Tag Archives: girls

Come On Barbie, Let’s Go Party

A conversation Beth and I were having last night led to me looking up when they stopped making Skipper dolls, and apparently they haven’t. There have been a LOT of dolls over the years advertised as Barbie’s sisters, some of which didn’t last. anyway, looking up Barbie on Wikipedia led to some interesting diversions, particularly concerning the Controversies section. I’d heard most of these before, but they’re interesting to revisit. I have to wonder how many girls are actually driven to eating disorders by Barbie dolls. my gut reaction would be something like, “It’s a DOLL! my favorite toy when I was a kid was Winnie-the-Pooh, but I didn’t want to BE him!”You know, Pooh is obsessed with food, so is he a bad role model in the opposite direction?But then, not only am I a guy, but I had a rather sheltered childhood, so I just wasn’t aware of a lot of these issues. I do remember hearing about a grown woman who got plastic surgery to look as much like Barbie as possible, but I’m sure it’s not generally that extreme.Barbie does have utterly impossible measurements, but then she also can’t stand up and has no crotch. People seem to forget those aspects of the doll. I don’t know. I’ve talked to Beth about this before, and she said parents complaining about their weight is a much bigger problem.

We also can’t forget about the talking Barbie, who said a number of vapid and sexist things. For some reason, particular attention was paid to her saying, “Math class is tough!”, although I’m not really sure what the big deal is with that. Math class IS tough for a lot of people, and it’s not like Barbie said its being tough means it’s not worth doing. I have to wonder how much of the problem comes down to pinning down a character for a toy. In my childhood, the advertising slogan was, “We girls can do anything, right, Barbie?” and what Barbie was like was indeed largely up to the kids playing with the dolls. sure, you COULD imagine Barbie to be a vapid society girl, and there are certainly many accessories that support that characterization; but there are also Barbies who are astronauts and doctors.With the talking Barbie, there’s really no way to see her other than as a ditz. that was certainly the impression I got from the Simpsons episode “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy,” which satirized the doll and the resulting controversy. The bit with Lisa’s classmate having a Malibu Stacy with Spider-Man’s voice box was also a reference to a real-life event, when people would be talking Barbies, replace the voice boxes with ones from G.I. Joes, and return them to the store.I’m pretty sure the scene is also the only speaking part for Celeste, although she looks like she could be one of Cletus’ many children. I guess she fared about as well as Tanya.

Come On Barbie, Let’s Go Party

Can Plastic Surgery Stop Bullying?

Has your child become the victim of bullying because he or she doesn’t look normal? we all know bullying can devastate an impressionable child. but have you ever thought that plastic surgery may end the bullying?

Let’s suppose your child was born with ears that stick out a little too far. or, their nose may appear out of proportion. These are just two examples of situations where bullying could result.

Children can be cruel and the psychological damage can be hard to overcome. it can literally follow them throughout their entire life. a child can be affected academically as well as suffer depression.

Statistically, girls as young as 14 have turned to cosmetic enhancement as a means to escape bullying at school. this hurtful taunting can make a parent feel as if there is no alternative.

Most board-certified surgeons will not operate on children under 18. but it’s possible to have a procedure done with their parents’ permission.

It’s a sad scenario when the victims of bullying feel it’s necessary to change something about themselves when it’s really the other way around. the teasers should be the ones who change. Education is the key to change. but until every bully is educated, victims of bullying will most likely continue to turn to plastic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery is often the last resort taken by parents of bullied children after everything else has failed. a simple procedure like pinning a child’s ears back, known as otoplasty, can transform a child’s life.

The surgical procedures shouldn’t be done to please or satisfy the bullies. Remember, they are the ones with the real problem – not your child. Schools and parents have the greatest responsibility to educate, change the pattern and the effects of bullying.

Bullying can wreak such dramatic effects on a young psyche that it can almost totally transform a personality from outgoing to introvert. a child can become withdrawn and antisocial. but many opponents to cosmetic surgery as an answer to bullying say it’s the self-esteem of a person which needs to be exercised, not the cutting knife.

How else will young people learn to value themselves and grow in self-confidence, no matter what they look like, if a simple procedure erases their insecurities? many others would agree we all grow up with some sort of insecurity about the way we look.

