While critics of large-busted models certainly abound, similarly factious opinions about other beauty enhancements seem disproportionately rare. This may lead a person to conclude that perhaps their issue isn't wholly anti-Barbie; maybe it's something else.
Feminists and others who naysay breast augmentation and other cosmetic surgeries don't seem to bat an eye at false eyelashes or acrylic nails. Other seemingly acceptable beauty treatments include pierced ears,
tanning, cosmetic dentistry, and highlighted hair. Now really, are thin, large busted women more rare than bronze-skinned blondes with perfect straight white teeth? (Blondes make up just over one-fourth of Caucasian women, and tanned bodies in the winter are quite rare.) So women with fake hair and teeth and tans may pooh-pooh more extravagant measures. Unacceptable enhancements seem to include tattooed makeup, electrolysis, Botox injections and breast augmentation. Such hypocrisy makes a person wonder whether the real issue is about the Barbie image, after all.
Perhaps, instead, these anti-bust-enhancement groups are trying to help their fellow women keep their hard-earned money in their purses. After all, like electrolysis, breast augmentation can cost upwards of $3,000, for the surgeon's fees, alone, while ear piercing can be free. A little more than free, a set of acrylic nails costs less than $50, French manicure included. A few foil highlights start at the same price. Artificial tanning can be accomplished with $10 creams, even if they may turn skin more orange than bronze. That's it: The Feminists are really just trying to save you money. Wait. Orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry can cost much more than Botox does, so money can't be it.
There is a chance that the disparity is all about who's doing the enhancements, right? Ear piercing can possibly be done at home, as can acrylic nails, tans, or hair color. Oh, yes, this must be it! Clearly, Botox, electrolysis, or plastic surgery requires professionals, as would tattoos. Daily makeup application can be done on one's own, though. The unacceptable treatments would be downright dangerous to try to do yourself. Perhaps the issue is a conglomeration of the price tag and the person doing the procedure. Wait. Cosmetic dentistry gets in the way again. The issue can't be who's doing the treatment or the cash involved.
Maybe the real issue has to do with relative permanence. Reapplying makeup every day is fine, but tattooing it can potentially last for life, so this is making sense. Hair highlights will eventually grow out, and teeth may become stained and crooked, again, without the proper care. Acrylic nails need filling in, and tanning won't last long. Of course, breast augmentation is more permanent (the implants can be surgically removed, but still). Then, again, a piercing can last a lifetime, too, while the benefits of Botox last only a half-year. The separation between "good" and "bad" cosmetic treatments can't be their longevity.
After giving the anti-enhancement groups the benefit of the doubt, it's time to be real: Their main aim isn't to protect you from financial ruin or permanent scars. Maybe the supposed anti-Barbie people just aren't comfortable with curves or plump, kissable lips, or permanently hair-free, smooth, lush skin. Maybe they're just confused. Maybe they want more women to have chests that could be mistaken for men's. They must just be afraid of feminine curves. They're simply anti-breast.
