I think my friend Lily has anointed herself Keeper of the Breasts (maybe because she did that 3-day Walk for the Cure as I mentioned above), because yet again she pointed out to me another of our acquaintances, a young mother, who recently had breast augmentation. She happened to be working out beside another young woman who also had the procedure. Now this is not a chi-chi workout studio. This is a suburban gym. So it occurred to me, particularly as I’d just heard an ad on the carpool-friendly radio station about choosing breast implants, that augmentation has gone mainstream.
It’s no longer the sole provenance of actresses, models, and those rich-and-weird girls? creatures? who are featured on MTV’s "My Super Sweet 16" (by the way, if you’ve yet to have kids, don’t watch this show, it will make you want to remain childless, heck, maybe celibate in case of an accident, for the rest of your life). And Lily’s info also made me think about heroines in romance novels, because I’d just fleshed out (oops, excuse the pun) a secondary female character in my manuscript-in-progress and I know she has implants. I don’t think any readers will blink an eye.
But what about the lead females in our books? I read a lot, and widely, and I couldn’t recall a heroine with anything fake beyond highlights. Okay, so no Regency miss is going to have undergone rhinoplasty, but I couldn’t think of one main character in contemporary romance who’d had a nose job, let alone liposuction or any other plastic procedure (I wrote a secondary hero who’d had a facelift…so I’m not talking about the second lead).
Now that I’ve made the claim, I’m sure someone will chime in to prove I’m wrong (please do!), but it’s interesting to think about. In real life, I don’t care what choices someone makes, whether it’s waxing their eyebrow arch or moving on up to a D-cup. Obviously most of us love a makeover story (starting with Cinderella) but do we draw the line at pretty dresses and not something more drastic than a diet? Do I want the female star of a romance novel to be a “natural?”
12 comments:
Christie - I am definately with you, an eye brow wax - okay, no big deal, breast augmentation - I think the only way that works for me is if it comes out of a cancer thing. But who knows, some author might be able to make it work.
By the way, thank you so much for the books I won in the contest. I thought I had only won Must Love Mistletoe, so I was doubly thrilled to see Another New Year's Eve in there. I've started MLM and it is great so far.
Cady
Cady: Yes, I'm not talking about a character having plastic surgery for reconstruction. But enhancement for enhancement's sake only.
Glad the books arrived!
Christie,
Not so much in favor of the augmentation thing--of course for me it would be a reduction thing--which shockingly my DH IS NOT in favor of in any way.. lol *grin*
Actually I have had a large chest since I was young--so I would probably be so thrilled to have something(s) smaller that I wouldn't even do the reconstruction. That is just me though. (Imagine how much weight I would lose????) HMMMMM
Have a great day!
Kim
You know, Christie, now that you mention it, I don't remember reading a heroine who did the 'augmentation' route. Except of course the reconstruction angle, like in UGLY DUCKLING.. which was really good, btw!
Kim: Of course your dh loves you just the way you are! Which is what I think we want our romance heroes to do as well.
Maureen: Do you mean the Iris Johannsen novel? I don't think I ever read it, but I do remember Danielle Steel's The Promise. I think those premises are pretty cool, though.
Interesting to think about what it would be like to look completely different. I can never believe Jennifer Grey (from Dirty Dancing) is the Jennifer Grey I see now that she's changed her face.
I've tried to think of a book with an "enhanced" heroine and I can't. It's an interesting premise, though.
Fun blog, Christie!
Christie, yep, Irish Johannsen's book. It was fabulous.
On the Jennifer Grey front, I think she made a huge mistake. Sure, she's pretty now, but she was terrific before.
And hello...not a woman, but has anyone seen Kenny Rogers lately?? Talk about plastic surgery going WRONG!
Maureen,
I know what you mean about Kenny Rogers--when we saw him on American Idol last year, my DH asked--"Are they sure that is Kenny?" Not a good look.
Christie--Yes, I think that we want our heroes (in books or real life) to accept and love us for who we really are. Exactly.
I believe that part of the image issues that women have is that we always feel that if we change ourselves in some way--someone will love us more (or better??) It is an illusion.
Have a lovely day!
Kim
Hey all. :)
Christie, had to drop in. Love your new digs.
Nope. Can't think of any romance where the H/h had plastic surgery just because they wanted it and thought it would make them look better.
Jimmy my hairdresser is always pushing it. He's had everything--from facelifts to actual chest implants so he can have mantitty. And he gets those shots in his lips, you know, to plump them? and he's always telling me how great I could look if only...
And no, I'm not offended. You'd have to know Jimmy. He's so...Jimmy.
Oh. My. God. You know a guy who went for actual man titty? Wow. I won't link here, but if you guys go to the smartbitcheswholovetrashybooks blog, they have a link to a guy who is injecting silicone in his male member! Yikes!
I'm planning to get my nose straightened… I find this is good info for people who would try to know something about rhinoplasty
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