Bridalplasty: For Real?
When my brother-in-law sent me this link to the new E! series, Bridalplasty, my jaw literally dropped. (Side Note: Thanks to all of my lovely friends and family for being self-appointed Nourishing the Soul media watchdogs!)
In case I ever begin to be deluded that society is waking up to the harm caused by popularizing unrealistic versions of beauty, someone please just remind me to turn on the E! network. Or actually, don’t.
In the latest display of stomach-turning “Who came up with this horrific idea?” idiocy, E! has created a show that single-handedly represents all that I hate about reality television: portraying women as back-stabbing bimbos, promoting body-shame, and glamorizing unhealthy ideals and means of achieving them. Throw in the “celebrity” wedding and you’ve got Bridalplasty, the show that pushes the feminist movement back at least sixty years.
If you haven’t seen a trailer for the show, here’s the premise: Engaged women come together in what E! calls the first competition of it’s kind. As the women progress through wedding-themed challenges, they have the opportunity to weekly win one of the surgeries on their “wish list.” The show’s ultimate winner receives the whole she-bang: a total plastic surgery-induced makeover before her big day. In case you wondering about who is performing these procedures, don’t worry – it’s Dr. Terry Dubrow – a surgeon all too familiar with taking a knife to unhappy people’s bodies from his days on Fox’s The Swan.
Consider one of the show’s early challenges. The women are asked to compete in “Puzzle Play,” a game in which they each cover a picture of their old, unsightly selves with puzzle pieces to create an image of how they will appear on their big day – liposuctioned, Botoxed and chopped. If that’s not bad enough, once the puzzle is complete, the ladies are to run over, grab a syringe (no, seriously) and head downstairs for an in-house “injectibles party.” I’m wondering why someone didn’t call the police. Here’s a clip:
The ethical, medical, and psychological implications are simply staggering.
Bridalplasty explicitly places the emphasis of a wedding (which last time I checked involved the celebration of two people’s love, not lipo) on physical appearance – as if the 40 billion dollar per year wedding industry didn’t have enough revenue streams. I have to wonder about the future spouses of the women on this show and their reactions to their bride’s desire to transform themselves for the big day. Will they even recognize their soon-to-be-wife as she walks down the aisle? Will she recognize herself?
The show also promotes plastic surgery as the answer to body dissatisfaction. Call me crazy, but I can think of quite a few less expensive and less medically invasive ways to love your body. No nipping or tucking involved. Just like dieting, plastic surgery is not the key to a rocking body and often ends up leaving people feeling disappointed and dissatisfied. I’ll tell you the key to a rocking body. Confidence.
And I can’t forget to rant a bit about the way in which these types of shows play on women’s insecurities and body shame to rev up feelings of competition. Oh so cleverly, the producers turn all of that self-hate from being directed inward to being directed toward the girl in the next room. Suddenly we have a house full of screaming, angry women flailing at each other, when the issue is really that these women don’t know where to go with all of the shame and anger they feel for their bodies.
Okay, I think I can breathe again. I’d love to hear your thoughts, though. Share your reactions in the comments!
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megan
877 days ago
For me, the scariest thing about this show it that it further normalizes plastic surgery and unrealistic body ideals. The show is basically saying, “well, you’re getting married, OF COURSE you need plastic surgery! Like, duh!” As if getting lipo, breast augmentation, and a nose job is right up there on the “to do” list with sending out the invitations. The tragic thing is that, because these women are so obviously lacking in healthy self-esteem, their relationships – and hence, their marriages – are on really rocky ground. I’d be concerned about the fall-out for these individuals when their ‘perfect’ bodies fail to secure for them the personal and marital happiness that these women seem to believe they will. Simply, it’s just sad, sad, sad (and scary).