The most important point is that if you want to enhance your child’s appearance with plastic surgery do so only after you have consulted with a reputable surgeon. it also might be a good idea to have your child counseled psychologically.

Life is difficult enough without a physical deformation added to the plate. but we don’t want to teach our children the only answer is a surgical one.

The media and celebrities already have young people, especially girls, looking at themselves in a different way. Plastic surgery may not be the ideal answer, but it may be the lesser of two evils.

Can Plastic Surgery Stop Bullying?

Goodbye, Norma Jean

She was a siren, a sex symbol, a creature of Hollywood sculpted from layers of pliable material — miserable childhood marked by alleged sexual abuse, natural good looks, driving ambition, a shrewd understanding of what powerful men wanted and a bottomless need to be loved.

Marilyn Monroe’s allure on screen was second to none, but the same could be said about the instability that overtook her. She died 50 years ago today, at 36, of a drug overdose.

If she were alive today, Marilyn would be 86 years old. Because she died so young, her image in popular culture — films, photos, Warhol silk screens — is frozen at the height of her beauty, so it’s hard to imagine her as old and wrinkled.

Would she have gone the way of Elizabeth Taylor — bloated and beset by illness? or Rita Hayworth, who developed Alzheimer’s disease? The years can be just as hard on the gorgeous as on regular folks, if not harder because they start out at such giddy heights and have so much further to fall.

What would the curvaceous Marilyn have thought about the changed standard of beauty that drives women and girls to starve themselves?

We know she had a bit of studio-ordered plastic surgery to narrow her nose (some accounts say there was a chin implant as well), but would she have gone for those repeated and lamentable face lifts that wind up making one look more embalmed than youthful?

Would there have been Botox and collagen injections? Breast lifts or implants as gravity did its work? Liposuction to pare down bulges here and there? or would she have allowed herself a more graceful easing into middle age and beyond?

It’s sad to think of the pre-eminent sex symbol of her time struggling to hold onto her looks, but it’s a moot point, of course, and not nearly as sad as her early exit.

Nothing feeds a legend more than fame and dazzling beauty cut tragically short — especially when the circumstances of death are so unclear. was it an accident, suicide or some nefarious plot to keep her quiet? It’s doubtful we’d still be as fascinated by Marilyn if she’d lived a long life and died of natural causes.

Goodbye, Norma Jean

One in 5 UK girls would have cosmetic surgery…

Over 88% of the girls aged 15 to 25 in the UK would change something to their body if that was easily feasible. the share amongst boys is slightly lower, but still strikingly high (81%). the body parts girls are least happy with are their belly and thighs (both at 37%), skin (20%) and breasts (18%). Boys would love to improve their muscles (25%), belly (20%) and hair (16%). But not all of them would consider plastic surgery. an InSites Consulting survey revealed about 18% of the British youth consider doing so. however this percentage is slightly higher for girls (22%) than for boys (15%).

Girls in the UK get the most pride out of their eyes (42%), hair (29%) and breasts (20%). Only 7% are proud of their entire body. this percentage is somewhat higher for boys (10%), who are mainly proud of their eyes (27%), hair (18%) and skin (13%). Yet 1 out of every 5 British boys is not proud of any body part, and this share is considerably higher than in other countries.

The 16 countries international results show that the UK scores slightly below the global average. about 23% of the girls and 16% of the boys in the 16 countries across the world consider plastic surgery. in almost all areas the same body parts are a problem to the youth. in China and India young women attach less importance to their belly and breasts, and the skin, the eyes and the hair are the main points of attention. in Brazil girls focus less on the thighs and pay more attention to belly and breasts. another level where Brazil is different internationally is that about half the young women (47%) and 34% of the young men would consider an aesthetic operation.

“The current generation of youth is often referred to by scientists as the most narcissistic group ever”, says Joeri Van den Bergh, Gen Y expert at InSites Consulting and author of the book ‘How cool brands stay hot’. “Therefore it is not surprising that looking good is so important. But this definitely is not only valid for youngsters and is a broader scientific fact. just think of the increased importance of product and packaging design, or of the increased care given to interior design”, states Van den Bergh.

