Little Mermaid surgery in a new Venezuelan ad is stirring up some controversy. Famous animated character, Uriel, is the patient a plastic surgeon from Clinica Dempere is using for the facility’s latest ad campaign.
Does this mermaid need further work done?
In the images seen HERE, Ariel has a boob job, lip injections, and her long tail replaced by a pair of sexy human legs complete with stilettos on her feet. she went from being a mermaid to total human in the ad. At least she didn’t get hair extensions. Apparently her long mane was good enough.
In the Little Mermaid ad, Ariel appears older and has the same sassy look often seen on reality TV stars who live the good life in LA. in the background she’s seen laying on an operating table as her procedures get underway.
This is yet another negative message pushed onto young girls about how they should look. Even for grown women in general the Little Mermaid surgery ad is going a bit too far. Clinica Dempere’s intent is to promote their medical practice, but they inadvertently promote an unrealistic body image that has been set in pop culture the world over.
Is reality real? René Descartes, The Matrix, and Inception have theorized that we can’t know if what we are experiencing is fake or not. but assuming that I’m not just a brain in a vat with electrodes stimulating my synapses and creating the illusion of this world, I can make at least one claim with great certainty: Reality TV is pretty fake. it isn’t as fake as scripted TV, but a viewer understands that a show like The Walking Dead isn’t a documentary – even if I wish it were. The big question is one of degree: When does “producing” a reality show cross the line into the territory of fabricating character, plot, and incident as one would with a scripted show? and does the distinction even matter?
While watching June’s season finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County, my experience in TV production told me that much of what went on during the fight-filled episode had to have been staged. The camera angles were too planned, the plot was too linear, the interpersonal drama too heightened. it was too unbelievably narratively convenient that Vicki and Tamara would erupt like volcanoes at the very end of the season. I called a top executive at a network with several hit docu-soaps to suggest that shows like RHOC are becoming too manipulated to be thought of as “reality.” but she disagreed, saying that reality arcs that feel like scripted arcs aren’t the producers’ doing … at least not entirely. “The reality characters self-produce, knowing that they need to be a heightened version of themselves,” she said. “they end up over-reacting. I can’t tell somebody to do things, but we know that we’re putting two people together that will have conflict. sometimes we’ll leak information to them [meaning things each character wouldn’t know that the other characters said or did, which may instigate a conflict] but we won’t tell them what to do.” When I pressed her on the practice of doing “pickups” — scenes shot after the fact, re-creating something that may have happened off-camera and placing them within the body of the show, as if they were shot contemporaneously with the other scenes — she explained that her producers won’t “re-create a fight but they can re-create the setup for a fight.” I asked her what she thought was going too far when it came to “producing” a scene, and she said, “one time a producer [on one of her shows] suggested to a character that he propose to his girlfriend [even though he had not previously considered doing so] and we said, ‘No’! We thought it was ridiculous. If you watch The Bachelor, I think they are bullied into proposing. That’s too far.”
I went to another long-time reality producer with much experience working on multiple high-profile shows, who seemed chagrined at how the genre has been increasingly molded by producers and networks. She acknowledged that scenes in most shows are overmanipulated, explaining that “at the beginning of my career, we followed a true ‘cinema verite’ code and we truly let situations play out authentically … we would never reshoot a conversation for a second camera angle or have a couple reinvent a fight … but these days, that would get a producer fired off a show. Additionally, we had significantly more time to produce shows … now networks wants higher drama on lesser budgets. The fact is, producers must ensure that each episode has some kind of high-level, promo-worthy drama or it will be perceived that they simply did not do their job.” and, like the network executive, this producer sees how savvy the reality stars have become about delivering the needed performance. “a great cast absolutely knows that the bar is high for drama on TV,” she says. “they, too, watch their smug network execs watching monitors behind the camera and they know that they better deliver lest they be uninvited back for the following season — gasp! — and never have an US Weekly cover again.” though she certainly seemed dismayed by the increased falseness with these shows, she also felt that “as a producer, if I found out that someone was faking their drug addiction to get on Intervention (or pregnancy for Teen Mom), I’d find that appalling and I’d be highly suspicious of not only the series but of the producers as well. however, if the Kardashians or the Jersey Shore cast were lying about someone they slept with or some fight they had … I’m not sure I’d care (as a producer or viewer).”
