Breast Augmentation?

So you are probably wondering; why the hell is Alex talking about breast augmentation?  Well, it is because I have been hearing this commercial on the radio for cosmetic surgery with a testimonial by one person about her recent breast augmentation.  I might not have as much to say if it weren't for the fact that the testimonial is by the wife of a widely popular morning radio show host that I listen to on WPLR.  This host is known for being entranced by beautiful women, becoming speechless in the presence of beautiful women and on a regular basis putting out a "tight shirt alert" for TV news show hosts wearing tight shirts that.  The commercial itself is played almost every half hour and has gotten to the point where I am sick and tired of listening to it.  So why do I have so much to say about this topic?  As I have mentioned in a previous post a while back, I think it is absurd that women feel the pressure to be beautiful and to make themselves desirable through any means possible.  There is a certain image that is portrayed through the media that women must have large breasts and a tiny waist if they are to attract any sort of desirable man.  I think that this commercial exposes the societal ideal that cosmetic surgery is the only way to true beauty for some women.  Knowing what I know about this radio host (which is only what I hear on the air), it seems that he has, through his actions on the radio, created an image that his wife doesn't feel she lives up to. 

Through the almost constant ogling of beautiful women, it seems that he has made his wife feel uncomfortable in her own body.  Part of the radio commercial actually has her state that "I finally feel comfortable in my clothes without wearing a padded bra."  Why did she feel uncomfortable to begin with?  What was the main issue with her own perception of the way she looked?  I seriously doubt that she has felt uncomfortable with herself since she was a small child.  So what changed?  I feel that her husband's actions diminished her own self image to the point where she felt she needed to do something drastic in order to gain the proper attention of her husband.  In hearing her husband on the radio, constantly being amazed by women's tight shirts, their bodies and how beautiful they are, she probably felt that she had lost something and as such was unable to command the amount of attention from her husband that she truly needed.   The feeling probably goes deeper to a subconscious level.  I would think that there would be certain feelings, building over time, that led her to believe that if she didn't change the way she looked, her husband might leave her for one of these other beautiful women that they talk about on the radio.  (This is not to say that he would do something like that, only that she felt that he might).  In a way, I feel sorry for this guys wife that she felt that she had to get this surgery done in order just to feel comfortable in her own clothes. 

To me, cosmetic surgery is a waste of money.  The only purpose that cosmetic surgery serves is to provide instant gratification to those who want to remain looking young, "enhance" their appearance with larger breasts, or are simply too lazy to lose weight on their own.  Cosmetic surgery to me is a byproduct of our society's fascination with thin, big breasted, beautiful women.  There is a lack of patience when we seek to achieve a certain body image.  If we want to lose weight, we want it gone yesterday.  If we want to continue looking younger (which we can't do forever without surgery), we don't want to eat healthy foods that will promote healthy skin and the like.  And in terms of breasts, bigger is obviously better according to society.  Unfortunately, changing this trend is nearly impossible.  There are too many people who buy into this notion of the perfect body to change much of anything.  Can we change an individual's perspective here and there?  Probably, but for many people, trying to change them is an uphill battle.  It would mean getting them to realize that they have the perfect body for them when they feel that they don't.  The only way to truly change this image issue, is to change the way we teach our children about the world.  Everyone is unique and as such has a different body.  There is no perfect body.  If we can come to terms with who we are and how we look, there would be no need to change things.  But alas, I feel like I am in a corner talking to a wall.  Why would I, a man, speak out against women making themselves more beautiful?  Because it is absurd and pointless.  The only thing I can do at this point is teach my son to respect everyone, women and men, who they are as people, and how they look.  If I can do that, than at least I will have made a little change and hopefully that change will carry forward and perpetuate itself.