Fitting Pieces into the "American Society" Puzzle

The topic of transitioning and transgender “sex changes” is always interesting because it’s not a common topic brought up in the Midwest. Growing up in a small town, I was never fully exposed to the subject and really didn’t know much about it. I never realized what a large industry there is around the world to meet the demands of transitioning. The websites advertising surgeries from other countries focus on lower prices and a “vacation-like” get-a-away to become a “whole self.” Like any surgery, the extensive procedures for sex changes must result in a somewhat painful recovery. I was baffled at the way it was portrayed to people as a relaxing retreat when in reality, one would be recovering from major surgery in a hospital room.




Beyond the advertising of a relaxing trip for the surgical procedure, I was interested in the former patients’ testimonials from their personal experiences. Combined with the video seen in Wednesday’s class and a youtube clip (see web address below), I began to work through the different aspects of transitioning. The in-class video was an interesting compilation of personal experiences with sex change. One quote that stood out to me from one person was her description of how she felt after having the change. She explained that she was “finally free to be myself.” At that moment, I was happy for her in that she was able to find herself and feel like an acceptable person to society. Looking further at the websites, I found another quote about Dr. Sanguan telling patients he would “make them whole” and the patient replied, “Whole and wonderful I am. A physically complete self!” She felt like a real, ‘whole’ person instead of someone stuck in a foreign body. After hearing these words of satisfaction, I realized that the surgery is life changing and can boost the overall quality of someone’s life.




However, as I continued looking through more information about the topic, I started to see another side to transitioning. One woman from the video stated that she thought her parents would “be more accepting of me if I were a murderer rather than a transgender person.” To go along with this new side, I found a video on youtube from CBS news about a potential law that prevents transgender teachers from being fired through discrimination. 38 states in America currently allow transgender teachers to be terminated simply because they are transgender. One of the ladies chosen to debate the topic explained her side of the story that matches many Americans’ opinions. According to her views, we would be putting children in harm’s way by allowing transgender men and women to teach. “Children need a safe environment in which to learn. The APA (American Psychological Association) says that gender identity is a mental disorder. Why are we giving our school children over to people with a serious mental disorder?” she continued. I was disheartened after these viewpoints on transitioning. I began to wonder if the women who were finally free to feel like their true selves could honestly feel that way. How can anyone fully be satisfied with himself or herself when society is throwing these negative comments and opposing views at their feet? How secure can they feel with their new bodies when all they hear from others is that it’s ‘wrong’ to make the change? I find it difficult to listen to both sides and expect transgender people to be fully happy and self-confident with their choice to transition. Society’s influence continues to leave a mark on all controversial issues (transgender, homosexuality, race, gender, religion, etc.). Can anyone in America feel fully comfortable with himself or herself when it seems that everything out of the “norm” is incorrect? Does anyone fit into the label of an ‘average American’? I’m beginning to wonder if any of us are acceptable to America’s societal viewpoints.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ib9aFClNA

Addicted to 'Beauty'

Body image transitioned into body modification for this week’s readings. Very interesting subjects were addressed including plastic surgery, circumcision, and clitoridectomy. In reading about these topics, it’s clear to see that practices differ greatly from culture to culture; what is encouraged in one culture may be viewed as appalling in another. After the 20% time showing different cultural body modification practices, I became interested in all the different ways people show beauty and wealth around the world. One of the most intriguing to me was the discussion about scarification. Seeing the pictures, I couldn’t imagine slicing into my skin to eventually (after the healing process) see artistic patterns engraved in my skin. While thinking of the pain behind the cultural practice, I forced myself to look at the other side. The women in the pictures had elaborate designs etched into their skin, but the designs truly were beautiful. They were meticulous and it was clear that they dedicated a lot of time to making the patterns appear picturesque and perfect. I respect that they view this as a sign of beauty after considering all the effort they must put into the artwork. Making this realization made me think that all cultural practices (lip plates, etc.) that signify a culture’s beauty require a lot of dedication and respect for the individual’s society. To other cultures, American practices may seem odd, but it’s a practice that we take part in and some people dedicate a lot of time and money to. Whether or not we agree with the practice should not interfere with our respect for that culture and their devotion to displays of individuality.
In narrowing in on one area of body modification, I’ve decided to look at plastic surgery practices within the United States. “One of the reasons why feminists have been so opposed to cosmetic surgery is that the practice medicalizes norms of appearance, making it seem as if only beautiful people are healthy.” This quote was from Victoria Pitts in her article about Beauty and Body Image in Cosmetic Surgery. I was struck by this comment in how true its words are; Americans are devoting more time and money each year to cosmetic surgeries than ever before. I still can’t seem to understand the logic behind the practice. I was raised with the belief that God created me to be who I am and I should be proud of my uniqueness and individuality; if something cannot be changed with adjusting my lifestyle (diet, exercise, etc.) then it should be accepted as part of me, making up who I am. Seeing all this new emphasis and excitement over surgically altering your body is extremely disappointing that our culture has come to this point. The youtube video I have linked below bothered me. I understand that looks create psychological discomfort and low self-esteem. But can that really be fixed by recreating your look through surgery? To me, it’s a mental problem that should be addressed accordingly. Psychological issues don’t have a quick fix; they need attention and the problems can be improved over time. America’s emphasis on beauty is creating a frightening addiction within our society. People want to be beautiful to be “accepted.” To attain that image, it appears as though they are willing to do (and pay) just about anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWXJXnEUGIU

