You would never link to a site that promotes racism or sexism, why do you link to a site that frequently pushes fear and hatred of the transgendered?

Lessee, the mole on your face you dislike? The strawberry? The crooked nose that reminds you of the fight in fourth grade? The new breasts that you purchased after your cancer?

Is that what is pissing you off Tracy?

Or is this another round of boob wars?

P.S. I think women in many countries get the intarweb today. You may wish to check that out.

P.P.S. Who is more oppressed, the women craving silicon boobies, or the men craving any amount of a women's attention so that they will donate money to a woman they will never meet so that she can buy silicon boobies?

It's easy to look at patients who are going into debt to get a boob job and say "how stupid!" But this is only an extreme example of what goes on every day. We live in a society where appearance matters - in whether you are chosen for a job, in whether you're able to find a mate, in how you're treated as you walk down the street.

I don't really care whether a guy will pick me up in a bar, but I care if I get passed over for a job that I want, just because of the way I look. Studies have shown that attractive people are chosen for jobs over more qualified people who aren't as attractive. I've had that experience myself - I've gone in for job interviews and heard later ("off the record") that the reason I didn't get the job was because of my appearance. And I work in a technical field where appearance isn't supposed to matter - I work in a lab and no one sees me other than the occasional coworker. But still, if the interviewer thinks you're too heavy or too ugly or too "old looking", you may be passed over.

When I was looking for a job, I spent the money to get laser hair removal on my chin and upper lip (as I approached 40, the hair got darker and thicker, and waxing and plucking just weren't enough). Even though I wanted to think that my qualifications were enough, I could see that my appearance was also an issue, and if I could solve that problem for $1000, it was a good investment. And shortly thereafter, I got a better job, with a salary that more than covered the cost of the treatment.

If I worked in a field where appearance was even more of an issue, and if I had a "problem" that could be corrected by cosmetic surgery, I'd do it. I may not like it, but I'm realistic enough to know that the way you look often affects what kind of job you can get. You're judged on your appearance as much as you're judged on your resume.

You know, BS's other pet peeve - how dare men be in control of their bodies when women are around.

I used to be a stripper nd saw women desperate to make better tips go to incredible lengths to get plastic surgery, especially boob jobs. The extremly high interest loans are nothing new.

What is really sad though are the fly by night "doctors" willing to subject these girls to shady surgeries-- sometimes performing boob jobs in their kitchens. A couple was arrested in Quincy after a girl died as the result of their discount surgery-- yep she was a dancer. It didn't make news of course-- unless you are white and the daughter of privilege it never does.

...why do you link to a site that frequently pushes fear and hatred of the transgendered?

Because when a woman does it, it's not really bigotry.

Much in the same way that when a woman abuses her child, it's not really child abuse. Or when a woman statutorily rapes a kid, it's not really rape. Or when a woman shoots her husband, it's not really murder.

There's always a good excuse when those things happen.

When men do those things, no excuse is ever valid. Because of equality or something.

I'm sure someone at Broadsheet can explain it slicker than I can.

Taking out a giant loan that you can't really afford to finance something superficial in an attempt to attract the opposite sex.... a guy buying the newest sports car, or a girl getting breast implants? Same thing.

If people want to drive themselves deep into debt for something so stupid, good for them. In 10 years when your car is no longer cool, or your boobs look like silly balloons, I'll be laughing just as hard as I am now.

Much as a stupid, threadbare caricature is not an argument.

I'm old enough to remember when actresses like Raquel Welch and Ann Margret were considered to have very big boobs. Now, those two would be considered mid-range.

Frankly, it's gotten ridiculous. At first these enormous boobed women were sexy, but now there are gazillions of them and it's, well, boring.

I admit that I've never actually laid hands on fake boobs, so I can't comment on how they feel, but I would guess that natural is better. I hope there's a backlash. Women should not feel compelled to undergo risky and expensive surgery for something as unnecessary as giant boobs. Having enjoyed natural boobs both large and small, I can confirm that in the end, that old saw is right: it's personality that really counts, and a woman with a sexy brain is the hottest woman around.

A local credit union billboard recently proclaimed "From trucks to tummy tucks, get the lifestyle loan you deserve."

...the more I want to trust that there will be a "market correction" in matters like these. As the above poster mentioned, the returns on a boob job diminish the more common they become. At the same time, I realize ideals quickly become standards once the technology is widely available (from leg razors to teeth whitening strips).

Case in point, I met a really great girl with beautiful, firm c-cup breasts. She told me she didn't think they were big enough, and she was saving to get them enlarged. I told her there's no way in hell she should ruin what she had (I was really upset at the thought, too!), especially since her perception was horribly distorted. The thing that should worry Broadsheeters is she already knew all this. She graduated with honors from one of the top universities in the country with a degree in sociology and a concentration on **feminist social critique**.

(Of course she could've just been fishing for compliments...)

Anyway, as one very familiar with the various types of surgeries and the results, I hate this trend. Not just because most boob jobs look and feel terrible. Some of the more expensive procedures can appear and feel natural. And soon enough there will probably be a gene therapy alternative to breast enhancement surgery.

No, my objection has more to do with the fact that after losing faith in God and country and the inner goodness of people, I still feel a quasi-religious fervor for the female form. At some point soon I think this last idol will come crashing down.