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Not all famous people today can be identified at a glance – sometimes plastic surgery changes them beyond recognition. A similar story, for example, happened to actress Renee Zellweger. But why does her decision to change her appearance bother viewers so much? We asked this question to our experts.
“Changes are interpreted by us as a replacement of the old “real” appearance with a new, fake one”
Olga Weinstein, philologist and fashion historian: “Most viewers have an unfavorable perception of celebrity plastic surgery for two reasons. The first is the habit of recognizable appearance of famous actresses. By changing the image, they deceive established expectations, violate predictability. Many viewers probably fell in love with them precisely for a certain type of appearance, and in this case, an attempt to change oneself is perceived as a violation of the established relationship between the idol and the public, breaking the unspoken social contract. Then plastic surgery is interpreted as a replacement of the old “real” appearance with a new, fake one: instead of a face, a “mask” is offered.
The second reason is more complex and is often not recognized by most viewers. The fact is that during plastic surgery, the integrity of the body is violated, the original image of a person is distorted. According to the Bible, man was created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore, within the framework of Christian views, a change in appearance is interpreted as a loss of spiritual integrity, preventing the rebirth of the soul after death. Following the same logic, conservative critics and religious fundamentalists often dislike the avant-garde in art.
The case of actress Renee Zellweger is indicative – in October 2014, she first appeared in public with an unrecognizable face. Commentators immediately noted that her new look is the result of several plastic surgeries, the most significant of which is blepharoplasty (changing the shape of the upper and lower eyelids). The fact is that Rene inherited the “eastern” eye shape from her Norwegian mother, whose pedigree includes the Sami and Kvens, small peoples of the North. Narrow eyes and wide cheekbones distinguished Rene’s appearance from the standard of beauty of the European type. Having erased the ethnic accent in her appearance, Renee Zellweger joined the ranks of Hollywood’s Barbies. But at one time she was remembered in her most successful role as Bridget Jones, not least because of her dissimilarity to other stars. It is not surprising that the vast majority of viewers perceived the changes in Rene’s appearance sharply negatively: “She was so much more beautiful and more interesting”; “Looked better before plastic surgery”; “I didn’t need plastic surgery” – that was the “voice of the people” on the Internet. Rene herself added fuel to the fire, stubbornly denying the fact of plastic surgery, which infuriated the most devoted fans: “Why lie about obvious things?” Many expressed fear that now Rene will lose a number of promising roles, and compared her fate with the fate of Michael Jackson, who, having undergone a number of plastic surgeries, lost the sympathy of a significant part of his audience, especially Africans, and his career quickly declined. But few draw conclusions from the “lessons of history.”
Read more:
- Scalpel and soul: why do we want to change our body so much
“A person who changes appearance seems to be out of our control, which we treat extremely negatively”
Natalya Fomicheva, psychotherapist, head of the Department of Psychotherapy and Psychological Counseling, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis: “Even in childhood, in the psyche of each of us, an Ego-ideal begins to form, which contains our ideas about how one should be (or at least strive to be). Moreover, these ideas are partly formed by parents, in places they are gleaned from books, films and works of art, and partly arose in our interaction with friends. In general, they are quite chaotic and contradictory. Famous people are often the screen onto which we project our ego ideal. Thus, deeply and unconsciously, we perceive the stars as a part of ourselves, and an ideal part.
And when this part makes an independent decision, changes something in itself, we perceive it as an invasion of our own “I”, an unexpected and destructive invasion. This causes anger, resentment, helplessness, and when a large number of people experience these feelings at the same time, there is a strong public outcry. In addition, plastic surgery is too fast a change for our psyche. The unconscious is rather inert, so abrupt changes, especially those that occur to people close to us, cause at least a reaction of rejection.
In fact, we experience similar feelings when we see cardinal changes in the appearance of loved ones. Most of us strive to have maximum control over our lives. Such a need is caused by excessive anxiety, which has practically become a symbol of our society. In this context, a person who changes appearance confronts us with a loss of control, which is extremely negative. And if our close friend, with whom we spent some period of life, changes our appearance, this gives us a feeling of betrayal, loss of a common past.
Sometimes, in order to change beyond recognition, it is enough to turn to a professional photographer. Do you recognize yourself in the photo after a professional has worked with it?