I posted my midterm on reenactments, but I don’t know where it is. I’m not a very good blogger. Anyways, here it is AGAIN.
Wikipedia defines reenactments within a historical context describing recreations like the Civil War or some other event or time period from history. Most people think of reenactments in the same way. They think of places like Colonial Williamsburg or Mount Vernon where participants act as if they’re really from that time period. These living histories allow the audience to experience what life must have been like in the past. The participants in these living histories dress and act the part of the characters from the time period they are reenacting. Although, these living histories are some of the most recognizable reenactments, there are other less recognizable reenactments occurring in our daily lives. These reenactments have a tremendous affect on how we think, act, and react everyday as we encounter the many facets of life.
Reenactments occur everyday in many ways even though we may not realize it. It affects the way we think and how we’re socialized. Reenactments exist in our schooling, television shows, conversations, social settings, and in many other forms. Knowledge is learned and shared through reenactments. As we acquire and process new information from our surroundings and interactions we both consciously and unconsciously change our way of thinking. This change is expressed and filtered back into society as we exchange experiences and information with those around us both consciously and unconsciously.
Reenactments occur on many different levels and in many different ways. For instance simulations in the gaming world is one type of reenactment. In Everything Bad Is Good For You Steven Johnson says, the gaming world has created new ways of thinking that can be applied to everyday life. He says, “games are, on the whole, more complex than most other cultural experiences targeted at kids today” (32). These games offer instant rewards and foster an ability to make quick decisions. Johnson says, “It’s not what you’re thinking about when you’re playing a game, it’s the way you’re thinking that matters” (40). He focuses on the process that is developed while an individual plays these games rather than the games themselves. The ability to think critically while developing new skills is important because they are applicable to everyday life. These newly acquired thought processes and information constantly shape and reshape people. As technology advances people have more opportunities to engage others while developing greater analytical skills.
With the increasing advances in technology people have easier access to different resources. The media’s influence on society has been increasing with advanced technology. Information is shared more quickly and can reach a wider audience. Although, many positive outcomes have arisen due to the broadening reach of the media, many negative outcomes have arisen as well. In many ways, people have become more isolated. An obvious gap exists in terms of social class between those who can and cannot access information through the internet or other expensive resources such as satellite and cable television. Advanced technology has affected the way knowledge is both learned and shared and has created conditions on who can and cannot access this information.
Another field where access to advanced technology is creating a gap is in the medical field. Those of a higher social class have easier access to better health care, while those of a lower social class oftentimes find it difficult to get any type of health care. Reenactments occur within the medical field as well, through the popularity of specific medical procedures. These reenactments are representative of the class hierarchy that exists in society. The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery is only salient for those of a higher class. When individuals opt to have these costly procedures that are not necessary for sustaining life they are sending a message to society that they belong to a higher social class. Their ability to pay for these procedures indicates a different way of thinking as well, because they have the luxury of spending money on superfluous activities. Individuals who cannot afford to have these procedures done may not even be entertaining the idea of cosmetic or plastic surgery, which is an indication of a different set of values and beliefs.
The act of obtaining cosmetic and plastic surgery can reveal many things about people and society. It shows how different procedures within the medical field can determine the social class of an individual and how these representations are reenactments of the class hierarchy that exists in society. By undergoing plastic surgery an individual expresses to society his/her social standing, because he/she can afford to have the procedures done. Individuals living in poverty would not be able to pay for these procedures let alone regular life sustaining procedures, so issues surrounding cosmetic and plastic surgery are more salient for a higher classed community, because of the high costs of the procedures.
Over the years cosmetic and plastic surgery is a field that has been garnering a lot of attention. The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery has resulted in shows like Nip Tuck and Extreme Makeover, which have in turn brought more attention to the field as well.
Cosmetic and plastic surgery is a thriving business in the United States and throughout the world. The number of people who are willing to go under the knife for double eyelid surgeries, breast augmentation, calf reductions, face lifts, chin sculpting, liposuction, lip enhancements, nose jobs etc…is increasing every year. As more and more people opt to obtain these procedures we have to question why cosmetic and plastic surgery is gaining so much popularity and what that represents. We also have to examine the types of procedures being requested and the people requesting them.
