Plasticlass

I've been trying to write a proper update for days/weeks. It's been started four or five times (mostly while at work) and someway/somehow always gets interrupted long enough to require a reboot. I promise some sort of long-form post soon, but it's too late now.

Anyway, I took these pictures a few weeks back and have been meaning to post them for awhile. They're all advertising some sort of plastic surgery (which is something that, for the record, I don't particularly like) and were taken either on the subway or in a station.

The first one is seemingly innocent if you don't really look too closely, and honestly is quite amusing.

But it's this series of three 'before/after' ads that have been popping up all over town and has me particularly confused/concerned/worried/saddened/sick:

Big face to small face (small faces are a sign of beauty in Korea)

Inverted waist, stomach, and breast sizes (coveted at home, as well)

Small diamond to big diamond (wait?!? what?)

Maybe it's obvious why I react the way I do to seeing these adds. Maybe it's not. And maybe it's none of my business. I get that. Honestly, I try to be as culturally sensitive as I can as often I can, but the progression of logic here (and the assumptions that are made) is somewhat lacking, in my opinion. Let me outline it here, the way I see it.

Small faces, skinny waists, and big breasts are better than what God gave you

so...

Obviously you need plastic surgery to fix that

so...

We can make you beautiful (as if you weren't already)

so...

That you can marry a richer man (big diamond, get it?)

which obviously leads to...

LIFELONG HAPPINESS!

I'm sorry, but that just doesn't do it for me. Here, home, or anywhere. This hits me on a number of levels. One, it objectifies women. More specifically, it further pounds into young, confidence-lacking girls the mentality that they need to look like the idols on TV and fix their 'imperfections,' rather than accepting who they really are. Two, it perpetuates ideals of beauty that are not natural for Korean women (which, unfortunately, happens everywhere, outside of maybe Saudi Arabia). Three, it reduces woman's worth in life to being a marriable commodity, whose value increases based on the previously-mentioned beauty ideals. And four, it assumes that a rich man is a good man and that money leads to happiness.

I know that many of these problems are not just limited to Korea, but are just as prevalent (if not more prevalent) back home and elsewhere. But I think what saddens me the most out of all of this is that I took these pictures not in a 'Aesthetic Clinic' in Apgujeong (Korea's 'Beverly Hills'), but at the transfer point of one of Seoul's busiest subway stations. Which means that each and every day, thousands upon thousands of young women (and men) are subjected to the lies that are presented here. Not bad as an advertising strategy. But, really, is it really healthy?

Here, there, anywhere, I think we all need ask ourselves...

What messages are we sending?

Thank you for reading my rant.

Until next time, Goodnight!

-Steve