When I was a small boy, I used to love watching professional wrestling, and I remember clearly the day my grandmother told me that this “sport” — which I thought was as legitimately competitive as other sports I watched on TV, like baseball and tennis — was in fact fake. I was crushed. more important, I stopped watching it then and there, not in protest but rather because there didn’t seem to be a point to it if the situations were completely contrived and the outcome preplanned. I think that is where the line ends up for me. When it was recently revealed that participants on HGTV’s House Hunters had already purchased one of the homes from which they were supposedly choosing and the other two possibilities were just their friends’ houses and weren’t for sale, I would have thought it would affect the perspective of the series’ viewers in the same way I was affected when my grandmother cruelly spilled the beans about my favorite masked wrestler. and yet, the ratings didn’t change after this news; that could mean most regular viewers never heard about it or, of course, that they just don’t care. maybe they would have a more negative response if there were a disclaimer at the top of the show stating that the events that follow are not real and have been staged to create drama. but maybe they would just shrug and go back to looking at people compare square footage.
I talked to someone with inside knowledge of Showtime’s Gigolos, a “reality show” billed as “an uncensored look into the personal and professional lives of five hot guys in Vegas who like to hang out, have fun and get girls, but in their case they get paid for it.”My source recounted similar stories about pickups being shot and producers suggesting ideas to the cast, but also noted that the women on the show aren’t regular clients of the gigolos as the viewers are led to believe; the producers find women willing to have sex with these guys on-camera and pay them $300 to do it, because actual women who hire male prostitutes want to keep it discreet. So, in a show purported to be about men who are paid by women to have sex, the producers are actually paying women to have sex with men whom the producers are also paying. (Showtime did not respond to a request for comment.) but while I was surprised by this, I don’t think the revelation would undermine Gigolos viewers’ interest; much like those who watch House Hunters may be more interested in house porn than veracity, people watch Gigolos for the sex, not a real insight into male prostitution. I guess the answer to the question of whether or not it matters that reality TV is fake or real depends on why the viewer is watching the show. If you just want to vicariously snoop around a bunch of different houses, it doesn’t matter if the people you’re following aren’t really in the market to buy a home; and if you’re watching a show to see attractive people have sex, it doesn’t really matter who’s paying whom to copulate. and, most certainly, if you find it funny or interesting to watch a couple of drunk, vapid, rich women who have had a lot of freaky plastic surgery yell at each other at a social gathering, you’ll still enjoy The Real Housewives of Orange County, no matter how “produced” the show has been.
Kim Kardashian is planning plastic surgery – for after she has children.
The reality TV beauty is currently working with celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, who has also trained the likes of Jennifer Lopez. Kim works hard to keep her curves in check and has denied going under the surgeon’s knife in the past.
The stunning star has revealed she wouldn’t rule out cosmetic enhancements in the future though.
”I’m not against plastic surgery. I will definitely need a boob lift after I have kids.” she explained in an interview with InStyle Magazine.
The reality star swears by frequent trips to her dermatologist for facials and laser treatments and has recently been spotted sporting a more minimal beauty look in favour of her signature glamorous look.
Kim has become more accustomed to the idea of having a face lift after encouraging her mother, Kris Jenner, to have one.
”Who knows if I will want to do my face one day? my mum did it, I told her to do it,” she said.
Big Ang (Angela Raiola) is the breakout star of the second season of VH1’s Mob Wives, and she has been very vocal about her obsession with plastic surgery.
