You’ve seen the contests on the Internet, heard them on the radio, seen them in certain clubs: Win Breast Implants! Apply Within. Free surgery, how great can that be? All you have to do is agree to be part of the contest, perhaps take a few photos, maybe make a few appearances and interviews. Sounds like an inexpensive way to get a better bustline, yeah? Not in my opinion.
So why am I so against this obvious opportunity for those who don’t have other means to financially make surgery happen?
A. how does the awarder know if the awardee is physically and mentally a candidate for plastic surgery? B. In some contests, the patient has no choice over who their surgeon is going to be, not good. C. Some patients are victims of winner’s syndrome, similar to winners on eBay who are willing to pay more, simply to win. In this case, patients are willing to risk more, simply to win a chance at having surgery. D. In the event that you have complications, more than likely, you will have to foot the bill. Always include this when considering any procedure. And lastly, *ugh* sometimes the contest throwers make the contestants do the worst, almost degrading, activities.
One contest that some may consider mild, yet still similar to clean mud wrestling, was a Halloween contest thrown in Las Vegas. The contestants had 90 minutes to scurry around a night club looking for Halloween candy. The five girls holding the most candy at the end of the 90 minute period, went up on stage where others “voted” who should get free boobs. I imagine women fighting over candy they don’t intend to eat, but what is used as currency for raffle tickets for free breasts. It almost bothers me to think about it.
Howard Stern has also had similar contests. Heck, he has outright purchased breast implant procedures for women. Then he parades them in front of his staff and asks outright, on the air, in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers, to strip and let him test drive the new additions. I think this is what bothers me the most. Those who know me well, know that I am no fan of this man. But mention him alongside a breast implant contest and I am all over it like a rabid pitbull.
I personally find breast implant contests disgraceful; my comments are not meant directly at the women but at the men who would stoop so low as to dangle such a carrot in front of their faces. But, then again I have always saved for my surgeries or gotten them discounted because they would be portrayed on television. So perhaps I am not one to utter a word. I just would hate for a woman to be made a spectacle of simply so they can get a free surgery. Surgery is so personal, and to let outsiders in for any reason can make you feel awful, much less be made to jump through hoops to gain a chance at receiving them. But I know, as women, we have all probably done far worse out of either pressure or guilt.
So my question is, is it ethical for men (and the contributing surgeons) to be running these various contests to award breast implants to women? Or do you feel that using your gender and body to get what you want without regret is a good thing? I am curious as to your thoughts. Perhaps I am just overly sensitive and jaded from past experiences in life. Perhaps I feel as though I am looking out for other women, when in reality using what God gave you to get what you can out of it is ‘okay’ (even if it means improving what God gave you!). I am really curious as to how you all feel. Maybe I just have not seen the light, or am I right on the money where being taken advantage of is concerned? Please let me know…