With the increasing popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery there seems to be a more open division between those who are either for or against such procedures. This division can be clearly seen within the Asian American community, where cosmetic and plastic surgery takes on more socio-political and cultural meanings. Within the Asian and Asian American community the double eyelid surgery also known as blepharoplasty is the most popular procedure. Only 50% of the Asian population is born with the double eyelid fold, so many Asians and Asian Americans have been opting to undergo blepharoplasty. This procedure is at the forefront of the plastic surgery controversy within the Asian American community. Those who are against the procedure say Asian Americans who opt to have blepharoplasty are denying their culture to become more westernized, white. There are accusations of racial abandonment and self-hatred, while those who are opting to have these procedures done say race plays no role in their decision-making.
As an Asian American woman and feminist I have always had an interest in cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community. In the past I too opposed these procedures, oftentimes judging the people who opted to be surgically cut and altered. I assumed they were abandoning their racial identity and giving in to western powers and influences. As a feminist I assumed these women were perpetuating the idea that a woman’s worth only came from her physical appearance. I was quick to judge these women without questioning my own values and beliefs and what it meant to accuse Asian American women of wanting to be Caucasian.
After researching this topic I am no longer quick to judge the people who obtain these procedures. My transformation in thought is a result of finding many sources that contradict the idea that Asian Americans who obtain cosmetic and plastic surgery are in denial of their racial, ethnic backgrounds. These sources reject the belief that these people are giving in to the objectification of their physical self. In fact, much of the literature questions why Asian Americans are being accused of wanting to become white instead of wanting to merely look more attractive.
I chose to research cosmetic and plastic surgery for my paper on reenactments because these procedures are representative of the beauty ideals that exist in our society. The desire to physically alter oneself is a reenactment of the beauty ideals that exist in society. Both men and women believe people must look a certain way to achieve success in partnerships, work, happiness, and life. Surgical procedures that promote youthfulness are an indication of how our society devalues older people. For Asian Americans it deals with issues about race and power. By examining how the conversation about surgery is being framed I’ve learned that when Asian Americans undergo plastic and cosmetic surgery their decisions are racialized, not by the patients, but by outside parties. I’ve also learned that plastic surgery is framed differently for men and women. Many believe men only undergo surgery to advance their careers, while women undergo surgery for superficial reasons.
Although, researching cosmetic and plastic surgery for a paper on reenactments may seem like an odd choice at first, I’ve found that power plays a major role in the area. The way power is both expressed and processed is reenacted through cosmetic and plastic surgery. The popularity of surgically altering oneself to look a certain way is an indication of what people have been conditioned to believe is beautiful. The people who opt to have these procedures done also perpetuate the belief that beauty is really defined in these ways. The racial hierarchy that exists in society is reenacted by how cosmetic and plastic surgery is racialized and framed differently for Asian Americans compared to Caucasians. The role of gender and the power dynamics that come in to play are also reenacted by how women are judged on a different standard than men when obtaining cosmetic and plastic surgeries. The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery shows how individuals are influenced by socio-cultural values.
Cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community is racialized. Asian Americans have been accused of abandoning their ethnic/racial background by obtaining eyelid surgeries, nose jobs, breast implants, and calf reductions. It’s as if some believe Asian Americans as a whole are lacking in these physical attributes so much so that instead of wanting to imitate those within their own racial/ethnic background who have these “parts” they are accused of wanting to imitate Caucasians. This accusation sends a message to society that to be beautiful means to be white. The belief that Asian Americans are trying to imitate Caucasians shows an arrogance and conditioned way of thinking that perpetuates the higher status of Caucasians above all racial minorities.
When Asian Americans have these procedures people assume it is an attempt to look white, but how realistic is that accusation? Can one procedure change the aesthetic of a person so much they can adopt a new racial identity? Of course not, then why would any person with cognitive abilities believe they could abandon their own racial identity through a medical procedure? They have to know that their racial identity is inescapable, so then are they really having these procedures to become more white, or are they having these procedures to merely “look better?” If the people who are obtaining these procedures are doing it to enhance their existing looks, why are Asian Americans accused of wanting to become white rather than wanting to look better? Who are the people making these claims? Why is plastic surgery racialized for Asian Americans and not for Caucasians? These are some of the questions I am hoping to uncover, while examining how knowledge regarding body image and power is both given and received by those within and outside the Asian American community and how cosmetic and plastic surgery is an avenue through which power dynamics and racial hierarchies are reenacted.