Radar Online consulted with celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Young who expressed concern about big Ang’s excessive plastic surgery. he stated:
“I commend her for coming clean with her plastic surgery, but at some point enough is enough. I recommend that she let some of her work settle down a bit before going back for more.”
Since plastic surgery seems to be the complete rage of a variety of reality TV stars (last season Raiola’s co-star Renee Graziano almost died during plastic surgery), we decided to ask the Tarot the purposes behind the controversial operation.
The King of Wands is the master of appearances and a natural salesman. Often the suit of wands are very self-focused because they often reflects the projects we are working on or our enterprises. for some, their biggest creation is themselves. The difficult side of this card is that it can come up when someone is over invested in their personal appearances because they are afraid of being isolated and rejected by others.
Question 2: What is the real reason that big Ang is getting multiple surgeries?
A fiery theme is starting to come up in the answers to our questions, as the card for question 2 is the 8 of Wands. The 8 of Wands is a card about moving forward and taking advantage of a situation. in this case, Angela may realize that since she is in her 50’s landing a spot on Mob Wives is a pretty good gig for her (and has led to her own reality show big Ang which premiers this summer), and this may be an overall great opportunity. of course, to keep up with her co-stars she needs to look the part.
So there you have it. It appears that big Ang is taking advantage of her new career. getting a little nip and tuck here and there is standard practice in an industry that is obsessed with looks and physical beauty. Possibly plastic surgery is just another form of job security.
What do you think of people that get obsessive plastic surgery? Leave your comments below.
If you like this post please hit the +1 button at the bottom of your page or the LIKE button. we thank you!
Reality TV personality Heidi Montag, who has said she regrets the marathon 10 plastic surgeries she had in one day and has talked about wanting to reverse them, is going public with her latest and “biggest” regret.
She says it’s liposuction — which she is blaming for giving her cellulite, those dimply pockets of fat that doctors say most women over age 25 get on their thighs.
At least one plastic surgeon thinks it’s no surprise we are hearing about cellulite from her now. (See his take on it, below.)
“Though she had perfectly smooth legs prior to the surgeries, Heidi was horrified when photos surfaced depicting what appeared to be cellulite on her thighs just a few months after the body-contouring procedure. “I can’t believe I did this to myself,” she laments.
While Heidi, 25, has worked hard to lessen the dimpling with a strict diet and exercise regimen, she’s no longer the confident beach babe she once was. “I’m so insecure about my legs … I rarely wear shorts.”
Heidi also strongly discourages anyone from going down the same road. “Try to lose weight and eat healthily,” she advises.
Montag landed on the cover of People magazine in January 2010, denying she had an addiction to plastic surgery after putting herself through the day-long plastic surgery in November 2009. that came after she already got breast implants and a nose job. stories later surfaced about her wanting to reverse various procedures.
Reaction to her latest complaint?
From Dr. John Di Saia of San Clemente and Orange:
“Heidi has lost her luster to the entertainment community. I’d wager she would say anything to make the powers that be happy, and bagging on your plastic surgery is popular now.
“With that being said, lipo is not a solution for all. as we have seen in other entertainers (e.g. Tara Reid) lipo can leave patients with irregularities seen in the treated skin. This is not a common occurrence, but happens much more prominently in cases in which it is performed inappropriately.
“There has to be enough fat to treat and the skin over it has to have the appropriate tone or elasticity. These are issues judged properly by trained personnel. Philosophy also has a good deal to do with which patients are offered surgery in a particular practice.
“Heidi was quite thin before surgery and is likely to have had surgery in areas that were not good targets … too little fat to treat. I’d bet that is the source of her troubles if they exist to any significant extent, anyway.”
There’s also a thread on lipo, cellulite and skin irregularities at RealSelf.com.
