It’s no secret that celebrities undergo cosmetic surgeries, which are far from discreet, despite what they would like to think. The changes are always noticeable; you know when they get a procedure done. Most of them look stunning as they already are, so it is often difficult to understand why they opt for such procedures.
When I recently discussed this with a friend, she shared an interesting perspective – try to look at it from the celebrity’s angle. They often go through immense pressure regarding their looks. Insecurity and hyper-focusing on “flaws” become the norm. Most often, these flaws are subjective – we usually conclude that we are defective on our own. But sometimes, the people around us plant the seed of insecurity in us by constantly commenting on what they think are our flaws.
Commoners indeed face mean remarks for features that don’t meet beauty standards, but not on the scale as celebs do. I was ridiculed for my long nose for the longest time (I still am). I was someone who was absolutely at peace with my nose. I wasn’t even aware of this “flaw” until people around me started pointing it out. Initially, I welcomed all jokes. I did not wish to offend anyone or be considered a snowflake. The mocking got irritating after a point. I then started explicitly telling my offenders that I did not find such jokes funny. I had no qualms in distancing myself from those who continued joking about it. In hindsight, if I was regularly subjected to unwarranted comments from strangers, who knows, I might have resorted to cosmetic surgery. But I was never surrounded by faceless, nameless people spewing mean comments. I also had the liberty of anonymity, so I moved on happily with my imperfect nose. When I reached adulthood, my insecurity concerning my nose reduced. I like my natural nose; I just stay away from unnatural comments.
Popularity can aggravate insecurity. It is impossible for someone to exist without insecurities of some kind. The public eye, however, tends to exacerbate those insecurities, engulfing you as a whole.
Celebs eventually depend on surgery to correct what their eyes have disliked for a long time. They have the means, so why not? After surgery, that part looks acceptable to them, even if it doesn’t sit right with the rest of their face. And once that problem point is fixed, they move on to the next one. Eventually, they become a distorted version of themselves. I have often seen celebrities altering their faces to no recognition. The version youngsters strive to be without knowing their idols had extensive corrections done to get to where they are, the version that aches to mimic the Instagram ‘Paris’ filter.
In the highly perfectionist modern world, almost everyone has undergone an invasive or non-invasive procedure to correct or enhance their features. If we can get braces, which is in no way “natural,” why is it so sacrilegious to get a nose job or lip filler? But I have often wondered why celebrities’ friends and neighbors do not step up when a procedure goes wrong and advise them not to undergo any more horrendous transformations? One reason might be empathy, kindness, and everything wholesome. Another reason might be that these well-wishers, who might be celebs themselves, are probably unaware of those changes. For the commoner, it is easier to spot such alterations because we are not surrounded by people who have undergone cosmetic procedures. But in a sea of celebrities who have undergone some enhancement or the other, your eyes get trained to adapt and ignore.
If we consider everything from a celebrity’s point of view, things start making sense. You tend to judge less and accept that in some people’s worlds, the realities may not confine with ours. However, it is still a reality – theirs – that we need to empathize with, acknowledge and accept.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960)
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