Assignment #2: Extreme Makeover

 

OPINION:

Going back to my first blog about happiness, I believe that different things make different people happy. When it comes to looks, some people are not confident with their appearance.The thing that everyone has to remember is that NO ONE is perfect. Everyone has their own flaws and most of the time, other people don’t even notice those flaws. If you were to ask someone if there was something they would change about themselves, most people would say yes. Some people will want to change something about their appearance, while others would want to change something about their life. I believe that people who think they need a bunch of plastic surgery are just insecure with themselves, and they truly believe that looking better will make them have a better life. The society we live in now definitely doesn’t help. We always hear of celebrities getting plastic surgery, and models in magazines always look perfect.

Some moral considerations around face lift surgery is that people are not accepting the fact that they are aging, which is part of life. People are obsessed with youth. There are so many products and surgeries to make people “look younger.” Sometimes it can be hard to accept the fact that our looks are going to change when we get older, but it is a natural thing for everyone. Using wrinkle cream or dying your gray hairs is one thing, but going to the level of plastic surgery is another.

I believe it is in our nature to improve ourselves. Improvement brings us a feeling of accomplishment. I don’t believe that plastic surgery is a good or very acceptable way to improve ourselves. The kind of improvement we should strive for is the type of improvement that takes hard work. Changing our physical appearance by eating healthy and working out is an example of improvement that takes time and hard work.

I don’t think that Extreme Makeover exploits its participants because they chose to be on the show. Personally, if I was to get some sort of plastic surgery to improve my appearance, I would want it to be discrete. I wouldn’t want anyone to know that I got plastic surgery. After getting plastic surgery, you are no longer considered naturally beautiful. The term “fake” is usually used to describe someone who has had plastic surgery. The people who go on that show get multiple operations done to change their appearance and broadcast it on television. I think that the only reason people agree to have it put on television is because everything is paid for by the show. If they had the option to make it private, I think that many people would choose to do so.

I think that if an individual has the money to get plastic surgery, then that’s their decision. Paying for plastic surgery is no different then spending $50,000 on cars, going on vacations, and buying other things that we don’t really need. Hunger and poverty are huge problems in this world. Unfortunately, a lot of people would rather spend their money on themselves for needless things such as plastic surgery, than donate money to a charity for hungry and homeless people. ABC also had an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, in which people volunteered to rebuild houses. They rebuilt houses that were too small or falling apart for many families. To me, the idea of this show is much more appealing because it helped people out that were truly in need.

WHAT WOULD ARISTOTLE SAY? 

In part of the first reading, Aristotle states that certain things such as good birth, goodly children, and beauty can cause someone to be more happy. He also says that the man who is very ugly in appearance is not very likely to be happy. Even though Aristotle makes that statement, good looks are not really part of being virtuous. Virtues are more about our actions and knowledge, and becoming and overall “good person.” Extreme Makeover is all about making someone look more attractive, but nothing about the show improves people’s souls and personality. I think that Aristotle would agree that in order to be truly happy, you need to accept yourself completely. I don’t think that Aristotle would say that Extreme Makeover exploits its participants because it is their decision. Aristotle would understand the relationship between wanting to improve ourselves and happiness because as we get older, we get wiser with experience. Improving ourselves is also a learning experience, because we learn from mistakes.

MULTI-MEDIA: 

http://www.garthfisher.com/extreme-makeover/extreme-makeover-before-after-photo-gallery/dr-fisher-patients/#a14
I chose to post this website link because it shows some of the before and after photos of people who were on Extreme Makeover. Some of the before and after photos are so dramatic. If those people were to go out in public after getting the makeover, they wouldn’t even be recognizable. It’s almost as if they are a completely different person.

http://teenink.com/opinion/all/article/65000/Plastic-Surgery-An-Ugly-Trend/
I chose to post this article because it has very interesting views towards plastic surgery and our culture. It talks about how plastic surgery usually only brings temporary happiness and confidence. It also says that the temporary confidence from plastic surgery is nothing compared to the confidence an individual will experience in sports, academics, or a hobby.  Sports, academics and hobbies are great examples of activities individuals can improve themselves with.