For many years the public has known that the iconic fashion doll, Barbie, is an unrealistic portrayal of the modern woman.  Yet, as more Americans elect to have cosmetic procedures, the doll’s figure seems to be more reasonable.  In reality, some critics claim that a woman must be 7 feet 2 inches tall, weigh 115 pounds, have 30 inch hips, an 18 inch waist, and a 48 inch bust before she can recreate the original signature Barbie body.  As a result of such criticisms, Mattel re-sculpted Barbie’s body to have slimmer hips, a wider waist, and a smaller bust in 1997.  Interestingly, Barbie is not the only one who has been changing her body over the past decade; modern women have changed too.  Just as Barbie is beginning to more resemble a realistic woman, modern women are becoming more like the Barbie doll.  This gradual change in many women’s appearances links the doll to yet another social phenomenon: plastic.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports a 444% increase from 1997 to 2006 in the total number of cosmetic procedures performed.  Everyone wants to look beautiful and feel perfect, yet people do not think to enter a gym while they are on the quest for a smaller waistline.  Our society is comprised of extremely busy people who would never dare to spend an extra five minutes on hair or makeup.  Paying someone else to handle all the hard work at the gym may not be effective, but paying a surgeon to sculpt those problem areas may result in more success.  Not only can surgeons replace time consuming gym routines, they can also replace morning makeup routines.  Busy Americans no longer have to waste time applying eye liner, lipstick, blush, or eye shadow because micropigmentation can permanently embed the same colors.  There are certain body parts that cannot be camouflaged by losing pounds or applying permanent cosmetics, but plastic surgery can fix those areas too!  Don’t like the appearance of that fat pinkie toe?  Luckily, there are doctors who are willing and able to sculpt those tootsies.  A patient of Dr. Stuart Mogul, a Manhattan podiatric surgeon, described the details of her operation to CBS News: “I’m gonna have my second toe shortened, so it’s gonna be level with the rest of my toes.”  All procedures are performed for a nominal fee, of course. 

Americans spent just under 12.4 billion dollars on cosmetic procedures in 2005, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.  While this figure for cosmetic surgery may seem unreasonably large, it seems vastly smaller when compared to the sums of money spent on other luxury goods.  According to MSN Money, Americans spend a much greater amount, 45 billion dollars annually, on lottery tickets alone.  A new car begins to depreciate the second it is driven off the dealership lot.  Shoes become worn, and clothing falls apart.  Diamonds are forever, but they can be stolen or lost.  Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, cannot be misplaced.  People cannot lose their refined nose, their lifted brow, or their enlarged breasts.  Why are people who spend money on cosmetic procedures judged, while people who buy lotto tickets are overlooked?  Both sets of people want to improve their current state of life.  According to Dr. Gordon Patzer, who has spent thirty years studying and writing about physical attractiveness, “People are valued more who are higher in physical attractiveness.  As distasteful as that might be, that’s the reality.”  Beauty is a reasonable investment, with much greater likelihood of success than the one out of 76,275,360 chance of winning a Powerball lottery.   

Plastic surgery is often described as an easy way to a sculpted body: results without sweat.  People are willing to pay for instant oatmeal.  Now, people can purchase instant beauty.  New controversies have only arisen because modern society has the ability to manipulate appearance.  Objectors to cosmetic surgery must realize that times change and technology develops.  Society does not expect people with poor vision to live blurry lives when glasses exist to improve their eyesight.  Similarly, people who feel they have physical flaws which negatively impact their emotional well-being can use cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance.  Barbie has become more like the modern woman with her new design.  The least society can do to show appreciation is to meet her half way and become a little more plastic.