55% of the youngsters think they are unique

Conversations, profession, hobbies, holidays, music and clothing are part of the uniqueness

55% of the British youth think to be unique or even very unique. this UK youth score puts them in the more modest group in the word. the result is comparable with that of China, Denmark, France and Belgium. in countries such as Brazil, Romania, Russia, India and Italy no less than 7 to 8 youngsters considered themselves to be unique.

British youngsters mainly want to be different for what they tell others (47%), their professional activity (45%) and their hobbies (45%). the cities and countries they visit (43%), the music they listen to (42%) and their clothing are also important differentiating factors to youngsters. the majority of youngsters does not want to differentiate by their political ideals. the latter is deducted from the InSites Consulting survey as being important only in Italy and the BRIC countries. Body and looks are used relatively more frequently in Brazil, India and Eastern Europe as means to be unique compared with other youngsters.

“The most striking thing to me in these results is that the company you work for and the job on your business card contribute a lot to the extent to which youngsters consider themselves to be ‘unique’. So it’s not just the tailor who makes the man. I think many employers – who are wondering today how to engage and motivate these Millennials or Generation Y – do not think enough about this. ‘Why would working for that company and having that function be a unique experience differentiating me from other youth’, that’s the bottom line”, so concludes Joeri Van den Bergh.

31% of the youngsters use brands to be unique

About a third of the British youngsters (31%) try to buy unique brands in order to be different. Apart from brands such as iPhone and Apple, other so-called ‘badge items’ (i.e. products which give you a certain identity towards others, such as mobile phone, shoes, clothing, drinks away from home) are also in the top 10 of most unique brands. But how can today’s brands be unique in a world where the competition copies innovations within a few months, or where they imitate campaigns?

“The bottom-line is often that they build their brand around a unique value or a view of the world, rather than around the product itself“, says Joeri Van den Bergh from InSites Consulting. “We should be able to summarize a brand’s uniqueness in 1 or 2 words. for Apple those would be ‘design’ and ‘user-friendliness’. Both Diesel and Levi’s are quoted as unique by about 1 out of every 3 British youngsters, whilst both being jeans brands. But for Levi’s this uniqueness equals affordable quality with a tradition, whereas Diesel stands for character, personality and style”, concludes youth expert Van den Bergh.

Youngsters want to be remembered as a good and caring friend

Three out of ten youngsters in the UK want to be remembered as a ‘good friend’. other characteristics such as caring (28%), honest (23%) and friendly (21%) are also considered to be very important. about a fifth of the 15-to-25-year olds also want to be remembered as happy or as funny. They think it less important on the other hand to be remembered as someone popular or famous. A mere 5% indicate so, and being remembered as a cosmopolitan is quoted by only 1%.

About the survey

This press release’s facts and figures are based on a global research organised by InSites Consulting amongst 4,065 respondents aged 15 to 25 (Generation Y) in 16 countries: the USA, Brazil, Russia, India, China, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Romania, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. the sample is representative for the Gen Y population of each country. http://www.slideshare.net/joerivandenbergh/why-im-unique-by-generation-y-around-the-world

Are you under the age of 25? have you had cosmetic surgery or would you consider it? if so, and you would like to sell your story to a magazine or newspaper contact sister site Featureworld here: Sell my Story

One in 5 UK girls would have cosmetic surgery…

Chris Brown & Drake Get Into Fistfight At NYC Nightclub

It seems that Chris Brown can’t stay out of trouble. The R&B star reportedly clashed with rapper Drake at a New York City nightclub, resulting in a large bleeding gash on Brown’s chin, according to The Sun.

Brown posted a photo of his injury on Twitter but later removed it. He also tweeted, “How u party wit rich n**** that hate? Lol… Throwing bottles like girls? #shameonya!”

Brown and Drake have a history together involving the former’s ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. Brown reportedly sent a bottle of champagne to his rival as a peace offering, but Drake returned it with a note referencing Rihanna, “I’m f****** the love of your life, deal with it.”

In response, Brown allegedly confronted his frenemy, and Drake responded with a punch. Another man jumped into the fracas and hit Brown in the face with a bottle.

Following the incident, Brown took himself to the hospital for treatment.

Rihanna recently opened up to Esquire about collaborating on a song with Brown. The action prompted critics to slam her for teaming up with a guy who beat her after a pre-Grammy Awards fight in 2009.