In “Thousands Turn to Surgery to Improve Their Appearance” Sharon Romm says Americans undergo surgery to improve their looks and to look younger, yet Asian women undergo plastic surgery to look more “occidental.” Romm makes assumptions about why Asian women opt for surgery. Her assumptions are representative of the racial hierarchy that exists in society. She makes a distinction between races when she claims that white people undergo plastic surgery to look more youthful, while Asians undergo surgery to look like white people, instead of wanting to look youthful as well. Romm’s statement is important because she is perpetuating the belief that true beauty can only be achieved by a white person or through the imitation of a white person. Her article is an indication of how the conversation about Asian Americans and cosmetic and plastic surgery is being framed and who is doing it. Her assumption also shows an arrogance that many people have been conditioned to believe.
By assuming Asian Americans are only getting surgery to look white is a reenactment of the racial hierarchy that exists in society. Why aren’t Asian Americans accused of wanting to look black or Latino? It reaffirms who does and does not have power in society; because being white means having a higher status, while being black, Latino, or Asian means having a lower status and no one would accuse anyone of wanting to be of a lower status.
In “Sizing Up the Problem: The Politics of Body Image of Women of Color” Charlice Hurst gives a personal account of what it feels like to be a woman of color in a country that expresses the desirability of super slim tall white women. She believes the media and the fashion industry are responsible for perpetuating images of “genetically unattainable” looks. These images are harmful to women, because many internalize the messages and images that are considered ideal. In fact, Hurst says, “It’s a fact that the less I look African or Asian, the more beautiful I am.” Women of color have it harder because the ideal look in society belongs to white women, so women of color will never truly be considered beautiful. This is one of the reasons why so many people like my previous self accused Asian American women of wanting to be white. We internalize the messages that tell us that being a woman of color will never be quite as beautiful as a white woman, so assume any attempts to physically alter oneself is a ploy to look white.
In “For Asian Americans, The Issues Underlying Cosmetic Surgery Are Not Just Skin Deep.” Joan Chen links cosmetic surgery to issues of race and power revealing the effects of discrimination based on physical characteristics. The article touches on issues concerning self-esteem and vanity and how they may be linked to power and media representation and or underrepresentation. She questions what the future will be like if people continue to undergo plastic surgery and points out that cosmetic surgery can in the future, be used to divide people along class and racial lines.
The underrepresentation of Asian Americans in the media has had a profound impact on body image, but has it prompted these men and women into wanting to become white? Or are these procedures about wanting to improve upon one’s looks? In “The Aesthetics of Asian Cosmetic Surgery” Rita Yeon addresses how white people and Asian people prefer to have different outcomes when requesting the same procedure. She says white people prefer to shrink their noses during rhinoplasties, while Asian people prefer to make their noses bigger. Yet, white people are not accused of abandoning their racial identity to become Asian, but Asian people are accused of wanting to become white.
White people aren’t accused of wanting to become Asian because they are at the top of the racial hierarchy and being Asian means lowering their status. The existence of a hierarchy assumes that there is desirability in being placed at the top of the social order.
Yet, Asian Americans are undergoing cosmetic and plastic surgery for very different reasons. In “taking a second look: Is eyelid surgery an exercise in self-hate or a legitimate claim to a “look” that is equally Asian? Dr. Wes Young takes another look at blepharoplasty” Wes Young says after the Korean War, because of the increased contact and exposure to white people some doctors assumed that Asians wanted to look white. During those times the eyelid surgery was referred to as the “Occidentalization of Asian eyelids” or “Westernization of Asian eyelids.” This is important because labels have a tremendous impact through their longevity. These former labels can be contributing to the idea that Asian Americans are trying to look white through plastic surgery. Wes Young also says many Asian Americans complained their double eyelid creases were too high on their eyelids making them look White, indicating their desire to not imitate White people.
In Wes Young’s article he gives an account of how one doctor, Dr. Liu, who in his 20 years of practice said only 2 of his patients said they didn’t want to look “Oriental,” so wanted surgery to look white. Dr. Liu refused to operate and instead recommended they receive psychological help because he only operated on people, who wanted to improve their looks, not abandon their racial identity. This is important because it shows how much power surgeons have, because they can determine who can and cannot receive surgery and how a patient will ultimately look after their operation. It shows how a surgeon’s perception of beauty plays a significant role in the result of an operation.
