Offspring of Plastic Parents

[Scotty]

I was just wondering, as I do often, what sort of social or other issues would evolve from couples that have plastic surgery to change their looks, and then have children.

Daddy has a nose job, a new chin, and capped teeth (and lets just add penis enlargment, just for the extra value menu)

Mommy has her eyes widened, her ears pinned back and a butt job.

Child looks like something from a Roger Corman movie.

I also ponder the hypenated names, how long can you do that before you have to just dump part of it? (I don't care obviously if somebody wants a hypenated name, I just am curious what you do eventually).

It would seem to end up like "Enemy Mine".

Anyway, back to work.

-Scott

[Roland98]

A butt job?

As far as the hyphenated thing, the father of a girl I went to school with passed away when said girl was 7. Mom re-married 5 years later, and a few years after that (after stepdad had officially adopted them), the girl and her sister hyphenated their names to show both their biological dad and their stepdad's last names. When the older girl got married, she added the hyphenated name as a second middle name; then the younger girl married, she just ditched it altogether and took her husband's name.

[Scotty]

Oh yes, people can get implants in their butt, just in case you didn't know that.

There you go, have to ditch the extra hyphens (or move them around), make sense after a while, I think they should just add it one time to a piece of paper and have all of the names listed, then just keep what you want for legal purposes.

-Scott

[wildernesse]

I thought about this too, after watching an episode of The Swan (which really is a truly gruesome concept). One of the women complained about not looking feminine enough and how all her life she had hated looking so ugly**. So, she had a nose job, chin implants, her face resurfaced, and other stuff. Then, at the end of the show, she lost to the other remade contestant--and her family was there. Her little girl looked exactly like her, and I had to wonder how she would feel knowing that her mother used to look just like her but hated how she looked so much that she had her whole face re-arranged!

But then I don't really understand why anyone would voluntarily go to the hospital because they don't like their looks. Not that I'm satisfied with how I look (go American culture!) but I'm not going to pay to look different. That'd be weird!

**Of course, she wasn't actually ugly at all. She looked like a normal person who had acne scars--she had a nice symmetrical face with nice, balanced features. If she'd had her eyebrows waxed she would have looked much more feminine (speaking from experience!).

[Dingfod]

I've often thought of these surgical enhancements as false advertising, trying to fool people, often prospective mates. I guess the same argument could be made for orthodontic braces and even cosmetic makeup. How is a person supposed to produce good-looking offspring if they end up with someone that is bucktooth butt-ugly in reality?

[wildernesse]

I've often thought of these surgical enhancements as false advertising, trying to fool people, often prospective mates. I guess the same argument could be made for orthodontic braces and even cosmetic makeup. How is a person supposed to produce good-looking offspring if they end up with someone that is bucktooth butt-ugly in reality?

I had a friend who worried over whether Miracle/Wonder bras were sin for this reason--it presents a false image and is deceptive and we should be honest. What happens when your husband finds out that your chest is smaller? Then your whole marriage is built on deceit! He'll never be able to trust you! And so on. :eyebrow2:

[Corona688]

Dishonest how, exactly? Who is being lied to about what? (unless he/she did claim it was all natural, of course). About the only thing being taken advantage of is evolutionary responses, and evolution doesn't and never did care.

[wildernesse]

Dishonest how, exactly? Who is being lied to about what? (unless he/she did claim it was all natural, of course). About the only thing being taken advantage of is evolutionary responses, and evolution doesn't and never did care.

If you have to ask, you are apparently blinded by sin.

Or something like that.

I didn't really delve into the "pushup/padded bra presents false front" idea--there were probably more interesting things to listen to that day. Like how humans and dinosaurs walked the earth together or how God will bring you a husband right to your door, so you should never date or . . . well, anyway. Having conservative Southern Baptist friends was something very new for me in college, and almost everything they said was amazing to me in some form or another.

[Adora]

Oh yes, people can get implants in their butt, just in case you didn't know that.

Yeah, like Britney *vapid giggle*.

Er, I have reservations about plastic surgery, and I think 99% of those who get it have serious body dismorphia psychosis. They therefore, should not be having kids at all.

Push up bras? What're they? *falls over snickering* If there is nothing else I have over most women when it comes to natural assets, I can at least claim I shall never, EVER need one of those ridiculous fucking things. What a joke. I have never heard a man say 'Oh yeah. I love the things'. It's always 'Bloody deceptive! You get it off and suddenly what looked like a nice pair turns into mosquito bites!'. Hehehe hehehe heh *mocks mercilessly*.