Here we give you, dear readers, a sneak peek at what transpires on the next installment of Orange County’s best-known (and most-hated?) reality TV series. Episode 19 airs tonight (6/19) at 9 p.m. on Bravo, or earlier if you have satellite TV or Bravo’s HD channel. Check your local listings.
Sarah Winchester, left, looks like she’s getting into a testy argument with newest housewife Heather Dubrow, right. Terry Dubrow is in the background. the finale of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” airs June 19 and 26. Photo by Vivian Zink, Bravo ADVERTISEMENT
We start with flashbacks and tidbits from previous shows. Newest “housewife” Heather Dubrow says to her friend, “We are throwing a big party. After 15 years and four children, I’ve legally changed my last name.I figure we’re going to stick around.”
We see “housewife” Tamra Barney in Bora Bora with her boyfriend, Eddie Judge. Eddie says, “I want to be with you for the rest of my life, baby. will you marry me?” Tamra nods yes, and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. in an interview, she says, “I got the ring, bitches!”
Gretchen Rossi is shown having a heart-to-heart talk with her boyfriend, Slade Smiley. Slade says, “What would you have said if I had asked you to marry me?”
Gretchen responds, “I just don’t know if being marred right now is the right thing for us.”
Heather is giving her rational opinion of fellow “housewife” Alexis Bellino and Sarah Winchester, who’s been appearing on a few episodes this season. “Alexis may be dumb, but Sarah is crazy.”
Briana responds, “You need to look at the big picture of everything and know that Mike and I are concerned.” Michael is Briana’s brother and Vicki’s son from a previous marriage.
We also see a few scenes from Costa Rica, where all the ladies ganged up on Alexis to confront her about her phony attitude and lifestyle.
OK, cue the music!
Tonight’s new episode starts with Tamra. She’s meeting with Heather at True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach.
Heather says, “How are you? Welcome home! I’m so glad to see you. Congrats!”
Heather comments in an interview that Tamra called her and told her that she just got engaged in Bora Bora.
Tamra tells Heather that Gretchen is supposed to meet them, and she called Vicki, but the most senior of all the O.C. housewives didn’t answer her calls.
Tamra: “It’s a little hurtful that Vicki doesn’t call me like she used to.”
At true Food Kitchen, Heather orders a “Gray Goose and soda tall, with a lime in it.” Tamra orders the same thing. These women like to drink!
Heather: “Tammy Sue’s getting married!”
Tamra expresses concern that maybe she shouldn’t show off her ring in front of Gretchen, who has been with Slade for three years, yet she’s not ready to marry him.
In the next sneak video, Gretchen shows up to true Food Kitchen. She says as she’s arriving, “Good, so I’m not the only one who’s dressed up!”
Gretchen says to Tamra, “Tell me where you went!”
Tamra shows her pictures from a photo album.
Gretchen: “My favorite place in the whole wide world!”
Tamra shows a picture of her wearing a coconut bra. “Here we are on the balcony,” she says.
Gretchen sees a picture of Tamra presumably wearing an engagement ring. “What is that?” she asks.
“That’s where he proposed!” Tamra says.
“I knew it! I so freakin’ knew that’s what happened!” Gretchen yelps.
Gretchen asks Heather, “Did you already know?”
“I did know,” Heather replies.
“Why isn’t Vicki here?” Gretchen asks.
“Ever since Brooks, I’m like backseat,” Tamra says. “When I was with Simon, she would complain that I didn’t spend enough time with her. and now she’s doing the same thing I’m doing.”
Gretchen observes in an interview, “Tamra just signed her divorce papers, and she did tell us she wanted to be on her own.”
Heather says she’s going to be in charge of the bridal shower, and Gretchen will be in charge of the bachelorette party.
“Do I need all this nonsense?” Tamra asks.
Heather says, “The third time’s a charm, and I’m going to do it properly.”
In the next sneak scene, we see Alexis meeting for drinks with Sarah, a descendant of the Winchester gun clan. Alexis says she was ganged up on by the other ladies in Costa Rica. “They’re mistaking kindness for phony,” she says.