In “Ethnic Ideals: Rethinking Plastic Surgery” Elisabeth Rosenthal says cosmetic and plastic surgeons need to and are making efforts to change their procedural methods to help minority patients achieve their desired looks while maintaining their ethnic looks. A surgeon’s perception of beauty affects his/her surgical techniques and in our society to be beautiful means being white. The doctors quoted in this article say patients don’t want to change their ethnic looks into something different, they just want to improve upon them. Rosenthal also points out how many of these surgeons have been taught based on white standards of beauty and how it poses a problems for minorities. This is important because it shows how doctors have applied Western features on their minority patients, not because they requested them, but because that was the only style they were trained in. This may explain why some minority women have “white features.” As technology advances and more surgeons are becoming sensitive to their minority patients they are learning how to operate, while preserving the ethnic features of their patients.
The desire to learn these new techniques also indicates a desire by Asian Americans to preserve their own ethnic looks. In “The Aesthetics of Asian Cosmetic Surgery” Dr. Bang says he would never perform a surgical procedure the same way for different people of different racial backgrounds, because their faces are structured differently. Dr. Bang criticizes the idea of westernization through surgery and says, “I’m not trying to make somebody look white…What I normally strive for when I do an Asian eyelid surgery is to make them look like they were born with a crease,” which is desired by the patients as well.
Despite all these claims that indicate Asian Americans are having cosmetic and plastic surgery to enhance their existing appearance, they are accused of wanting to become white. In “Beauty to Behold” Mia Perry explores racial identities and issues pertaining to biracial people. She questions why biracial people mixed with white are considered beautiful, while others are not. She says society extracts their beauty from their whiteness rather than exploring their diverse multiple backgrounds. Statements such as “she’s so pretty, because she’s mixed with white” dominate discussions of beauty for biracial and multiracial people. For these individuals their status is increased through their whiteness.
In “Racial Seduction: American’s Gaze on Hapa Men” Teresa Kay Williams says media images have a profound impact on a person’s sense of self, more so for Hapas (mixed heritage Asian-descent people) because they have limited representation in the media. When they are represented, the Hapas are recognized more for their white identity as opposed to their Asian background. Williams says the power relations that exist in American society affects one’s sense of physical self. She says, “Beauty can also confer social power, prestige, and privilege. Images of beauty and ugliness are powerful enough to dictate to the audience how they ought to view and think about these images and their power relationships to them.” She challenges the ideas surrounding racism, sexism, and classism and asks how we participate in sustaining or breaking down these structures.
By accusing Asian Americans of wanting to become white, we reaffirm the notion that only whiteness can confer beauty. Our definition of beauty becomes limited and we give up our power to define what is beautiful. How the conversation around cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community is framed is a reenactment of the racial hierarchy that exists in society. When we accuse Asian Americans of wanting to become white through plastic surgery we send a message to society that being white is desirable when in fact being in power and reaping the benefits of having the prestige and privileges that is awarded to those in power is the true desirability.
Similarly, cosmetic and plastic surgery is framed differently for men and women. In “Knife guys finish first” Paul Simao says the conversation surrounding men obtaining surgeries is about career enhancement, while women are accused of obtaining surgeries for vanity. This reinforces the idea that women are to be valued only for their physical appearance. By using career enhancement as an excuse to obtain plastic surgery men can maintain their dominant status in the gender hierarchy.
Why aren’t men accused of being vain when undergoing plastic surgery? Why are they allowed to use the excuse of career enhancement? Why does society see a woman’s decision to have surgery as a superficial act for superficial reasons?
By accusing women of vain attempts to look more attractive we emphasize the importance of a woman’s physical attractiveness beyond her other characteristics. We perpetuate the belief that a woman’s value comes from her physical appearance and not for her own satisfaction, but for the satisfaction and gaze of others, especially men.
If society decided to accuse men of wanting to have plastic surgery for the same reasons women are accused of having them their status would deflate. To exhibit behavior similar to women means losing face, because women are of a social status than men. The different way the conversation surrounding cosmetic and plastic surgery is framed for men and women is representative of what role power plays in gender issues. Cosmetic and plastic surgery is a medium through which power dynamics within gender roles are reenacted to show which group is and is not in power.
The pervasive nature of society influences us to think and act in ways that represent and perpetuate inequalities that hurt others and ourselves. Reenactments are one of many ways messages are given and received. People learn how to think critically by examining everyday occurrences and by questioning how and why everything happens the way it does. Examining cosmetic and plastic surgery has revealed how power plays a major role in how people perceive themselves and others. It affects the way people internalize messages and make decisions, sometimes life altering. It also determines how people analyze others, which can sustain preexisting social hierarchies. By recognizing the existence of these hierarchies one can begin to change his/her own outlook on life and change the reenactments that reflect current social injustices into positive ones.
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