[Roland98]

I was thinking this thread as I drove home from the gym today. I've never had (nor really wanted) any kind of plastic surgery, and I think I have a pretty decent body image. I don't bitch and moan about my weight, and I don't say "I'm fat" when I know I'm not. And I'm even more conscious of this now that I have a daughter of my own. I do know quite a few girls and women who've been fucked up by listening to their mother (or other female relatives) complain all the time about how their nose could be smaller, their teeth whiter, their stomach smaller, breasts curvier, ass narrower, etc. My 16-year old sister-in-law, who's about 5'4" and probably weighs all of 105, was doing this just the other day. I could hardly believe it. But then, I dunno, am I any better, even though I don't really complain? Aurora still sees me go to the gym several times a week; she knows my hair is different, and I wear make-up (not a lot, but still, she watches me put it on and stuff). So even if I'm not enforcing it constantly by talking about my body flaws, I still must be sending signals that natural beauty just isn't enough.

Hmm.

[Goliath]

My 16-year old sister-in-law, who's about 5'4" and probably weighs all of 105, was doing this just the other day.

Yep, people can get crazy over shit like that. I know a girl who used to be a bulemic. She's 6'0" but very thin (probably 140 or so), and she thinks that she's fatter than I am (I'm 6'1" and...well over twice her weight).

And yes, I'm not really happy with my body, either...but at least when I say that I'm a fatass, I mean it, god damn it! :D

[wildernesse]

So even if I'm not enforcing it constantly by talking about my body flaws, I still must be sending signals that natural beauty just isn't enough.

Hmm.

Natural beauty doesn't tend to be all that beautiful, so it's no wonder it's not enough. Naturally, people stink and sweat and have hairs everywhere and decaying teeth and can be really terrifyingly reflective shades of white. And moles. :eek:

I think what the problems come in when some people emphasize that the whole deck of cards (or even half of it) is built on how you look--which isn't the case. Or when you emphasize other people's outward appearance over anything else.

[JoeP]

and decaying teeth and can be really terrifyingly reflective shades of white. And moles.
I have highly reflective healthy white skin and healthy but tanned teeth. Did I get it the wrong way round?

[wildernesse]

and decaying teeth and can be really terrifyingly reflective shades of white. And moles.
I have highly reflective healthy white skin and healthy but tanned teeth. Did I get it the wrong way round?


If you lived where I do, you would be constantly reminded that healthy is also not enough--you need to have dazzlingly reflective white teeth and glowing burnished tan skin to be lovely and healthy. So, if you don't want to tan from the sun, you should buy self-tanner so you look nice. And your teeth should be sparkling white and perfectly straight (even if the dentist says using half that gloop isn't good for your teeth). Otherwise, you're just not right.

[Godless Dave]

Aurora still sees me go to the gym several times a week; she knows my hair is different, and I wear make-up (not a lot, but still, she watches me put it on and stuff). So even if I'm not enforcing it constantly by talking about my body flaws, I still must be sending signals that natural beauty just isn't enough.
Going to the gym is more about being healthy than looking good. More women die of heart disease than breast cancer, so as long as your focus is on being in good shape rather than looking sexy I wouldn't worry about that aspect.

Do your wear makeup all the time every day or just for certain occasions? I think balance is the key. Do you compliment your daughter on her intelligence, politeness, and artistic abilities more than on how she looks? If so then I wouldn't worry.

[Godless Dave]

If you lived where I do, you would be constantly reminded that healthy is also not enough--you need to have dazzlingly reflective white teeth and glowing burnished tan skin to be lovely and healthy.
Two questions:

Do you live in a country club?

Did no one get the memo that excessive tanning causes skin cancer?

[wildernesse]

Do you live in a country club?

Nope, college town.

Did no one get the memo that excessive tanning causes skin cancer?

Well, that's why you buy the goop that makes you darker. You don't have to even get in the sun. Or have a MiracleTan--you don't even have to rub that in.

[Lauri D]

<snip> and be really terrifyingly reflective shades of white. I resemble that remark ;)

Seriously, I know what you mean - and I live in Southern California, so you can probably imagine how horrifying it is to the general populace (that gives a shit) that I am unapolagetically pale and FRECKLED! :eek: to boot.

I pretty much agree with you, wildy. Despite the intensely image-conscious area that I live in, I just can't bring myself to take the measures (fake-n-bake) that might well bring an early death, considering my family's predisposition to skin cancer. I do admit to having used self-tanning lotion on occasion during the summer, not in an attempt to attain a burnished glow (that would require about 1,000 applications) but merely to deflect the unavoidable remarks like "Oh, I thought you were wearing white tights!"

But it's neither here nor there, because I take great comfort in the fact that when I am 40-50ish, I shall remain mostly unlined, while my sun-worshipping peers resemble leather handbags. :rofl:

She who laughs last....
:yup:

Anyhoo, I've had the same thoughts about seriously modified persons and their offspring. What do you do, say, to your child when there is a very OBVIOUS feature that could not have come from nowhere?