Alexis wonders why she would listen to anything Tamra says, because she seems the meanest of the crew.
“Do you want to hear the kicker to the whole thing?” Alexis asks. “Gretchen isn’t the one who had my back. Vicki is. She was like, ‘Leave her alone.’ Gretchen started throwing fuel on the fire.”
Alexis says she suffered “bruises and broken ribs” during the group smackdown. “Gretchen owes me an apology because she hurt my feelings.”
Sarah says the women are jealous.
Alexis says Heather invited her to Heather’s party.
“I can’t read Heather,” Sarah says. “You know her husband’s a plastic surgeon. her face is frozen, so I can’t tell are you mad? Are you sad?”
Alexis says, “I can’t dwell on what happened in Costa Rica with the girls … I don’t want any drama.”
Sarah says, “If you’re going to go, I’ll go with you.” Oh, that’s a swell idea.
In the next sneak video, Heather’s party has begun, and we see Jeana Keough, one of the original “housewives,” arrive with her daughter, Kara.
“It’s gorgeous,” Jeana says of the Dubrow’s Newport Coast house. “So pretty. What is it, Tuscan? Mediterranean?”
Tamra spots Jeana and says, “Jeana’s here. Gretchen! I need a glass of wine. Jeana’s here.”
We see a flashback of Tamra and Jeana’s notorious fight last season, when Tamra threw a glass of wine in Jeana’s face and fled.
Vicki says in an interview, “My relationship with Jeana is nothing. I don’t talk to her, I don’t call her, nothing.”
Vicki and Jeana hug, and Vicki introduces her to Brooks, “her new man.”
Kara says, “Mine’s from the south, too! Can we have a cheers to Southern men?”
Tamra says in an interview, “When I was married, our families were close. But she ran to Simon’s side and talked (expletive) about me.” Simon Barney is Tamra’s ex-husband.
Later, we see Heather approaching husband Terry, Tamra and Vicki.
Tamra says, “What? I didn’t do anything.”
Heather comments, “I’m sorry, but that girl Sarah, broke the bow off my cake and ate it.”
Terry: “Are you (expletive) kidding me?”
Heather: “Don’t curse. I’m not going to make a big deal at my party, but she is so rude!”
Tamra, in an interview: “What Sarah did is classless, disgusting … and I’m the one from the trailer park?”
Tamra confronts Sarah, who seems to have had a few alcoholic drinks in her system. Heather is nearby, and the argument begins!
Heather says to Sarah, “That was pretty rude.”
Terry says to Sarah, “She’s changing her name to my name. That’s not cool.”
Sarah responds, “I ate a part of the bow. You know what? I have a sugar problem.”
Heather: “I have a lot of food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”
Sarah: “But it’s not out here.”
Heather: “Yes, people have been bringing it around.”
Alexis tries to intervene on Sarah’s behalf, but to little avail.
Sarah says, “It’s a bow on a cake. What’s the big deal? I have a sugar problem.”
Heather: “Is your sugar problem wrapped up in a rudeness problem?”
Vicki says in an interview, “She doesn’t have a sugar problem. She has an alcohol problem.”
Back at the party, Sarah says to Heather, “Do you want my credit card, to buy you a new cake?”
Heather: “I don’t want you to buy me a new cake.”
Sarah lets the F-word fly, and Heather says, “Watch your language in my home!”
What else happens in tonight’s episode? well, Vicki receives a black fur coat from Brooks, which she wears to Heather’s party. however, tensions are still running high between Vicki and her daughter, Briana, and their disagreements will NOT be resolved at this party.
We’ll see the housewives argue with Sarah, and Vicki is going to get mad at Tamra. Tonight’s episode is part one of the season 7 finale, so next Tuesday (6/26), during the awe-inspiring 20th episode, the wives will still be stirring up drama at Heather’s party.