She explained, “I thought people were gonna be surprised that we finally did a record together, but I didn’t see how people could think it was a bad thing, you know? in my mind, it was just music… I could never see anything wrong with making music.”

Chris Brown & Drake Get Into Fistfight At NYC Nightclub

‘Shot Girls,’ Underground Butt Injections Exposed

In five years, Vanity wonder, 30, has had more than 16 butt and hip injections to curve her waist line. her butt has more than doubled its size since she began injections.

“I had always wanted a better body and, on top of that, I liked the compliments that I’d got when I was a little thicker,” wonder wrote in her book, “Shot Girls.”

Fat is the most common substance injected for implants among certified plastic surgeons, which is typically transferred from another part of the body. Wonder’s experience is a different story.

Ask her what kind of injections she has had, and she’ll say that for at least the first two times, she’s not quite sure.

That’s because, in many cases, wonder went to hotels in Detroit, lay on a massage table and let a “shot girl” — someone who she said was clearly not certified — give her the injections. indeed, after each of at least her first two injections, wonder was patched up at her injection site with cotton balls and super glue to keep from leaking, she chronicled in her book.

The practice is more common than thought, wonder said. In her book, “Shot Girls,” wonder exposes the not-so-underground world of black-market cosmetic procedures in which many people are injected with liquid silicone, tire rubber and even super glue.

Although wonder said the injections worked for her and helped her to reach her goal without any harmful side effects, she’s now on a mission to stop others from doing the same. The goal of her book is to warn women about the dangers of underground shot operations, she said.

“Don’t look at me and think that I’m living happy,” wonder said. “You may not come out like me.”

In a growing number of cases, such practices have led to damaging and, at times, fatal consequences.

Wonder, who later became an assistant to a “shot girl” before she faced jail time for being involved in a shot operation, told ABC News that many girls refuse to get butt implants because they “are not trendy and cool.”

Injections are seen as the better alternative because they provide a more firm and natural look, she said.

Black women, who once shunned any kind of medical enhancement procedures, are now growing more accepting of conventional means of undergoing cosmetic procedures, a report by ABC News’ “20/20″ found.

Still, wonder said that many women, especially those who turn to underground practices, do so because they don’t want others to know they have had any kind of cosmetic procedure.

About 12.2 million cosmetic minimally invasive procedures were performed in 2011, a 6 percent increase from 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. It’s unclear how many people participated in illegal black market procedures.

According to Dr. Malcolm Roth, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the wonder book might mislead many to think that these kinds of procedures are safe.

“We’ve all seen horror stories of people who have done the quick and seemingly easy procedure done by the non-medical community,” Roth said.

Although wonder details one of the shot girls as someone who she said was rude and uncouth, many people comment on her fan pages begging for the contact information so they can get the same procedure.

“They beg me for her number even though I don’t know what was injected into me, and people want to know where she’s at,” wonder said. “Nobody listens.”

Some of the most common side effects of botched injections are severe allergic reactions and even ulcers around the injection site, according to Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, chief of the division of laser and dermatologic surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

“There’s a spectrum of danger,” Abdelmalek said. “It can start as a little infection, but infections can be dangerous if you don’t get control over it in a timely manner.”

Silicone injections are among the most dangerous kinds of botched procedures, Roth said.

‘Shot Girls,’ Underground Butt Injections Exposed

Can I Get My Tattoo Removed?

So, you wanted to get a tattoo. you had a great night with your friends out drinking and partying and now to top off the evening let’s all get a tattoo. maybe you were one of those girls in the mid 1990s that thought having a tattoo in the small of her back was a great idea at the time. maybe you and your army buddies decided to go out and get matching tattoos proving your real tough guys. or perhaps you just wanted his or her name splashed across your wrist or your back. Whatever the case may be as to how you got the tattoo, now you may be rethinking that decision. As everyone told you, tattoos are permanent so you better be sure you wanted one before you get one.

But just last 10 to 15 years dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons have developed a laser removal system similar to the hair removal. this tattoo laser removal system has been shown to completely remove a tattoo in 5 to 15 treatments over the course of about a year.

The procedure is simple and in most cases takes only seconds to perform. once a qualified laser tattoo removal professional accurately determines the level of your tattoo, measuring color and depth, they can estimate how many treatments it will take to remove the tattoo completely. you will need to return to the clinic about every 6 to 8 weeks for another treatment, which can be anywhere from 5 to 15 treatments, and it will take about a year for the tattoo to be completely removed.

