petition to ban advertising for plastic surgery

[Sepalia]

Please add your name to this campaign to lobby the British government to stop advertising for plastic surgery: ukfeminista.org.uk/take-action/campaigns/end-cosmetic-surgery-ads/petition-to-end-cosmetic-surgery-ads/
This covers all types of plastic surgery including the latest fads for labia plasty. The recent broadcast by Embarrassing Bodies on 'enlarged' labia was terribly misleading. To my mind it constituted adversitising of surgery.
If you want to know what real women look like and how varied labia are take a look at The Great Wall of Vagina.

[DinahMoHum]

The most reputable surgeons and companies, dont advertise, so id support the campaign, even though ive got nothing against cosmetic surgery

[MrsClown]

I have already signed. Imo, I think we should be asking 'What is it about our society that makes women (and some men) feel they have to rearrange their body parts.

the thing that annoys me about the ads is that they make it look such an easy thing to do and normal. I dont have a problem with people having cosmetic surgery but I think they should show it what it is, mostly a very painful procedure.

[Leithlurker]

Hi all I am a male so I hope people do not mind if I venture my tuppence worth. I have an interest in medical issues as I have a disability and a general interest in human and civil rights.

I am very supportive of all messages that lead women to "not be plastic barbies" or to have any procedure on the grounds of how men or other women view you. I am also supporting the "natural" look and want to agree with the ethos of the campaign in general terms especially the reasons why women feel pressurised into looking or being one thing or another.

I have 2 reservations though which are:

1: Banning all cosmetic surgery will have a negative effect on those who want surgery to remove or reduce the effect of small problems like, tattoo removal, birth marks, dentistry, scars, ear and nose defects. Cosmetic surgery is as much about personal confidence and small interventions that help personal confidence rather than large expensive and very noticeable effects like boob jobs or permanent tanning, or I would argue labia plasty which possibly does effect how a woman thinks about herself, but unless it is for the purpose of modelling, then no one else is going to be in a position of judging that women. If it is for "work" that is a different argument but essentially comes down to what is natural.

1. Bit like a genie being put back in the bottle, the idea that not advertising this surgery will make it go away and women and society will somehow revert to a different type of norm is I think is not possible. In fact I would suggest it perhaps makes it more likely that women and men will go abroad to countries with less high surgical standards putting women in to more risk. Also men and women will not stop feeling isolated and socially disadvantaged by their nose being to noticeable, or their bad teeth stopping them from smiling. How would the advertising ban answer the need of those people, plainly it would not.
   

Lastly it is undoubtedly the case that the nhs cannot be relied on to do any of the small procedures if only it would that would at a stroke do away with the need for advertising. people will choose private companies for a number of reasons, and as funding in the nhs gets tighter it might be that people will have no choice but to seek private treatment.

[DinahMoHum]

i dont think the petition is about banning cosmetic surgery

[Leithlurker]

My point DinahMoHum is that by banning the ads it will not stop the practice, otherwise why ban the ads? The ads themselves I believe are the tip of the iceberg in providing unhealthy images and expectations for those who see them, however not all cosmetic surgery is about "beauty". Some but by no means the majority is therapeutic.

[Leithlurker]

Sorry in trying to be clearer I made a hash of it, I meant to say what would be the point of banning the ads if it was not to force a change on society of how women's bodies are objectified and sexualised?

[DinahMoHum]

i dont think certain things should be advertised as a money making exercise. Doesnt make it seem like they have their patients best interests at heart, and most of those companies that do advertise in the back of magazines have a very bad track record for providing good aftercare to women, and are more conveyor belt companies. Look at what happened with the recent PIP implant scandal where women were implanted with shoddy second rate mattress filler implants and have now been refused replacements, when the rest of europe are replacing for free.

[Dworkin]

Leith: These are adverts that have the background leverage of respected medical institutions.

The petition was signed by organisations supporting plastic surgery. No one is saying to stop plastic surgery, and the ban will go some way towards stopping the objectification and sexualisation of women's/girls bodies.

I've signed it!

[Leithlurker]

Ok if I have got the wrong end of the stick I apologise for any offence. As I said I am all for the nhs doing every type of procedure, but even if they did some people will want it done faster or nearer their home so private medicine will continue.

[DinahMoHum]

That woman on embarrassing bodies was suffering a lot of discomfort from her enlarged labia though wasnt she. Harsh to judge her as if she just wanted a porn star foofoo

[Leithlurker]

TBE why are you being rude? I said clearly enough that I also do not support the idea of these ads for just your reasons, what I said though was that if they were not in our faces that would not mean the practice would go away. And other forms of cosmetic/plastic surgery are not just acceptable but crucial for women and men to feel part of society.

[Dworkin]

For all our sakes Dinah, you really have to unhitch those judgey pants from your chest. The point being made, as you well know, is that genital surgery is being offered because of a 'male' standard, to satisfy the male gaze. No one is saying that surgery should be banned or that it isn't right for those in obvious physical discomfort.

[carernotasaint]

Leithlurker has it spot on when he says the nhs wont do certain procedures.
There was a woman in the paper last week (think it was the Mirror) talking about her weight loss. (think it was about 8 or 10 stone) and saying how she wishes she hadnt done it. Why?? Because she now has lots of loose skin. She asked for an op on the nhs and they said no saying that it was cosmetic. She says she hasnt got the money to go private. She describes her body as "like a melted candle" I think her first name is Emily but for the life of me cant remember her surname.
I know the nhs hasnt got the cash to do these kind of ops all the time but stories like this arent exactly going to encourage obese people to lose weight.

[DinahMoHum]

what do you mean Dworkin. What judgey pants from my chest???

[Beachcomber]

I've signed it. I don't want my daughters being surrounded by messages that the bodies they were born with aren't good enough (good enough for whom? ).

I'm old enough that this sort of bullshit doesn't influence me too much, but I want to protect younger women from being sent the message that mutilating their bodies in order to conform to some misogynistic beauty ideal is; a) normal b) condoned by society.