The Swan

[skier]

FOX sinks to a new low

This newest trend in reality Television features women that have been told all their lives that they are ugly. These poor girls with low self esteem are now given the chance to change how they look, and are given liposuction, plastic surgery, intensive workouts, and psycotherapy.

This is all to achieve one goal: to enter a beauty pagent.

Now, never in my mind has physical appearance been a determining factor in personal identity, and this all seems really shallow to me. However, I do understand how personal identity can be affected by appearance through social interaction with others. But I still find it unsettling when these girls are reduced to tears over the change in their appearance. Looks to me are just one (small) aspect among many that define who we are. That appearance is so emphasized in our culture over so many other features dissapoints me. But that's just my take. What do you guys think?

[Skettios]

Neither one of those girls were horrible to look at to begin with. They weren't model calibur, but they weren't disgusting either.

This society raises us all to believe that we're going to be rockstars and on tv. Most of us get real, and realize there's a lot more to the world than this. The people who don't, obsess over themselves and others, and in essence, create their own misery. Reminds me of one of the levels of hell in Dante's inferno, where the brutal are sorted out with the brutal, and their eternal punishment is to beat, and be beaten by the others. In other words, I feel really bad for these people, but I don't think they can be saved.

Case in point, one of the girls on the show, had a weight goal to make to get into the contest. If she had liposuction, a boob job, a face lift, and a Personal trainer, then why couldn't she lose the 10-15 pounds necessary... It's really sad, unfortunately, I don't think she'll ever get it.

[Batman976]

I'm curious as to how many times we can keep using the phrase "FOX sinks to a new low." Everytime I use it, I'm certain it will be the last time, but then they come out with something even worse. How do they do it? I'm so glad fox cancelled Wonderfalls so I could watch this crap twice in the same week.

I'm not trying to condone violence or anything, but somebody needs to go to FOX's office and shake the hell out of the president of that network.

[ShaniFaye]

I dont know about any body else....but I dont look all that hot with absolutely NO make up and my hair looking like it hasnt been washed in days...I realize some women naturally look great, but Im not one of them...I need help from make up and having my hair fixed lol I dont think either of those women would have looked "ugly" if they werent so "bare" so to speak

It was an interesting show...but its really sad that it DOES point out how a person is percieved soley on looks.

[Fremen]

Maybe I'm looking at it a little simplistically, but if all this makeover stuff gets the girls to feel better about themselves then I'm all for it.
Even if they lose the pageant, they win.

[brianna]

Originally posted by Fremen
Maybe I'm looking at it a little simplistically, but if all this makeover stuff gets the girls to feel better about themselves then I'm all for it.
Even if they lose the pageant, they win.

Only if you buy into the fact that self esteem is rooted in appearance. I know many beautiful woman who have incredibly low self esteem. Furthermore, why should anyone feel a need to physically alter their body to meet the whims of society? Who is to say that these woman were not beautiful before the surgeries (and for that matter who decides that they are afterwards?)?

I got sucked into watching an episode of this show the other night and it saddened and disgusted me. It represents the increasingly popular belief that all woman should do *everything* possible to meet the unrealistic expectations of society (It appears that the ultimate goal is to have every adult woman in America look relatively the same).

It is very sad that these 2 woman felt so horrible about themselves but it is even more depressing that we have built a society that allows a media conglomerate to manipulate clinically depressed individuals into undergoing potentially life threatening surgery for the entertainment benefit of the populous.

I doubt very much that either of these woman will ultimately like themselves more or "win."

[Kaos]

They may love how they look now, but forever will they be defensive and questioning whenever someone approaches them.

[crfpilot]

Originally posted by Batman976
I'm curious as to how many times we can keep using the phrase "FOX sinks to a new low." Everytime I use it, I'm certain it will be the last time, but then they come out with something even worse. How do they do it? I'm so glad fox cancelled Wonderfalls so I could watch this crap twice in the same week.

I'm not trying to condone violence or anything, but somebody needs to go to FOX's office and shake the hell out of the president of that network.

oh shit, that post had me laughing my ass off. but anyway I only watched about the first 10 minutes of the show on Thursday cause I had to wake up early for work. I thought the first chick was pretty cute.

[evilbeefchan]

I think the only thing going right with this show is that they're giving the girls psychiatrists to help them along. I guess it shows they care just a little, right? But it's Fox, so who knows.

[Astrocloud]

Kelly A actually looks so sweet and has a pretty smile in her before picture. They fucked her up in her makeover picture.

Damn Fox... First Fox News and now this.