According to a recent BBC article, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has announced their newfound concern for the rise in young people desiring surgical procedures, claiming that “younger patients can be vulnerable and often have self-esteem issues.”
The article goes on to state a very obvious and predictable point: These procedures often fail to help people overcome their initial body image issues.
No shit.
This article fails to shine light on anything groundbreaking in lieu of body image or the nature of plastic surgery, and I doubt that these concerns were even really its intention. As I see it, this article is a face-saving tool for plastic surgeons that allows them to be presented as benevolent, magnanimous members of society as opposed to people who make a living off of improving other people’s contrived inadequacies.
What if the “doctors” who ran pill mills suddenly issued press releases admonishing the harmful effects of Oxycodone and other opiate derivatives that have, until this point, made them filthy-stinking-rich? Would you accept this sudden surge of ethics as legitimate? Or would you call them sanctimonious, capitalistic pricks before spitting on the sidewalk and heading to the drug store to fill your fresh new prescription of Roxies?
Via: scenicreflections.com
If you feel uncomfortable performing cosmetic surgery on young people, you picked the wrong fucking industry. And really, it’s not like anyone just stumbles into plastic surgery as a last resort. Aside from occasional trauma and burn victims, and depending on the location of practice, the majority of plastic surgery is bound to be elective and cosmetic. It is not exactly the most humanitarian patch of grass in the vast field of medicine.
If you want to feel responsible for bettering humanity every day by going to work, become a cardiothoracic surgeon, for fuck’s sake. Become a colorectal surgeon and take solace in the fact that you, fantastic human, have made it your life’s mission to save people from the ass out, one hemorrhoid at a time.
I do not aim to undermine the very real problem of body dysmorphia. Nor do I aim to condemn plastic surgery in general—trust me; I’d love a pair of massive fun-bags that could float me to the surface in potential drowning situations.
Everyone should stick to their job descriptions. I don’t seek fashion advice from the guy who delivers my pizza, and I don’t expect legal advice from my oral hygienist. This means that plastic surgeons should step off of their moral high horses and give fake asses to anyone who is willing to pay for a fake ass. Furthermore, they should engage in this ass giving without commenting publicly about the larger social problems that they themselves are contributing to. Because really, what good does that do for anyone involved?
You chose this life, doc. If you’re second-guessing it, take a look at your paycheck, snort a few Ambiens and go to sleep.
Featured photo courtesy of: Elle
