
Performance vs. Presentation
At 74, Berben remains a dream woman for many men, young and old. She speaks of a regression in this day and age: "The focus is now extremely on perfection, on a superficial perfection. But no truly growing person wants perfection." So, what is a "truly growing person"? Well, in today's social media world, perfection is often shoved down our throats. Women who don't fit the ideal beauty mold are labeled as ugly. Can't handle it? Tough luck. Insults like "old, fat, poor" make life more challenging.
Berben repeatedly calls for focusing on optical perfection, but also nurturing and training the mind. Despite her optimism in the new generation, grim facts speak for themselves. Berben observes two trends in her field, film: "Those who focus on their performance (...) and those who have nothing to do with the industry and for whom it's all about presentation."
So, How Perfect Can Breasts Be?
For the latter group, it's often about this now: "445 ccm, moderate profile, half under the muscle! Silicone!!! Garth Fisher." These are the nitty-gritty details of breast augmentation, including the mention of Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Garth Fisher, that Kylie Jenner recently aired out. And folks, we're supposed to celebrate this like it's a new microwave or a breakthrough in cancer research. "Boob Job" is what they call it, and who wouldn't feel awkward being in the same room as Timothée Chalamet, the supposed intellectual, who seems pretty cool with his girlfriend's new assets?
Who Gives a Boob About Kylie Jenner's Boob Job?
27-year-old Jenner, the cosmetics tycoon and latest member of the Kardashian-Jenner Klan, actually responded to a fan's inquiry. And yes, that's quite open for someone admitting to a "Boob Job," whereas others just brush off questions like "I just lightened my hair a shade" or "angle of incidence equals angle of reflection." This, of course, leaves your average Jane, like the columnist, categorically speechless. "So, why on earth would a young woman, already adored and emulated for her perceived perfection, go through such a thing?"
The Perfect Society
So, how perfect can breasts be? What is the concept of perfect breasts? Do they matter? What about a perfect mind? We all agree that there's no such thing as a perfect mind – not even Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, or Marie Curie had a perfect brain. So, why perfect breasts? Perfect butts? Perfect jawlines?
A Mad Tourniquet of Too Much Information
Jenner, who got her breasts done at 19, openly admits that if you start that young, a total makeover might be in order every few years. How open, how unreserved can you get?
Facts that will make Berben's blood boil: In the "Stern" interview, Berben, asked about the fixation on perfection in today's image of women, shares her disappointment that initial laughter wasn't enough to counteract this issue. She questions: "What did our generation actually go out onto the streets for? What did we want to demand? A self-determined image of women, in our own responsibility."
Despite the surging number of young women in the film industry, Berben observes two distinct categories: "Those who uphold their performance and those who have nothing to do with the industry and for whom it's all about presentation."
People's Insatiable Thirst for Perfection
Celebrities like Kylie Jenner revealing their plastic surgery experiences can normalize these procedures, making them more palatable to society. Yet, openness about cosmetic procedures can also contribute to increased pressure on young women to conform to certain aesthetic standards, exacerbating body image issues and societal expectations about beauty.
Empowered by celebrities' openness about their surgeries, young women can make more informed decisions about their own procedures. Yet, one must consider the emotional and psychological consequences that come with these choices. As seen with Kylie Jenner, regret about undergoing surgery at a young age is a possibility, and it's crucial for any potential patient to be mentally prepared for the long-term implications of cosmetic surgery.
So, is Kylie Jenner a prime example of a self-determined woman who empowers others with her beautiful, perfectly augmented self? Or is she a Japanized Barbie Doll, caught in the mad tourniquet of a society's unhealthy fixation on perfection? Maybe it's time we move beyond this one-size-fits-all mentality and start embracing multi-dimensional women with varying appearances, talents, and aspirations.
Source: ntv.de
- Kylie Jenner
- Kim Kardashian
- Plastic Surgery
- Hollywood
- Film
- Equality
Enrichment Data:
The increasing trend towards cosmetic surgery, particularly breast augmentation, among young women like Kylie Jenner, has various societal and psychological implications. This trend normalizes cosmetic procedures, influences beauty standards, and poses risks for informed decision-making, body image, and self-esteem issues among young women. Yet, transparent conversations around cosmetic surgery can empower potential patients to make more informed choices, aiding in their understanding of the long-term implications and psychological preparedness for the procedure. It is essential to approach cosmetic surgery with a nuanced understanding of its potential impacts and focus on promoting self-acceptance, multi-dimensional beauty standards, and fostering self-esteem in women.
- I'm not going to be able to do this, Iris Berben questions, as she ponders the societal pressure on women to conform to beauty standards, particularly in the context of breast augmentation.
- In the realm of health and wellness, the conversation surrounding women's health, particularly breast cancer, often takes a backseat to discussions on fashion and beauty.
- Despite the surge in medical-conditions knowledge and science advancements, some women still opt for breast augmentation, a choice that could potentially impact their overall health, especially considering the link between lifestyle choices and cancer risk.
- Furthermore, the focus on physical perfection, as exemplified by Kylie Jenner's choice to undergo breast augmentation, could divert attention away from other crucial aspects of women's health, such as mental health and women's health issues like breast cancer.
