I hope you’re ready for a full-tilt rant because a headline news item on CBS”s morning newsmagzine television show announced that signs of the recession may be ending have been indicated by the sharp incline in elective plastic surgery across the United States.  The totally creepy part came next; the female anchor was elated at this news and then said, “Stay tuned later on the show as we explore some nips and tucks you can get at bargain basement prices as the industry tries to regain it’s footing after suffering from the effects of the economic downturn.  That should put a smile on your face, huh?”  Seriously?????

Look, if a woman has her breasts removed due to cancer nd elects to have false ones as a replacement or people like my buddy, W. Mitchell need a plastic surgeon after being severely burned, I am totally okay but elective surgery means you are paying good money to someone already rich to make you look fake!  Get it?  In fact, last night, as if prophecy were occurring right before my eyes, I surfed to a station that had an info-mercial on facial surgery to “Regain those years lost due to the ravages of aging and (ready?) all in a completely natural way!”  So, let me get this right.  You’re going into an operating room where an anesthetic will knock you out, a team of surgeons and nurses will then slice your face open, suck all the contents out after which botox (a poison) will be injected to freeze the muscles that are left.  Then you’ll be stitched up and after two or three weeks, all the swelling and bruising will subside and bingo, a new and natural you!  Am I the only one who sees how asinine this all is?  I know we’re all given a choice of what to do with our bodies, I even have a small tattoo of a maple leaf on my leg and have worn an earring since 1988 but please.  What amazes me even more is how the people who get this done think they look better.  Look at Joan Rivers…she`s ugly and ironically, she used to be beautiful (I was a guest on her television show in the late 80`s).  I know people think I am being insensitive because after all, these procedures make those getting them `feel better about themselves`.  This kind of issue usually gets me some enemies and in fact, I have given a lot of consideration to minding my own business but this blog is less about the actual women (the stats say a clear majority of women get plastic surgery) and more about whole concept that mystifies me.

I had fake arms for 14 years and I hated every minute I had to wear them.  People may have stared less but I needed to become comfortable in my own skin and not be embarrassed to use my feet.  I grew my confidence in self-acceptance and the best part…it was free.  Certainly, people can find better uses for their money.  I do want to acknowledge that I have had many women tell me how unattractive they often feel after pregnancy(s) so I suppose this presents some hypocrisy on my part as I do respect their point of view.  I just felt so insulted by the tone of the national news anchor and want  people to consider that anyone “suffering” because people stopped spending money on botox injections deserve absolutely no sympathy from anyone, let alone a lead item on a National TV Network.  Give your head a shake America!