We’ll have another preview next Tuesday. Until then, happy “Housewives” watching!
READ MORE exciting stories about “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
Some call him “Dr. Fix it,” media call on him when they need an expert opinion, and these days he’s become several reality TV stars’ best friend. Dr. Fiorillo has long been a leader in the field of plastic and cosmetic surgery, and now everybody knows it since his work has been featured on several popular shows including Real Housewives of new Jersey and Mob Wives where he’s come to the rescue when surgeries elsewhere have gone wrong. Dr. Fiorillo shares some behind-the-scenes info and how he keeps it real.
Tell me about your background. what was your practice like before, and how did you come to find yourself in the reality star circle?
I do mostly cosmetic and plastic surgery. I do a lot of breast augmentations, tummy tucks…basically everything except nose jobs. But, a large part of my practice involves fixing things. some people even call me “Dr. Fix It” because I find myself revising people’s unhappy results, when someone has plastic surgery and is not thrilled with it.
So, that’s how Danielle [Staub of former Real Housewives of new Jersey fame] came to me. She was looking around at who was good at fixing things, as she wasn’t happy with her breasts, so I did that surgery and that actually is how Renee Graziano [of Mob Wives] found me. She had heard of me and needed another surgery because she wasn’t happy with her case. so, a large part of my practice, and even more so now, is revisionary surgery.
Did you find that anything changed with your practice, or for you professionally after you appeared on that first Real Housewives of new Jersey episode with Danielle?
It definitely helped. I did start getting a lot of women with really bad breasts, poorly done breast surgery, and I started to get a lot of calls from people who were now starting to drive in from different parts of the country hours away. so, I started getting a really big following and my caseload was becoming more and more “re-do surgery.”
We saw what Renee went through on TV with her first surgery before she came to see you, but behind the scenes, what type of shape was she really in?
The show didn’t do justice to what she was going through. She was in bad shape; she had a hole down to her bone in her back right down to her tailbone, and when she cameto see me, it was full of dead tissue and was very infected. She had lost a lot of blood as well. so, when I got to her, I had operated on her the first time to try to get that infection out, and she had a nurse twice a day, was on IV antibiotics and it took a good two to threemonths to get that healed. She was in a bad way, and I’m so glad she’s better now.
What’s the hot trend you’re seeing right now with your clients?
Well, it’s funny that we’re talking today because I just finished meeting with a company that has a new line of implants that are quite interesting, so those are quite a hot item right now.
What’s the number one celebrity people want to look like when they come to you?
Ah, they always say Carmen Electra. They love her boobs, and they all want KimKardashian’s butt. I get that all the time. People are asking for butt enhancement all the time, I can’t believe how popular it’s getting right now! I mean, if you had told me tenyears ago that a woman would be coming to me asking to inject fat into their butt, I would have thought they were crazy. Usually people want to get rid of fat. It’s amazing!
So, where are we going to be seeing you pop up in the future?
Well, we opened a medi-spa in Manhattan where I do a lot of injections. I’m one of the biggest injectors in the country for Restalyne and such so I opened a second location in Manhattan for this. While I was working on Renee, Karen [Gravano of Mob Wives] always came with her to the appointments, and I found out Karen was a licensed esthetician and owned a spa in Arizona, which I didn’t know. She had been looking to change some things up in her life and was interested in getting involved with the spa as well, so she’s been very involved, consulting and really helping out a lot.
How has it been working with the ladies from Mob Wives?
Good, I really like them a lot. They’re nice girls, and I think they’re portrayed a little differently on the show versus how they really are. They’re all single moms, and they’re trying to make a living and get out of the shadow of the darker side of the lifestyle.
Will we be seeing you on Mob Wives season three?
Well, I definitely have some things coming up. I can’t really say exactly what yet but you’ll definitely see me on more reality shows coming up. That’s for sure.
