Addictions and Cosmetic Surgery x2

Like my follow group member Holly, I was interested in the connection between cosmetic surgery and addiction. However, I did take a slightly different angle mainly rooted in media.

The media frowns upon addiction. Plain and Simple. Actually, not really. It would seem that shows about interventions with addicts would really shed some light on what an addiction is and how it can possibly ruin your life. However, the media acts as a circulating reference. It fools the viewer into investigating the black box of what is "socially acceptable." Maybe I've lost you...but how many commercials are there for Miller Beer? Can't alcohol be addictive? People see that it is "socially normal" to drink but also see the damage it can really cause. Media can create new perspectives, especially with such a circulating idea such as addiction that is portrayed in a negative light--the light being the positive of scarce use.

As far as the presentation on cosmetic surgery, I think it was important to notice the impact of media. It is everywhere--tv, magazine articles, billboards--that "beauty" is defined. What is interesting is that "beauty" changes over time. Media also touches on this black box--the black box of what is "socially acceptable." Millions of women go through cosmetic surgeries to change how they look just to fit in to what is beautiful socially. All the forms of media impact how women feel about their bodies and how they look.

I'm trying to make sense but it doesn't really seem to be happening. I just think that media has a great deal to do with both addiction and cosmetic surgeries. Our society uses media to retain morals of right and wrong, and to determine what is socially acceptable, or deemed correct. Media plays a large part in the formations of opinions.