Wake Up Call

Body image was the main topic connecting this week’s readings. The articles varied from girls who struggle with anorexia to men struggling to defend their macho appearance. This topic never ceases to fascinate me; one of the main reasons being that our society can’t seem to break the emphasis on appearance. Media is flooded with pictures, video clips, and stories about how to be thin and celebrities loosing weight. But in the next breath, we’re hearing about stories of vulnerable teenage girls starving themselves to be skinnier and “prettier” like those celebrities. Is our society really that hypocritical? Apparently, yes! The image of “beautiful” (defined by…who??) is beaten into people’s brains. We are influenced so much by others’ words and actions that people are putting their health at risk to reach the higher societal standard of beautiful.

Although I don’t feel that I fell into the brainwashing image of beauty, I grew up surrounded by the threat. After reading the articles, I couldn’t help but to think back to my childhood and adolescence. My favorite TV show as a kid was Full House. My two older sisters and I would watch it together when we were little, and I could never help myself from imagining myself in that family. It was easy to compare to; in my life, I was the little sister who wanted to be just like my older sisters. I was convinced that I could have been Michelle Tanner (played by the Olsen twins) because she had that similarity with me. My sisters and I watched the show for many years, and we grew up, as the Tanner sisters got older as well. My adoration of “Michelle Tanner” was abruptly halted when I grew up to see what she had turned into. The Olsen twins’ pictures were strewn all over the television, but not as the cute little sister any more; their shoulder blades were protruding, their ribs were visible and defined, and they were labeled as "fighting anorexia." The media was all a buzz as I watched my childhood idol become a disturbingly thin girl who fell into society’s trap for thinness.




Sadly, this wasn’t the only example that I was exposed to. Not only was my favorite TV show star converted into a ‘thin-obsessed’ teen, my favorite movie star followed in those same footsteps. I can’t even begin to guess how many times our VCR played Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. She was a sweet freckle-faced kid who went off to summer camp (my personal dream all throughout childhood) and surprisingly discovered she had a twin sister. She lived in California but got to fly to London to see her mom. Who wouldn’t want to be that girl? But just like the Olsen sisters, my view of Lindsay Lohan also lost its luster; she too was put in the spotlight for drug use and anorexia. Her cheekbones were sunken in and her arms looked as though they could snap at any moment. BUT... the Olsen sisters and Lindsay Lohan were beautiful and famous; they were role models to many girls around the country, but their skinny images were influencing young girls in a negative way. A negative way that apparently the media missed completely.




These two examples make me realize how lucky I am that I wasn’t the typical vulnerable child. I had two older sisters who taught me how to be an individual, no matter what everyone else said I should do or look like. But what about the other girls who aren’t that lucky? Without strong female role models, those young impressionable girls turn to the media. They see girls just like them becoming popular stars, making money, and modeling their beautiful appearances. However, society is incorrectly labeling that beauty. The ideal is portrayed as “thinness gets you beauty, popularity, riches, and stardom.” And then people wonder why 90% of anorexia cases are females from ages 12-25? Or that 1 in 5 women suffer from some form of an eating disorder? We’re telling them they SHOULD be doing this if they want to be beautiful. It’s disgusting that our society is capable of talking out of both sides of our mouths, but we can’t seem to find a prevention or cure for the staggering numbers. Girls need to understand individuality; personality is what makes beauty, not the exterior. We made a solid effort at jumping over the racial issue and the gender issue, but where’s the effort at tackling the beauty issue? The rates of eating disorders continue to rise, but society and the media aren’t slowing down a bit.