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Uglies: Would you be a runaway or have the surgery?
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Ashley
(new)
Jan 02, 2009 08:11AM
In Tally's world when you turn 16, you have surgery that makes you "perfect". Would have the surgery or runaway and stay the way you are?
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I would runaway too.If you think about it, our flaws and our imperfections are what make each of us unique. If we were all "perfect", it would be a boring world.
I agree with both of you. I'd run away. The whole idea of a society with everyone looking perfect freaks me out. They give good reasons for why they do it in the book, but I still think that we deserve to be ourselves and be unique.
I find it interesting how easily you all say you'd run away.In Tally's world, she's been told she is ugly for four years, from age 12-16. I don't know about you all, but those were some hard years for me. It was awkward and weird and it sucked. I can't imagine my whole culture outright telling me I was ugly on top of my experiences. Our culture is already pretty bad with the advertising industry and unhealthy obsession with staying young. Think how many people suffer from eating disorders trying to become "pretty." Think how much money is spent on acne treatments and "cures." All the money spent on plastic surgery every year. Hell, people even have plastic surgery to make their vagina look "prettier."
In more of a real world example, if I was offered to change something about me I didn't like through surgery, I honestly don't think I'd turn it down. The ability to make my boobs bigger (actually, make it look like I have some, haha) or give my very thin lips a boost, it'd be real hard to turn down.
I think basically my point is that it is very hard to go against the culture norm. I don't eat meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. When my family goes out to eat, at some places the only thing I'll eat is a beer because there is nothing else on the menu. I don't "fit" into society and it does drain on me sometimes.
Mod
haha side note..in my head i have the theme song for Nip/Tuck to go with this book..it says something like "make me..beatiful.."and then it talks about perfect eyes or smile or something like that..hhaha
Haha, I think of Nip/Tuck too."So, tell me what you don't like about yourself"
And I love your individuality point, Jamie. Our culture affects us so so so much.
Mod
i have to agree with franzz and jamie..i would have a hard time running away..i mean..idealistically i would love to run away and resist that..but if i'm honest with myself..i doubt i would
I agree, in today's society there are many things that advertise to be more beautiful and younger and that in a way sugery that helps one be more beautiful can be some what tempting. But at the same time it is unnecessary. If a person judges you buy your looks they don't know what true beauty is. My personal opinion on plastic surgery is that I think some people abuse it. I think it's stupid that a woman with good sized breast wants to get even bigger breasts. I've seen an episode of MTV True Life where a girl wanted to get plastic surgery to look like Britney Spears, one guy actually wanted plastic surgery to look like Elvis Presley. It's stupid and a waste of money. Sorry...I am babbling..lol .
I liked to share a poem with everyone. I wrote this after a 11 month writer's block. The inspiration came from watching "America's Next Top Model"
Beauty and the Body
by: Ashley M. Lamore
We are born with a beautiful body
A body that takes criticism
Our toughest critic being ourselves
We try to change our body
When we should be trying to enhance it
With what we have and what there is
When we wish we had another girl's body
That girl most likely wishes she had ours
Perfection
ALthough we know it does not exist
We still reach for it
We blind ourselves with the
Image of a perfect body
Failing to see the beauty that's
Already there
Mod
If it were me choosing right now with my life, I would run away. If I were raised there from day one being told you are ugly and you can become pretty at 16, I am not sure.
Brainwashing affects children especially hard. Look at people with Stockholm syndrome, and that belong to or are born into cults. Normal people wouldn't want to be like that, but these people don't think for themselves.
You all make excellent points. I have to agree with Tami. If it were me as I am right now, I would run away, but if I was there my whole life...now I'm starting to think that it might be more difficult. It is a cultural norm for them to get the surgery when they're 16, and many of them don't even know that there is another option...so it would be more difficult to make the decision to run away.
This is a great debate question. I think that I would have followed the same pattern that the MC did. Though just saying that makes it sounds really easy, I bet that it wouldn't be. I know that I would be all for it with out any question until I saw something that raised a question in my mind.
Interesting question... I personally would run away because even though I have tons of imperfections, as well as everyone else does, they are what make us all different. Otherwise, we'd all look very similar, as they do in Tally's world. But then again, in the book, they were raised to think that they were ugly and that they needed the surgery, therefore it'd be harder to resist and go against what you were taught.
