The First Plastic First Family

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm not critical of people getting plastic surgery either, but I think we should be honest about the reasons.

If you were burned horribly in a fire and were getting skin grafts, that would be one thing. Or perhaps it's a breast reduction to help with back pain. These are valid means to feeling better about yourself. But if you're doing it for a cosmetic improvement, there's no point trying to hide what you're doing there. Why would you feel better about yourself if you weren't getting positive feedback about it? Did they do it so they could look at themselves in the mirror without freaking out?

I think that the answers are more complex as I indicated in a previous post where I listed some of the reasons I think folks have cosmetic procedures. It's not unlike why people wear certain clothes, makeup, jewelry and stuff.

With regard to why people do things about their appearance and the impact of positive feedback, I can only give an example of something that happened to me yesterday. Three years ago, I stopped coloring my hair. I couldn't let it grow out when I was teaching so I waited for after I resigned. It wasn't the expense, it wasn't that I wanted to look "better" to other people. I wanted to look like me. My family gave me resistance at first, but I knew what I wanted for myself. Half way through I almost chickened out for sure because it looked like crap at that point! It took me a whole year to completely grow it out.

I can't tell you how many times after it was all done, that before I got into my car I would look at it in the outside mirror in daylight and smile my ever loving ass off, because I was so incredibly happy with it. I think it's pretty awesome. :-)

Yesterday, I was going down the stairs of a professional building and some woman (younger than me)was behind me. She said "Oh my god, I love the color of your hair!" We had a little conversation before we got into our cars. Yes, it made me feel good and I like it when I get a compliment, but that's not why I did it. I did it completely for myself.

So what if I had been born with a bump on the bridge of my nose and I felt like "me" was there behind the bump? What if I had a birthmark on my cheek that made me feel like it marred my face and I was tired of trying to cover it with makeup? What if my eyes were getting saggy and I felt like I didn't look like me any more? What if the person I saw in the mirror looked tired and not what I felt like inside? What if I had been born with a bump on my forehead from childbirth and I wanted that bump gone because it bugged me my whole life?

There are probably as many reasons for cosmetic surgery and the way we change our "look" as there are patients and people.

[_Maksutov]

... I'm a Flaming Heterosexual. ...

Nobody doubts it, nobody at all. Not a bit of it.

But ... I shouldn't go on about it, my dear old bean. You've said it twice recently. Looks a bit, y'know, nervous. Word to the wise, and all that. Wouldn't like to give people the wrong idea.

[_Maksutov]

I'm not critical of people getting plastic surgery either, but I think we should be honest about the reasons.

If you were burned horribly in a fire and were getting skin grafts, that would be one thing. Or perhaps it's a breast reduction to help with back pain. These are valid means to feeling better about yourself. But if you're doing it for a cosmetic improvement, there's no point trying to hide what you're doing there. Why would you feel better about yourself if you weren't getting positive feedback about it? Did they do it so they could look at themselves in the mirror without freaking out?

I think that the answers are more complex as I indicated in a previous post where I listed some of the reasons I think folks have cosmetic procedures. It's not unlike why people wear certain clothes, makeup, jewelry and stuff.

With regard to why people do things about their appearance and the impact of positive feedback, I can only give an example of something that happened to me yesterday. Three years ago, I stopped coloring my hair. I couldn't let it grow out when I was teaching so I waited for after I resigned. It wasn't the expense, it wasn't that I wanted to look "better" to other people. I wanted to look like me. My family gave me resistance at first, but I knew what I wanted for myself. Half way through I almost chickened out for sure because it looked like **** at that point! It took me a whole year to completely grow it out.

I can't tell you how many times after it was all done, that before I got into my car I would look at it in the outside mirror in daylight and smile my ever loving ass off, because I was so incredibly happy with it. I think it's pretty awesome. :-)

Yesterday, I was going down the stairs of a professional building and some woman (younger than me)was behind me. She said "Oh my god, I love the color of your hair!" We had a little conversation before we got into our cars. Yes, it made me feel good and I like it when I get a compliment, but that's not why I did it. I did it completely for myself.

So what if I had been born with a bump on the bridge of my nose and I felt like "me" was there behind the bump? What if I had a birthmark on my cheek that made me feel like it marred my face and I was tired of trying to cover it with makeup? What if my eyes were getting saggy and I felt like I didn't look like me any more? What if the person I saw in the mirror looked tired and not what I felt like inside? What if I had been born with a bump on my forehead from childbirth and I wanted that bump gone because it bugged me my whole life?

There are probably as many reasons for cosmetic surgery and the way we change our "look" as there are patients and people.

Where's the outrage about the men with hairpieces and toupees? I remember when Biden got his transplants. Did anybody care? The whole debate just seems anachronistic, weird and counterproductive. It's personal choice. I don't have to like the looks of other people's tattoos or piercings or hairstyles. It's none of my effing business.

[_Jersey Girl]

Where's the outrage about the men with hairpieces and toupees? I remember when Biden got his transplants. Did anybody care? The whole debate just seems anachronistic, weird and counterproductive. It's personal choice. I don't have to like the looks of other people's tattoos or piercings or hairstyles. It's none of my effing business.

Where's the challenge to KG's assertion that we all know about Trump's fake hair? How is it fake? And you're right, it's none of our business how people choose to style themselves.

I didn't even know about Biden's transplants! I don't usually monitor this superfluous crap about others. I'm too busy not coloring my hair!

[_MeDotOrg]

Thou shalt level thy criticisms against the President.
Unless involved in his business or politics, thou shalt leave his family out of it.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[_Jersey Girl]

Thou shalt level thy criticisms against the President.
Unless involved in his business or politics, thou shalt leave his family out of it.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Amen.

[_Xenophon]

Certainly we cannot be sure all the reason people do things, but we usually don't list all those reasons to others. Doing it to look better in other peoples eyes is a common one, and one more likely not to be listed, not wanting to look vain. Very few would ever suggest it, and I have no problem with people wanting to be better looking in the eyes of others.

I'm 100% with you Themis. Schmo was just having trouble imagining the scenario so I thought I would share. Like RI I have known some people go through elective plastic surgery and although looking good for others was important, fixing there own perceived flaws was much higher on the priority scale. Some may not like my nuanced approach but it is literally what I am paid for.

I am in agreement with several on this board that this whole thing is just a distraction from important matters and really doesn't matter in the big picture. I shot down people in real life that mocked Mrs. Obama's looks, it only seems right to defend Mrs. Trump.

[_Some Schmo]

Thou shalt level thy criticisms against the President.
Unless involved in his business or politics, thou shalt leave his family out of it.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The problem is that he has involved his family in the politics. They're intertwined by virtue of the fact that he's handed them his companies while taking office. It's unconstitutional.

[_Xenophon]

Thou shalt level thy criticisms against the President.
Unless involved in his business or politics, thou shalt leave his family out of it.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The problem is that he has involved his family in the politics. They're intertwined by virtue of the fact that he's handed them his companies while taking office. It's unconstitutional.

So you remind him how that isn't a blind trust. You point out all the ways it still benefits him. You show how what he is doing isn't "draining the swamp". He is always the focus, first and foremost.

[_Some Schmo]

I am in agreement with several on this board that this whole thing is just a distraction from important matters and really doesn't matter in the big picture.

I also agree that it's a distraction.

I feel like I should be saying something about the fact that this thread's gone on for 8 pages (and that's after some of the content has been removed). A distraction indeed.

hehe

So you remind him how that isn't a blind trust. You point out all the ways it still benefits him. You show how what he is doing isn't "draining the swamp". He is always the focus, first and foremost.

That is for certain.