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Nancy
877 days ago
THANK you for writing about this show! I was subjected to the first episode during a pre-holiday hangout and was the “grump,” in the room for talking feminism rather than mocking these poor women. I walked away to protect myself. E! justifies this show by adding contestants who are there because of supposed emotional needs. One former Biggest Loser contestant wants to remove all her extra skin and a breast cancer survivor wanted to repair the damage done by her masectomy (the latter was the first voted off by the other women in favor of nose jobs, butt lifts, etcs). The Biggest Loser contestant’s appearance makes me rethink the whole promotion of womens’ strength on the Biggest Loser. Even their most “noble,” causes are a reminder that women who go through such tremendous life struggles ought to be able to wear their battle scars with pride, not erase them. Also notable is the continued need for better treatment of womens’ physical needs through struggles with womens’ cancers. Empowerment through activism for these causes: yes Long, creepy contests with multiple surgeries: it won’t help anyone feel better on the inside. Kathy Griffin and Heidi Montag, who have both famously had multiple plastic surgeries at one time also admit regret. And turning it into a contest for these women seems like it gives these women more adrenaline and less time to decide if they’re really into it, meaning they’ll make choices they too will Mose certainly regret.
Paige @ The Gravy Boat
877 days ago
Wow, this is incredible. I hate that it totally normalizes the idea that you need some kind of plastic surgery in order to appear “acceptable” for a wedding, and that you have to have this huge (medical) transformation before marriage. Your spouse obviously already loves you for the way you are (I hope)–why would you need to alter your appearance so drastically? Why can’t the focus be more on feeding and supporting your body nutritionally and emotionally before you make this huge life transition?
And the injectibles party? Too weird.
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Devon
877 days ago
Oh ugh. This is disgusting!!!!! Wow. I thought reality TV had hit its lowest, but I was clearly wrong.
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Christie @ Abundant Self Care
877 days ago
I saw something about that this past week and was completely horrified. What is this world coming too? I hold out hope that our world is wising up to the damage the diet industry and the thin ideal have done to our society has created but things like this make me think it isn’t happening anytime soon. Couple this with all of the diet ads on tv and it makes me really, really angry about what we are teaching the children of this country.
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Tanya @ Vegan Faith
877 days ago
I stumbled upon the show the other night and was also furious! What a disgusting show!
KCLAnderson (Karen)
877 days ago
I am speechless! And horrified. And sad. And I wish this were a bad joke…
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Dana Udall-Weiner
877 days ago
Love the line “last time I checked involved the celebration of two people’s love, not lipo”. I have not yet seen this show, and I hope I never do. So frightening!
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Taron
876 days ago
I am speechless. This type of show is completely unethical and such exploitation that I can’t believe it’s even legal! What happened to the joy of getting married — and just being happy that you’ve found someone to love and spend your life with? These days everyone is so keen to seek out physical perfection, thinking it will make them happy. It’s just so sad that these women are so vulnerable and ripe for manipulation and that our society is OK with it. In fact, I’m sure people will be more than willing to watch these poor women be humiliated on national TV! What an all-time low.
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Andrea Owen
876 days ago
We cut our cable a few months back so we don’t get the E! channel anymore. I have to admit, I missed “The Soup” for a little while and the only reality trash I watched (sometimes) was the Kardashians trainwreck. I heard about this show a while back and felt the all over shaking with rage. Yes, rage. Rage that my daughter (only 15 months) will still be exposed to this garbage in her lifetime.
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Nancy
876 days ago
Okay. Now that Ive gotten my frustration at the show out, I have to ask, So what’s the antidote? Obviously blogs like this. Self respecting women who post here can also tweet and post positive facebook messages that are against talk about body image, diets, etc. What other ideas? What kinds of actions can get us marching for a “Rally to Restore Curves,” or get us on TV with a decent show about positive changes in this movement?
Jean Sampson
876 days ago
How disgusting. Who thinks these shows up, anyway? Yuk.
Kate @ Walking in the Rain
876 days ago
That show makes my heart sad. The only reason I haven’t written off ever watching the E network is due to my deep love for The Soup, but even that is wearing thin
I think I’m going to write a letter to the network about this, just so I can vent my anger and at least feel like I’ve tried to do something.
Elina (Healthy and Sane)
876 days ago
OMG, are you serious?!! This is absolutely disgusting. I know I wanted to lose a few pounds before my wedding to look my best, but this is definitely taking it to the new level. Ugh. I’m so appalled.