For the sake of this argument, let’s pretend that “Celebs” and “People Like U and Me” (PLUMs) are two different species.
The PLUM’s insecurities are magnified daily by the constant bombardment of so-called perfection in the media – this constant scrutiny, in turn, magnifies the Celeb’s insecurities – they go and have work done to defy the laws of nature – which in turn makes the PLUMs even more insecure – you get the picture.
It’s a vicious cycle of self-loathing. But because of their massive influence, Celebs (like Kylie Jenner) hold the power to break this cycle and shatter these unrealistic ideals.
Imagine for a moment that on this planet, where Celebs and PLUMs are two separate species, it is the law that Celebs must be completely honest about all the work they are having done. This in turn makes the PLUMs feel better about themselves due to the fact that the perfection illusion has been dismantled and there is less pressure on the Celebs to be perfect. They then stop feeling so insecure and no longer feel the need to undergo cosmetic procedures. The division between the PLUMs and the celebs gets smaller and smaller making everyone happier.
I know that this is extreme wishful thinking and that to reverse the cycle and lessen the gap between Celebs and PLUMs will eventually lead to the end of the notion of the ‘celebrity’ entirely. (It begs the question- would that be such a bad thing?) But that’s never going to happen so let’s come back to Planet Earth.
This week, Kylie Jenner finally put an end to months of speculation and confirmed that she’s had lip fillers. She said: “I have temporary lip fillers, it’s just an insecurity of mine and it’s what I wanted to do.”
The fact is that Celebs and PLUMs are not different species’ and people like Kylie have the same basic insecurities, needs and desires as we do. Okay, she might not get as excited about a chipper and her slippers on a Friday evening, but you get my drift.
I’m reluctant to call Kylie a victim here. While I do think it’s a shame that she felt such severe pressure about her appearance that she got lip fillers at the age of 17, I think that when you make a living from sharing your personal business, you can and should be held accountable for your decisions.
Without going too much down the “think of the children” road, young girls all over the world do aspire to be like Kylie Jenner. But I think we underestimate young girls when we assume that just because Kylie got her lips done, they’ll go and do the same. Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule but that’s not what I would worry about.
I would worry about the young girls who look at Kylie’s Instagram, believe her when she says it’s all natural, and start to feel bad about themselves whilst forming a picture of perfection that is warped and unachievable. That’s why I don’t buy the excuse that keeping it a secret was to protect her younger fans. I think keeping it a secret is far more damaging than coming out and saying it.
I’m not against cosmetic surgery by any means. Obviously Kylie’s story is intensified by the fact that she is so young but in general I think that it’s up to the individual if they want to do it. I also feel that if Sharon down the road goes and gets her lips plumped twice a year, that is her own personal business and completely up to her whether she wants to share that information. I just feel that when you’re a celebrity and your image is your product, an obvious change should be owned up to.
After all, what is there really to be ashamed about? We throw money at improving our appearances all the time, whether it’s an expensive head of highlights in a top salon or thousands of euros on invisible braces. A celebrity’s appearance is their product and we expect them to invest in it. My problem is with the secrecy because it fuels the idea that it is something we should be ashamed of.
At the end of the day, everyone knew she had something done. She was underestimating us big time if she thought we’d buy that it was a lucky result of puberty. We were just waiting for her nose to grow as big as her lips while she was denying it.
