What are postpartum women supposed to do now? Don burkas of shame?

And what if one spent all that money on remodeling one's architecture, only to get pregnant again? How many times can one get one's tummy tucked? While I'm not fundamentally opposed to plastic surgery, I think that in this case, one would probably be better off getting lots of good exercise with the new beeb. After all, a fit body looks way better than a liposucked, unfit body.

That's it exactly. once I had a baby, I stopped worrying about whether 18 year olds thought I looked hot. I didn't care. I cared that my kids wanted to cuddle and nurse and climb on me, and if I didn't look like an anorexic supermodel (none of whom look as if they have enough fat content to lactate anyway), how did that matter?

I hadn't realised how profoundly my self-perception had shifted until one day I was pulling on a low-cut dress I'd found in the back of the closet and caught myself thinking "I better not wear this - some infant might see me and want to nurse."

Very likely there are men who find women's involvement with their children - instead of with men, OMG! - very disturbing. And very likely they only wish that women would get plastic surgery to erase the signs of motherhood. I'm sorry that the patriarchy is able to brainwash even a single woman into thinking that going under the knife in such a cause is a good idea. Surely men, even North American men, can get over their unresolved Oedipal urges long enough to grasp that mothers have more important things than men to think about?

To accuse a woman of self-loathing for choosing plastic surgery is uber-judgmental and supremely condescending. To declare the act misanthropic is just hyperbole. ("That women are now paying to cut those vestiges from their bodies -- to erase that history -- seems not only self-loathing but misanthropic as well.")

It's called choice, and we, as women, are fortunate enough to make them for ourselves. And that's the crux, that women choose on their own accord to go under the knife, that they are not weak tools manipulated by men into thinking their bodies need to remain forever young. The implication here is that women who undergo plastic surgery are victims, or else twisted and shallow woman-hating narcissists.

What is the real issue here? That women are continuing their object status by having their bodies surgically remolded? Is that the underlying accusation here? Why can't plastic surgery just be plastic surgery and not a statement about womankind?

I adhere to a feminism that strives to move beyond such simplistic parameters, a feminism that embraces all women, even ones who make choices about their bodies that I wouldn't necessarily make for myself.

Once again, I see here an example of the alienating, righteous attitude proffered in the context of serious feminism and treatment of women's issues. However, this entry isn't about feminism. It's about snobbery.

It's Modern Broadstreet Feminism(TM). It's empowerful for me, and outrageous for you.

Hope that helps.

When there is something even close to gender parity in plastic surgery, then and only then can it "just" be plastic surgery. Right now it's more than 4 women going under the knife for every man (American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2006).

Call me when it's around 3 to 2 and we'll talk.

..unless the woman wants it.

I did.

I had my eyes and my face done and had some lipo. I'm pleased with the results and I'm glad I did it.

It's not for everybody. I really doubt you can talk someone into plastic surgery if they don't want it. I respect people, male and female, who would never dream of having plastic surgery. I think it's a fine choice. My decision was just different from theirs, that's all.

If you want plastic surgery (or cosmetic dermatology or cosmetic dentistry or hair plugs) and you can afford it, then find out the risks. Research it. There are plenty of websites that will honestly talk about possible risks. Then, if you still want it, do it.

If you don't want it and are happy without it, nobody will be able to talk you into it if you don't want it -- so don't worry.

I'm sure women with "lily feet" in old China got to be more prestigious wives and concubines than their big-footed contemporaries and could explain to anyone that the pain and disability were worth it.

And basically: Having your face taken off, tightened and put back? Having fat sucked out of your body? Having your breasts cut into, handled, etc? It's all grotesque, and 100 years from now, should there be anyone around then, people will go "Ugh, how could they do that?"

Klytaimnestra:

Patriarchy is a social order - it is about who is in charge. "Unresolved Oedipal urges" are just as probable (maybe more so) under a matriarchy. A male who refuses to recognize a mother's need to care for her child is simply immature (Peter Pan).

Western men have historically put their women and children ahead of themselves. While that may seem "quaint", it is still a reality in some parts of our society. As recently as last year I overheard a fundamentalist christian couple instructing their your son that "girls go first". While chivalry is certainly not as prevalent as it once was in our society, it not yet entirely dead.

While I recognize the need for corrective surgery (think cleft palate repair), I'm a lot less supportive of efforts to erase the inevitable effects of normal living.

I'm sure women with "lily feet" in old China got to be more prestigious wives and concubines than their big-footed contemporaries and could explain to anyone that the pain and disability were worth it.

And basically: Having your face taken off, tightened and put back? Having fat sucked out of your body? Having your breasts cut into, handled, etc? It's all grotesque, and 100 years from now, should there be anyone around then, people will go "Ugh, how could they do that?"

Shorter you: I don't like it, so I am going to compare this to Hitler.