[wildernesse]

[quote]I pretty much agree with you, wildy. Despite the intensely image-conscious area that I live in, I just can't bring myself to take the measures (fake-n-bake) that might well bring an early death, considering my family's predisposition to skin cancer. I do admit to having used self-tanning lotion on occasion during the summer, not in an attempt to attain a burnished glow (that would require about 1,000 applications) but merely to deflect the unavoidable remarks like "Oh, I thought you were wearing white tights!"

Haha. At least people don't comment on how they can see your veins through your skin--and how gross that is. :glare: I've been turned off of self-tanner. My mom used self-tanner this summer on her legs and it interacted with her sunscreen--owwie burns.

[Scotty]

The better looking you are, the more potential you have to mate (right?), so then you modify yourself to attract that mate and then you have children that no longer stack up.

Then, everybody keeps getting modified to make themselves look good, and as a society we keep getting uglier and uglier!

In 500 years we will have to have plastic surgury right after being born.

Oh wait, by then we will just be pre-made by computer.

The more I think about it, the more I really like my thread title. :D

-Scott

[Farren]

I pretty much agree with you, wildy. Despite the intensely image-conscious area that I live in, I just can't bring myself to take the measures (fake-n-bake) that might well bring an early death, considering my family's predisposition to skin cancer. I do admit to having used self-tanning lotion on occasion during the summer, not in an attempt to attain a burnished glow (that would require about 1,000 applications) but merely to deflect the unavoidable remarks like "Oh, I thought you were wearing white tights!"

But it's neither here nor there, because I take great comfort in the fact that when I am 40-50ish, I shall remain mostly unlined, while my sun-worshipping peers resemble leather handbags. :rofl:

Yeah, my sister-in-law and I are both like that. Factor 50 sunscreen on the beach and she spends most of the time under an umbrella. We got ragged mercilessly for being so white we were blinding people last time we went on holiday together. South African's are serious sun worshippers and a tan is mandatory for a lot of white folks.

But as you say, vindication comes in your golden years when everyone else looks like Bridget Bardot.

[Dingfod]

Did no one get the memo that excessive tanning causes skin cancer?Didn't you get the more recent memo that says not getting enough sun causes Vitamin D deficiency?

[wade-w]

What about todays fascination with piercings and tattoos? Are these just a different manifestation of the same phenomenon?

And as far as tanning goes, I'm a redhead. I've never had a tan, never will, and couldn't get one even if I wanted to. I also have every single one of the risk factors for skin cancer. I even had to have some "precancerous" spots removed from my forearm about 6 months ago (I was told that left alone each spot had about a 20% chance of becoming cancer). So I'll stay out of the sun as much as possible, thank you very much.

[livius drusus]

That's an interesting point, wade. Is surgical body modification substantively different from more traditional forms of body modification? I'll have to mull it over a bit, although off the top of my head I'd say that there is a recapture your youth theme to surgery which if it's there, is at least not so prevalent in tattooing or piercing.

[Scotty]

I consider getting modifications to yourself to make you look younger to fit under a slightly different category then this, but still somewhat in line (although your children won't wonder who their parents are ;) ).

As for the tattoo/peircing thing, my thought was always "what are these people going to look like when they are 80?"

Oh, and on a note of making a ton of money, if you could somehow get a license to just remove tattoos with a laser (not needing a degree of some sort), get the best machine possible (70k), and if you can get 35 people a day for $50 a session (they can cost $300/session normally and take 6 sessions to remove a tattoo), that would be over $400,000 a YEAR! Holy CRAP!

I watched a show on this, and the Dr. said they did this for $35/session and saw 35 people a day and he had a 2 year waiting list. I figured you could charge a little bit more. They were doing it for cheap too, but still, that is like $300,000/year. I know, time off for golf, but still.

I want to do it, small investment in a laser for big returns. Amazing, too bad you probably have to have a staff of people, a degree and rent an office, insurance, to get it done But still... $$$

-Scott

[Adora]

Did no one get the memo that excessive tanning causes skin cancer?Didn't you get the more recent memo that says not getting enough sun causes Vitamin D deficiency?

Except the memo states that it takes extreme amounts of sun deprivation, like staying inside with heavy curtains drawn all the time, or wearing a burqa 24-7, or spending lots of time indoors under artificial lighting in a climate where natural sunlight is difficult to access. So you've got it in a lot of European countries, Japan, and it's a common ailment of women in Muslim societies who have to cover themselves.

Not wanting to tan doesn't quite stretch it that far.

[Dingfod]

I were kidding, kiddo.

[wildernesse]

As for the tattoo/peircing thing, my thought was always "what are these people going to look like when they are 80?"



Well, my grandfather is 80 and he has a tattoo on his arm. It's a tattoo of. . . . Hmm. I don't actually know what it is. It's black. I think it is Navy-related.

But I doubt that the quality of his tattoo is the same as some people's are today--or that he took care of it at all.