Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover

Cressida Heyes has a problem with reality shows like Extreme Makeover, and she's letting people know about it.

Heyes, a philosophy professor at the University of Alberta, was recently published in the journal Feminist Media Studies' March issue. Her article, "Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover," examines the premise behind makeover shows, and she has a book coming out soon with Oxford University Press called Self Transformations.

Heyes believes shows like the now-defunct Extreme Makeover and The Swan, where participants undergo myriad cosmetic procedures to emerge shiny and new, are not just about helping someone feel good.

Dr. Wayne Perron, a plastic surgeon who's worked in Calgary for 25 years, says he's definitely seen an increase in demand. Although Canada does not track its own statistics, Perron says we mirror the U.S.

At the end of March, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released figures showing nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2006, up seven per cent from 2005. Minimally invasive procedures like Botox and laser hair removal jumped eight per cent to more than 9.1 million procedures in 2006.

LINK: Vancouver Sun
LINK: Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover
LINK: Cressida Heyes - more papers