Former The Hills star Heidi Montag famously had a falling out with her mom Darlene Egelhoff due to her relationship with Spencer Pratt and numerous plastic surgery. She even sought a restraining order once in 2010 after her mom refused to leave her home.
Recent photos of the two bonding and spending the day together show that all troubles between them are truly done and over with. while they’ve followed each other on Twitter and have had a talking relationship with each other for a while, these photos seem to be the first ones showing such a public reunion. The photos show that they spent the day wine tasting, getting massages and strolling along the beach in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Not surprisingly, many of the photos look very staged. it seems that they invited the paparazzi to document their outing. Even if the photos are staged, it’s good that the former reality TV star is at least able to have fun with her mom again.
Now that Heidi Montag, who recently attended the baby shower of fellow The Hills star Kristin Cavallari, has patched things up with her mom, perhaps she’ll fix her estranged relationship with former best friend Lauren Conrad as well? Considering how much her husband publicly insulted Lauren Conrad on the show though, even going so far as to talking about her private parts, it’s not likely that she’ll get the chance to pose for photos with the fashion designer any time soon.
On May 2 of this year, former NFL legend Junior Seau was found dead in his home from an apparent self-inflicted shotgun blast to the chest. After investigation, San Diego police formally ruled his death a suicide, setting off gross public speculation upon the manner of his demise and widespread criticism of the sport he loved and played that allegedly caused it.
The public debate rages over potentially life-threatening damage done during the career of a professional football player in the National Football League.
We also live in a world in which MMA, boxing and NASCAR are incredibly popular on TV, as far as exceedingly destructive, dangerous sports go. there is also a large portion of our society who enjoy the misfortunes of others as experienced through the distorted cipher of reality TV: crazy dance moms, brides-to-be competing for plastic surgery and toddlers wearing tiaras in possibly the most perverted of beauty pageant-popularity contests.
So with all of these misplaced mores, I would finally ask:
Why do we really care that NFL players get hurt?
To date, more than 80 concussion-related lawsuits have been filed by more than 2,000 former NFL players.
As a society, we are less upset that a human being killed themselves as we are actively engaged in the narrative of the passionate football fan: spectator, cheerleader and promoter, totally engaged in the propagation of destructive behavior while actively desirous of an end Game — of winning at all costs.
The culture of the NFL is so duplicitous it can only end in tragedy, but really, how is it any worse than the truly profound damage done to the exploited children of Toddlers in Tiaras, or any other such drivel that thrusts young, innocent children into the critical line of fire of adults?
Schadenfreude is a powerful force in our current television entertainment culture.
It is what drives the mechanization of most reality TV shows, and it is the reason why “fail” videos and mean-spirited shows like Tosh.O survive so well.
We set failure to music and overdub it with semi-clever voice-overs by Tom Bergeron for America’s Funniest Home Videos. we watch egomaniacs like Howie Mandel and Howard Stern tell people they suck, that they aren’t good enough for even the third-most popular reality competition TV show. The lineup on local news channels usually runs the gamut of rape, child rape, murder, child murder and then a fluff piece about dancing cats.
Court of public opinion rests firmly in favor of Seau’s choice of suicide being a clear-cut, postmortem request from Seau to have his brain exhumed for evidence of long-term damage caused by brain trauma and concussions due to blunt force impact.
But can we not also count someone who is a willing and fully committed participant in ending their own life as an unreliable source of information? when has anyone who killed themselves been a standard of comparison for what is “normal?” It is just a ridiculous and unfounded argument to side with someone who rejects biological imperative, the hardwired requirement we all contain to fear death and stay alive by any means necessary.
There are inflated and largely sensationalized statistics on retired NFL players’ rates of depression and suicide, all linked to concussion-related trauma, but, truly, there just isn’t enough research to affirm one way or the other which is true.