These high-tech laser removal systems are quite accurate. Depending on your skin type, tone, and the ink that was used in your specific tattoo results can vary but most can guarantee satisfactory results. In severe cases a faint and very light discoloring of the skin may occur where the ink was. Although most tattoos can be removed, cosmetic surgery and permanent makeup cannot be removed. the reason for this being there is metallic compounds in the ink that can cause an adverse reaction with the laser making the ink actually darker instead of lighter. In addition to this, you wouldn’t want anybody with a laser this close to your eye such as removing eyeliner or permanent eyebrows.

To find a tattoo laser removal professional you want to do your research and find out the level of professionalism, healthcare, and medical concern. this procedure must be performed by a qualified laser removal doctor or nurse. And while you’ll want to make sure that you get the best care, the price is actually quite affordable. Most tattoo removal treatments cost anywhere from $50-$70 per treatment plus the cost of any in-house appointments.

There is some level of pain that goes along with removing a tattoo but there are numbing agents that are available to help ease the pain. Although, if you went through the pain of getting the tattoo in the first place having it removed shouldn’t be nearly as bad.

Can I Get My Tattoo Removed?

SNSD’s Taeyeon the latest member of the group to be caught up in plastic surgery rumors

After Jessica and Hyoyeon, SNSD‘s Taeyeon is now being accused of having recent plastic surgery, though SM Entertainment denies it.

In the photos, Taeyeon does look a bit different from the bottom two photos taken from a while back. Her slightly bleached hair and apparent weight loss make her face look slimmer than her old photos. however, the changed looks seem more of a result of her different style, not so much of the alleged plastic surgery. Fans seem widely split on the accusations. but this is the second plastic surgery rumor involving a Girls’ Generation member in the last couple weeks, so fans are questioning if there’s other motives behind spreading this unfound rumor. Jessica was also accused of going under the knife late last month.

Regarding this rumor, SM Entertainment spoke with local media Star News and said, “We find it ridiculous to be involved in another rumor, especially when they’re working so hard to keep up with their busy schedules.”

Netizens commented, “Her nose looks slightly different,” “I think it’s the hair,” and “You guys are just being ridiculous.”

As I said with the other two SNSD cases, she’s already had work done, so does it really matter that much whether she’s had even more of it?

I mean, as long as it doesn’t start getting comical, is it really that newsworthy at this point?

I dunno, unless she’s added a cock on her forehead or something, I couldn’t care less.

SNSD’s Taeyeon the latest member of the group to be caught up in plastic surgery rumors

Ashley Judd's conversation about women's looks

The actress Ashley Judd set out this week to spark a conversation – and that’s exactly what she did.

She authored a piece for “The Daily Beast” with an eye-catching title: “Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation over her ‘Puffy’ Appearance.” Tens of thousands of tweets, shares and comments later, a huge conversation is being had about how the media talks about women’s bodies.

It stems from a few of Judd’s television appearances in March to promote a new show. Tabloid reporters were more interested in Judd’s face than her show; they reported her face looked fuller then the gossip began.

Was she on drugs? Did plastic surgery go wrong? Did she need to have plastic surgery? yes, yes, and yes, they concluded. Judd says she couldn’t ignore it.

“I choose to address it because the conversation was pointedly nasty, gendered, and misogynistic and embodies what all girls and women in our culture, to a greater or lesser degree, endure every day, in ways both outrageous and subtle,” Judd wrote.

Throughout this week, her eloquent treatise continues to resonate with women across the country, but the critics are there, too. One online commenter wrote sarcastically, “It’s atrocious that such speculation should happen. After all, it’s not like movie stars go around begging for everyone’s attention and getting work done and going on diets they talk about endlessly and arranging for spontaneous pictures in parks with their kids.”

Is that a fair criticism? What’s your reaction to “the conversation?” Did it start one in your circle? will it make a difference?

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Founder & CEO, MissRepresentation.org; filmmaker, actress, speaker, and advocate. Newsom wrote, directed, and produced the 2011 Sundance documentary “Miss Representation,” which asserts that the media’s misrepresentations of women contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence.

