"I Want a Famous Face"

I hadn't heard about the new MTV show "I Want a Famous Face" until Candace at Candied Ginger mentioned it. Last night, I watched a half hour episode of the show that introduces itself as follows:

How far would you go to look like a celebrity? Nose job here? Nip & tuck there? The people you are about to meet went that far and beyond. They have endured painful and sometimes risky reconstructive surgery to look like their favorite celebrity.

The subjects of this documentary series decided on their own to get plastic surgery. MTV then asked to document their journey. MTV did not pay for any surgery performed on these subjects.

(That's what I love about MTV. Always claiming merely to be "documenting the journey", rather than being the cultural cartographers who map out desirable destinations for millions of young adolescents. Talk about evading responsibility!)

Anyhow, last night's episode revolved around a young Floridian named Jennette and her desire to look like her hero, actor Kate Winslet. Jennette (who had already had a gastric bypass operation that helped her lose more than 100 pounds prior to beginning taping) underwent breast implants and a massive tummy tuck in order to move her further towards her goal. The surgery was filmed, and was remarkably graphic. The episode followed Jennette through her post-op recovery period and finished with a scene of her posing as a swimsuit model on a beach.

I was raised on MTV. I was 14 when the network went on the air in 1981, and I can still name all the original VJs. (Yes, I had a crush on Martha Quinn -- who didn't?) I've always been struck by the seductiveness of the channel, with its remarkable confidence that it (more than any other media outlet) knows what today's youth are thinking, fearing, desiring.

"I Want a Famous Face" was, in some sense, gripping. It's hard not to be moved by what has become such a familiar narrative on MTV and in our society at large: the painful and arduous journey towards self-transformation. Jennette seemed like a sweet girl, and I found her quite sympathetic. But like most young folks on that journey, she repeats an old and familiar lie in this exchange captured on her webpage:

MTV: What would you say to teens reading this who are
thinking about getting elective plastic surgery?

JENNETTE: I do not think you should have plastic surgery unless you have a strong sense of self. You have to be OK with who you are and love yourself regardless of what you look like before you make changes to your body. Plastic surgery only changes the outside...and you will never be happy with the outside unless you love the inside. Plastic surgery is not an answer to happiness but rather a tool to help you achieve a goal.

As a scholar and sometime feminist, I know how dangerous it is to contradict what a woman -- especially a young and vulnerable one -- says is her "truth". And yet, though I don't know much about this gal from the Sunshine State, her words ring false to me. They ring false because I have heards words like them spoken countless times by young women who have done all sorts of terrible things to themselves, always reassuring those around them (and themselves) that they "love" themselves "regardless", and that this (piercing, tattooing, breast augmentation, stomach stapling, eyelid surgery, collagen injection, botox -- I can keep going --) is only "a tool to help reach a goal." In this looks-obsessed culture, young people rarely have an accurate way of distinguishing their sense of their own worth from the perceptions that others have of them. We are communal creatures, we humans, pack animals all of us. And when we are young, our strongest sense of self-worth will always come from the affirmations of others. I can see my teenagers -- both my students and my beloved church youth groupers -- earnestly nodding their head as they listen to that astonishing string of cliches from Jennette. This is the contemporary (and nonsensical) cultural gospel: changing yourself in order to make yourself feel better about yourself is acceptable as long as you already love yourself. The sin lies in admitting that you don't really love yourself; the sin lies in admitting that you aren't autonomous and self-sufficient and all of those other things our culture tells young women they need to be.

I have no intention of watching another episode, as disturbingly seductive as it was. I worry deeply about how Jennette -- whose naked body was on display throughout virtually the entire half hour, with only very small "blurry spots" to cover her nipples and vagina -- will feel about this filming of her private journey twenty years from now, when she has (perhaps) a daughter of her own. I dislike the intense feeling of voyeurism I get as I watch shows like this. And of course, I loathe the show's premise. I am not going to condemn those of my sisters (and brothers) who undergo surgery (I won't use the overused verb "choose", because I don't think it's accurate). My job as a teacher is to provoke some critical analysis of our cultural values; my job as a youth leader is to love and affirm vulnerable kids unconditionally, not for what they look like but for the precious spirit of life and of God that is found within them.

Comments

[Kelly]

I saw this same episode. It was gross (on a number of levels, not just viscerally so). It's bad enough they are getting plastic surgery in the first place, but even worse so that they could emulate their favorite celebs. They don't even end up looking like the celebs in the end, with the exception of the girl who wanted to look like Brittany Spears - she already looked like BS, now she just has bigger boobs. On another note, but along a similar vein, i'd like to know what you think of this: http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2003/10/09/revolve/index_np.html, you can guess what I think of it, what's your take? P.S. I heard about the content of the following link on Air America Radio, are you listening yet?

[Hugo]

I haven't had time for Air America yet... I need to get my speakers working again on my office computer so I can stream it. Oh, the teen bible thing... I'm with ya, Kelly. It grates.

[Elizabeth]

I happened upon an episode of that show the other night, but it was a girl who had surgery to look like Pamela Anderson. I got totally sucked into her story. This girl wanted to BE Pamela Anderson. Even after the surgery, she didn't look much like her, but her goal in life is to be a Playboy Bunny. They showed her posing for a guy that chooses models for Playboy, and it was just so. sad. Overall, a very disturbing show about a girl with zero self esteem who chooses to make another's goals her own. I can't watch that show again after that ep.

