Thinking about plastic surgery? Think quickly!

The current health care reform bill causing such a debate in the United States Senate, calls for a “Bo-Tax” on optional plastic surgery. The people who choose to have such procedures, as Botox injections or breast augmentation will pay an extra five percent tax to help offset the cost of medically necessary health care for other people. Does this sound like a good idea?

According to National Organization for Women’s (NOW), president, Terry O’Neil, (2009), “Now they are going to put a tax on middle-aged women in a society that devalues them for being middle-aged?” This is the same organization in 1968 protested outside the Miss America Pageant demanding an end to unreasonable ridiculous good looks criteria. In today’s culture, it is a well-known fact that older people remain victims of discrimination. In order to fight for women in today’s culture, superficial looks become just as important as breast reconstruction is for mastectomy patients or burn victims skin reconstruction. Are those cosmetic procedures unnecessary?

American economy is suffering. Many women must enter or re-enter the workforce to supplement their families income or provide their families only income. In order for them to fight favoritism shown to younger job applicants, they must look the part so they only differentiating characteristic comes from their skills and resume. O’Neil (2009) also states, I know a lot of women whose earning power stalled out or kicked down as they entered into their 50s, unlike their male counterparts’, whose really went up.” The feminist movement must favor plastic surgery in order to fight this new form of added discrimination. Celebrity Gloria Steinman, a previous plastic surgery recipient, stated, “I’ve met women who’ve had to lie their ages down as much as 20 years to get or keep jobs as everything from waitresses to high-level consultants.” When a person recognizes the true reality of the American culture, it becomes depressing.

Women know that being valued on the merit of what is inside their bodies is a joke. Take for example Susan Boyle, this women, who possesses amazing singing ability, received the classification of joke as she stepped onto the stage to deliver her first performance.

When looks separate us from money feminism must stand up for the pop culture’s beauty. If a person needs to provide for their family as well as themselves and an eye lift helps them to achieve it, they should not have to pay extra for the help. Would a normal person opt for surgery or live in poverty?

References

Warner, J. (2009). Bo-Tax backlash. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/judith-warner/

Mattie, P. (2006). Beauty trend archives. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.piercemattie.com/blogs/plumping_parties_plastic_su.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.piercemattie.com/blogs/beauty_trends/&usg=__BLLwYd8A5irv8O6Q-0-vAkcI3Is=&h=354&w=470&sz=23&hl=en&start=4&sig2=qM4XHbPT9LKsphWFBKUiMg&um=1&tbnid=lDZDdLGNgYXmSM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplastic%2Bsurgery%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=uUshS56KBIel8AbVvNWFAQ