One can argue that Seau was the victim of misleading information — information that motivated him to play despite evidence of neurological duress. This is, in fact, the argument of many former players currently engaged in lawsuits against the NFL. They claim that they were not told of the potential health risks involved, or of the potential long-term effects of concussions and brain damage due to football-related injury.
How hard can it be to convince any group of naive young males to continue to promote the innate habits of testosterone-driven violence and competition which will allow them to reap benefits of fame, fortune and celebrity? these are traits that male humans evolved over a few hundred thousand years to survive the unfair crap shoot that is life.
We all carry this inherent propensity for violence. any casual afternoon viewing of Maury produces a similar experience, only remotely less choreographed and remarkably less athletic.
Therein lies the discord with our public outcry against this violence. we cater to violence, we are entertained by it and we certainly crave it, in one way or another. Why the hell does anyone truly watch NASCAR? Cars going around in a circle is fucking boring — give us the crashes and explosions. What about MMA? People pounding each other’s brains in get massive ratings, sponsorship and promotions
Let’s just admit that we love violence. It is inborn to the human experience and a simple truth of our existence — according to the Nielsen Company, a child views approximately 8,000 murders on television by the time they are 18. That’s a lot of death.
If an individual can not adapt, that individual shall perish. This is a certainty of ecology and a rudimentary foundation of how life operates.
And it is how the NFL operates. The toughest, meanest, most profanely violent players thrive, while us lesser mortals cheer on their savage feats with gusto. Blood means ratings and big hits mean SportsCenter highlights.
Seau’s death is an unfortunate loss of football greatness. Junior Seau deserves first-ballot Hall of Fame consideration and quite possibly was one of the greatest at his position to ever play the game of football, but at the end of the day, he was just a human being, prone to insecurity and uncertainty just like the rest of us.
Seau played football professionally, and submitted himself to violence and concussions for money, fame and glory.
So let’s not call it anything other than what it is — a tragedy.
Plastic surgery is more popular and effective now than ever before. Not only does it play an important role in restoring appearances that have been marred by scarring, burns, and cancer, but it has become a very popular choice for those who are simply unhappy with their looks for whatever reason. However, experts in the field have begun to see more and more of a dangerous trend: people who want to go under the knife so they more closely resemble their favorite celebrity. whether the celeb in question is Kim Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, or Brad Pitt, experts say that this trend should be nipped in the bud.
Bringing the subject to the spotlight was a recent exchange on the social networking site Twitter between Kim Kardashian and a fan. the fan boasted that she was going to get as much plastic surgery as necessary to look just like her favorite celebrity, the socialite and reality TV star Kardashian. Kim responded by saying that everyone should be happy with who they are and plastic surgery to look like her was not a good idea. Experts agree.
Many surgeons will turn a patient away if they come in with that type of request. While it is one thing to ask for Angelina Jolie’s lips or the breasts of Pamela Anderson, giving a complete body makeover to look like a star is another thing entirely. often, it is a symptom of needing some mental counseling more desperately than they need anything a cosmetic surgeon can provide. Still, in these days of incessant idol worship and stars with increasingly unrealistic bodies, it’s no wonder the average person wants to do everything they can to look more like their silver screen heroes.
Experts don’t want to give the wrong opinion. Patients going in for plastic surgery often bring in pictures of celebrities to show the doctor exactly what they want done. There’s nothing wrong with that, say most experts. these pictures can give the doctor an insight into your desires and expectations and can be a starting point for a more realistic dialogue. However, this is far different from bringing in a picture of Jessica Alba and saying, Her. Do whatever you have to do to make me look just like her. Competent and professional surgeons will usually send you packing if that is what you request. having healthy and realistic expectations about your procedure is one of the most important aspects of cosmetic operations.
The Jersey Shore boys, on the job.
Sarah Winchester, left, looks like she’s getting into a testy argument with newest housewife Heather Dubrow, right. Terry Dubrow is in the background. the finale of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” airs June 19 and 26. Photo by Vivian Zink, Bravo ADVERTISEMENT