Jose Lambiet, Veteran gossip writer and columnist; publications include the Palm Beach Post, Star Magazine, National Enquirer, new York Daily News and Radar Online

Robinne Lee, Actress, Producer, Writer; Credits include “Hitch,” “Seven Pounds,” “Hotel for Dogs;” Yale alumnae & Columbia Law

Ashley Judd's conversation about women's looks

13 WTHR IndianapolisTeens turn to plastic surgery to fix “flaws”

INDIANAPOLIS –

Experts are weighing in on the risks and benefits of plastic surgery for teenagers.

When you look in the mirror, are you happy or unhappy with what you see? Two teens spoke to Eyewitness News are looking for a surgical fix for what they call “flaws.”

For girls in sports, ponytails are part of the uniform. But it's the hairstyle Bridget Andrews actively avoided. the Plainfield eighth grader spent years hiding her ears.

“I just didn't like how they stuck out when I had my hair up and I didn't feel comfy with my hair up, sometimes even when it was down, they would stick out through my hair,” Andrews said.

“I tried telling her she's beautiful just the way she is, nothing needs to be done. I don't notice it. But it started really affecting her confidence.,” said Bridget's mother, Kristin.

For options, they went to see Carmel plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Perkins. Through computer imaging, Perkins was able to show what Bridget would look like if she had her ears pinned back.

“Pictures are worth a thousand words and when they can see it, I mean, you can talk in front of the mirror and show them this and that, but when they see themselves on a screen and that's what they like, that's the profile they want, well that really is helpful,” Perkins said.

Otoplasty, or “ear pinning,” was the number one plastic surgery for teens under the age of 18 in the United States last year. the issue is often evident from birth and, since ears develop early, a surgical fix could start as early as age five.

The surgery costs $3,000-5,000 and can be covered by insurance.

“Surgically, we make a small incision behind the ear and we use sutures to recreate the fold,” Perkins said.

The back of Bridget's ear is now healed and, even when she pulls it forward, you would have to have a trained eye to see that she had plastic surgery. But from the front, the before and after pictures are dramatic.

Still, her mother believes the biggest change is confidence.

“I could tell, especially after they took the bandages off the next day, she was like a different kid,” Kristin Andrews said.

The transformation was more subtle for Lauren Jacobs, who convinced her mother to schedule a rhinoplasty, or nose job, for summer break.

“I was mostly concerned about rumors going around my high school,” Jacobs said.

“About age 12, she was developing a particular bump on her nose, almost an abnormal-looking bump, but there was definitely some heredity involved,” Perkins said.

Since your nose grows until you are in your mid-teens, it may be an issue that you first notice in middle or high school. Rhinoplasty is the second-most common procedure for teens under 18.

It cost Lauren's parents nearly $8,000 to remove the bump and lift and narrow the tip of her nose. It was not covered by insurance.

“She is so happy. So happy,” said Lauren's mother, Kim.

“Obviously, I cut my hair short, so I'm not afraid to show my face anymore, so it's definitely helped me with my confidence,” Lauren said.

With all patients and teens, especially, Perkins requires a consultation to see if the parent and patient expectations are realistic.

“We definitely turn people away,” Perkins said.

Teenage plastic surgery can be controversial.

Are teens really mature enough to understand surgery, the risks and the emotional impact?

“This is surgery. There is intense pain, there is healing that goes along with it and so are their expectations realistic? If you are going to go in for a rhinoplasty, a nose job isn't going to make you more popular. It's not going to make you more desirable or wanted or accepted in your peer group,” said psychologist Beth Buckingham.

Buckingham says the key question is, “Who's idea is this?”

“I think the word of caution would be to make sure that motivation that desire comes directly from the teen,” Buckingham said. “I had one family who expressed concerns, they were giving a breast augmentation as a high school graduation gift to their daughter and it wasn't something that her daughter necessarily wanted.”

Bridget initiated conversations about surgery years before her mother consented.

“With her having her ears done, her inner beauty shines through more. She's more passionate about everything,” Kristin Andrews said.

This year, Bridget got out of the chorus and accepted a solo for swing choir.

“It boost my self confidence up a lot more. I wasn't afraid to be on stage anymore, I didn't have to worry about people just staring at my ears,” she said.

13 WTHR IndianapolisTeens turn to plastic surgery to fix “flaws”