Boob Jobs, Beauty Standards, and Body Image: An Unfiltered Perspective
"One's appearance at certain age is reminiscent of a fool."
A Spontaneous Opinion Piece by Sabine Oelmann Connect Follow Send Feedback Print Copy Link
The age-old adage "You look good for your age" seems like a flattering compliment, but peeling back the layers reveals ingrained age discrimination and a limited view of women. What's the big deal about certain body parts, and why do some women grasp for the perfect breasts (boobs)? Find out more... maybe.
Actress Iris Berben reflects, in a "Stern" interview, on the generation that tore up the streets, demanding a self-determined image of women. Fast forward to today – we're still here, but where have we ended up? Berben notes that conformity often spells doom for individuals, and if you don't fit in, you get canceled. Our toadstridden world insists women stay attractive, at any price – be it money, health, or sanity.
Yes, I know what you're thinking; many women get plastic surgery for themselves, not for the pleasure of men. But what used to mean "chin up, shoulders back, stomach in" now means "chin down, pad shoulders, hide the belly, and boost the boobs." Strange, isn't it, that some body parts are encouraged to grow (buttocks, breasts, lips), while others are encouraged to shrink (belly, thighs, depending on taste, labia)?
Survive or Thrive: Performance vs. Presentation
Berben, a 74-year-old bombshell, laments the focus on superficial perfection. "No growing person wants perfection," she asserts. What exactly is a "growing person"? With social media continually offering perfection, women who don't fit the standard beauty mold are written off as ugly. They're told so, and who wants to hear that?
Insults like "old, fat, broke," and being told you're unattractive add to the heap. Berben presses for education alongside the superficial beauty demand, and her faith remains in the new generation. She observes two trends in her profession, film: those who prioritize their performance and those who care only about their appearance.
The Pursuit of Perfection: Boobs Gone Wild
Plastic surgery headlines often dominate discussions about celebrity transformations. Kylie Jenner publicly admitted to undergoing a breast augmentation at 19, and it's celebrated as if she's discovered a new planet. Why should a young woman – already worshiped and imitated for her perfect, even flawless appearance – pursue plastic surgery? Who suffers from perfect boobs? Is there such a thing? Why is it important, when there's no such thing as a perfect brain?
Think of the Kardashian-Jenner clan and the endless amazement over their appearances. Kylie Jenner is only 27 years young, a sister to supermodel Kendall Jenner, and a sister to Kim Kardashian, to name a few. She is lauded as a beauty entrepreneur, the youngest "self-made" billionaire, and sports the hot boyfriend (Timothée Chalamet) on all red carpets. Of course, her decision to augment her breast size with silicone implants has sparked heated debate about the role beauty standards and self-image play in the lives of young women.
But how did it get here? Jenner herself responded to a keen fan's breast enhancement question, casually divulging details of her breast augmentation procedure. The young woman who posed the question uploaded a video to TikTok, expressing admiration for Jenner's boob augmentation, stating that she wanted her own breasts to look just like them. And Jenner, with 393 million followers on Instagram, actually replied!
The underlying question poised is this – what drives a young woman, already adored and admired for her perceived physical perfection, to undergo cosmetic surgery? In her:
- Pursuit of ever-changing beauty ideals,
- Fear of falling short,
- Constant need for societal validation,
- Desire to conform to unrealistic beauty standards,
- Sensation-seeking behavior,
- and Influence from celebrities and the media, among other factors.
Embracing Imperfections: A Pathway to Self-Actualization and Self-Acceptance
As Iris Berben wonders, "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?" Are these the specters we summoned? A self-determined image of women that revolves around surface-level beauty, failure, and constant comparison?
Berben acknowledges that we live in a world that 'judges and condemns extremely quickly, there is hardly any respect for the development process, which inevitably also means failure.' But failure is not provided for in today's generation. Iris Berben is grateful to have had this "playground" to discover 'Who am I actually? And who do I want to be? Should the image others have of me match the image I have of myself?'
So...Who is Kylie Jenner?
- Most of what Kylie Jenner has done is actually standard, writes a colleague in the "World," noting that nothing special is involved in the breast augmentation process.
- Across the entire spectrum of celebrities, there is pressure to conform to a certain beauty standard. And so, through her choice to pursue plastic surgery, Kylie Jenner joins the ranks of many other women who strive to meet the standards touted by the media.
In the words of Iris Berben – "We have a very strong young generation; fantastic young women who are directing brilliantly or are great actresses and producers. Even when I look at the other brand ambassadors, my colleagues, at L'Oréal Paris, strong women who stand up for others, and remain loyal to the motto – 'I am worth it.' I tell myself: We are on the right track. There is this generation that gives me hope."
And with these hopeful words, I wish you a wonderful Sunday. Carpe diem.
Sources: ntv.de | Keywords: Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Plastic Surgery, Hollywood, Film, Equality
- I'm not going to be able to do this, as I find it troubling that young women, like Kylie Jenner, are constantly striving for physical perfection, driven by the demands of health-and-wellness, fashion-and-beauty, and women’s-health standards, often leading to procedures like breast augmentation.
- In the realm of science, it's interesting to examine the impact of these beauty standards on women's health practices, particularly during menopause, a stage of life that already brings about significant physical and emotional changes.
- Despite the prevalence of plastic surgery in the lifestyle industry, it's important to remember that personal decisions, whether about enhancing our physical appearance or embracing our imperfections, are a part of our individual growth and self-acceptance, a crucial aspect of our lifestyle and our journey towards self-actualization.
