I’ve just seen an article via the Feministing website about Kate Winslet founding the “British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League” along with fellow actresses Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz. Proud of her curves, Kate says it goes against her morals and against the way she was brought up by her parents.
At first I was a bit skeptical because many actresses talk about this topic but actually do go under the knife to lose a few years, but it seems she holds her point.
It made me think of the whole cosmetic surgery situation.
First it’s easy to say “I’m never having cosmetic surgery, I will be beautiful no matter how old I am”. Sweet, but menopause, wrinkle neck and arm fat might take you by surprise and make you go over your statement in one morning-look at the mirror.
But why are we so afraid of getting old?
- Well, it does remind us that we don’t have so many years left and make us wonder about our life, and especially our death. But being old now lasts a long time, and death can come much before that.
- Then, the looks. Nobody wants to feel “ugly”. But it’s just that our criteria for beauty is set wrong. We want to have giant legs and big (firm) boobs for the rest of our life because we are told everyday that beauty and attraction from men are the only thing we got. Our role in society is seducing and giving pleasure to men, we are reduced to the biological attributes of our gender and are denied the possibility to be worthy in other domains of life like work, culture, society. So when we stop fitting those criteria, the very same criteria that are spread by mainstream porn and the media, we become useless and ugly. Sad, right?
And the saddest part is that women often fall for the old guy with white hair and wrinkles on the forehead. Why? Because they’re judged on their character, self-confidence and other attributes rather than their looks.
So we try to freeze our youth to fit the mold forever and avoid becoming the old witch we know too well.
But let’s moderate:
Of course I’m not saying it’s like that for everyone, I’m just saying this is what we’re told and we can see this phenomenon everyday.
I care about my looks, I want to be pretty for my partner, as well as he does for me, and that’s ok. It’s about feeling good and free ourselves from this sexist grip by assuming our sexuality.
