The definitive case against excessive cosmetic surgery

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While others speculate about the number of facelifts Nancy Pelosi may or may not have had, Ann Althouse notices the Democratic Leader of the House is just plain scary looking. Michael Jackson comes to mind.

"She looks perpetually surprised and startled. Just looking at her, I find myself raising my own eyebrows and opening my eyes too wide," writes Ann Althouse in the definitive case against excessive cosmetic surgery, "Why I can't watch Nancy Pelosi":

How can a person who needs to be a good communicator subvert the expressive power of her own face? It's one thing to keep an impassive facial expression to avoid getting wrinkles, especially if you're only resisting frowning and scowling. But it's quite another to have your face surgically adjusted into what looks like a very emotional expression that never goes away. You can never get back to an expressionless face and you can never show a true emotion again. Whoever looks at you feels a sense of alarm, either because they are simply reacting to the expression they see on your face as if it were a real, human expression, or because they are horrified, thinking about what you actually did to get your face to look like that.

Professor Althouse's artistic gift and training give her a huge advantage over not only other lawyers, but also other women when it comes to really seeing what's before our eyes.  A quick Google search of "Nancy Pelosi cosmetic surgery" brought up a typical -- poignant -- take on Rep. Pelosi's mask face from a gal who calls herself ebonyfem on something called Feminista! Message Board:

Does anyone have any thoughts on Nancy Pelosi's recent face lift? I think this sends the wrong message to women. Why can men go grey and bald and not have it affect their career, but women feel compelled to undergo plastic surgery in some desperate attempt to look "young". It's not fair!

Not that men don't have their "looks" issues -- think John Kerry and Botox -- but female jealousy of the younger and more beautiful is Darwinian. The future of the species depends upon it, and it eats our own heart out daily. BUT. Whom do you believe, what you read about how great an older woman looks or your eyes?  Interestingly, a lot of people seem to believe what they read. Ann Althouse lifts the scales from our eyes.

We recall a quotation from actress Angela Lansbury, whose Energizer-Bunny career kept on going and going and going, that in her profession, cosmetic surgery was the cost of doing business.  In politics, where celebrity and performance are on a par with show business, how you look definitely counts, but at what cost?

Update: Professor Althouse has the last word (scroll down):

You know, I don't have anything against plastic surgery per se. If people want to spend their money and go through all that pain and trouble, it's their business. My problem is with losing sight of what is good and bad, focusing on lines and sagginess, and not seeing the overall effect.

Comments

[acjgoomp]

A woman or a man who does not become grossly obese can grow older gracefully and maintain dignity and respect without becoming a scarecrow and a wax figure, and if such a person shows wisdom shares our respect and confidence.

[Dave Schuler]

It just creeps me out. Must this be the new face of the Democratic Party? I mean, for goodness' sake the campaign slogans write themselves.

[Sissy Willis]

Politics is a nasty business. :)

[Fausta]

And then there's Hillary's facelift(s). Notice how her eyebrows keep rising and rising?

[Sissy Willis]

. . . along with her self regard.

[KLAV]

Just saw her on the State-of-the-Union response. W/ the sound muted, it was like watching someone from The Twilight Zone. [Think it's the high eyebrows and that 'middle' eye liner that does it!]....

[Kitty]

You can't prepare yourself for such a sight =:O

[Thomas A. Dodson, M.D.]

I cannot listen to what Nancy Pelosi says for looking at the botched nose job she had done. I don't know who did it for her, but she should get her money back! The implant at the upper part of her nose (called the glabella) sticks out on the right side and looks as if it might extrude (come out through the skin). Check it out next time you see her on TV, which will be quite often I'm sure over the next two years. Her mammoplasty (boob job) is also over the top! Is that her idea of what looks good or her rich husband's? Their body image is distorted - I'm not sure we want someone like that as speaker of the house! What is she likely to come up with, if that's how she sees the world?

[i hate green eggs and ham;sam i am]

i'm an australian and i have never seen this woman in my life but oh my she is scary what's with the eyebrows. She looks permanently surprized. Oh she just freaks me out. I'm disturbed just looking at her.{:0

[Stephen Mcculley]

Wow, that is a scary picture!

[CAPlastic Surgeon]

Nancy has had a lot of plastic surgery, but she is by no means ugly or scary. She just needs to find a better surgeon.