[candace]

Elizabeth - I really felt MTV was irresponsible in supporting her in that. But to do otherwise would be to undermine their reason for existing - to glorify the lives of the beautiful people and suck us in with our own desires to be like them.

Hugo, thanks for being. Write write write!

[logtar]

I think people are crazy for trying to look like a celebrity... no problem with plastic surgery, but to look like a celebrity come on.

[LynnJuMen]

it's demoralizing to all humans.

[Bea]

None of these people are thinking logically... I feel bad for them. The best example I can think of is the guy who wanted to look like Elvis. He was quoted as saying "Everything's reversible, it's cool" How sad...he obviously has no idea what he got himself into. As for the show itself, I think it's brilliant. MTV isn't supporting these people's decisions, they are documenting it to educate viewers. If anything the show doesn't celebrate these peoples decisions they question them. After watching each episode I personally don't feel like going out and getting a $5,000 pair of butt implants, I just sit there, shake my head and think "How in the hell do they think they look good!" But according to Jesse, ahem...Elvis....everything's reversible right?

[MGGuy]

Hey

I know a lot of peopel don't agree with th e surgeries that these people had but I think Mtv did a good job in documenting the stories and the transformations. Unlike most reality shows where the producers actively manipulate the content of the show and put forth all sorts of crazy twists, Mtv remained objective and stood back. They could have provided some counseling or intervention for these people but they let the cameras roll and let these people go through with what they had planned wheather the audience felt it was god or bad. I have a new Yahoo group for the show and you can join by going to www.groups.yahoo.com to discuss the show more.

[jon]

MTV are both incredibly clever and incredibly evil. Clever because they know how to channel teenagers' insecurities into marketing strategy. This famous face thing shows how evil they are - they sort of have this angle like they are just journalists reporting on this alarming issue - uh hello - all your station does is show beautiful, made up, airbrushed people all day long and tell viewers that you have to look like that or you ain't cool. It's really quite fascist.

[jonathan]

why does that girl wants to be pamela if she doesnt even look like her she wasted all her money in a cheap surgery

[Mary]

Mtv associates womens' happiness with beauty. the pressure of being beautiful and mainting a presentable look comes mainly from the media in general. and mtv just helps it alot more because mtv's audience are mostly teenagers which basically encourages them to wanting to look thin, wrinkle free, low body fat,glowing creatures. there is nothing wrong with looking like that when doing it the right way i.e exercising, eating healthy. but it is wrong when they lean towards the plastic sergeries but mtv makes seem like it is ok !

[Patricia]

Hi there! Just a random reader passing through. I don't believe in plastic surgery myself, but just to play devil's advocate - what do you say to women who get surgery done b/c they feel it's the best way to get a husband? Two reasons behind this idea:
I.
The whole survival of the fittest mentality - particularly whoever is the prettiest will inevitably get married sooner mentality?
II.
Or the belief that even if you can't judge a book by its cover, what about two books with the same content, but one is new and has catchy graphics vs. the old, dusty, cracked-binding one? Which one would a person choose in general? Or more specifically, a woman who is tall, thin, pretty (societal norm of pretty) vs. another woman who is short, fat, objectively not pretty?

Of course one's self-worth should not be dependent on whether he/she is married or not; whether he/she is rich; whether he/she looks like a famous celebrity, etc. and ultimately it's in knowing that the Lord did create him/her the way he/she is and that their identity is in Christ. . .

I guess all these reasons lead to a general conclusion that humans can be quite superficial, but do you find some truth to this?

[Baubo]

'...whose naked body was on display throughout virtually the entire half hour, with only very small "blurry spots" to cover her nipples and vagina'

The correct term is vulva. The vulva is a females external genitalia. The vagina is the internal tube connecting the uterus and the vulva.

Pet peeve.

[Andrea]

Kudos to Hugo for articulating what so many of us, I think, feel. As for calling it an "impartial documentary," a more cynical lie on the part of MTV apologists is hard to imagine.

[Giddeo]

The kids who wanted to look like Brad Pitt.
That one confused me.
They had operations on their teeth, their face, their hair.

Did they go to the gym ONCE? No.
Did they make any attempt to clear up their acne? No.

The two things they could have made an effort to do and they just didn't even try and afterwards they look the same but with puffy jaws and a ridiculously white set of teeth.

Me personally I work out, I watch my diet, see what works what doesn't I make an effort and I do alright, guys like that, their appearance isn't the problem, its their attitude.

[Menga]

The problem with all these people is that they thing that by getting plastic surgery the will solve all their problems. Come on dude, start using your freaking head !!!

[David]

Well i agree with all of this, one thing is to fix what you have broken and the other want to look like a famous person, like that girl that was fat and she get thinner, but she got all that skin hanging there, she fix that, and is ok, because she wouldnt be able to even wear a swimsuit, i mean we have to be realistic, i know you guys say that appeareance is not important, but if you saw a girl in a swimsuit with all the skin hanging, it would be an awful scene, so i agree in that case, but trying to look like kate winslet, thats the mistake.....

[JACY]

GOSH i haven't watched the show/:
Any idea where i can watch it on the net?
Email me the link, at [email protected] kay;D

THANKYOU<3

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"I Want a Famous Face"

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