Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

KEN LOTICH [Click to enlarge]

Something that can never be achieved, but something so many people long for.

Being considered average or not attractive has caused many people to go under the knife with hopes of coming out a new, better-looking person.

Once thought of as something solely in the grasp of celebrities and other big shots, plastic surgery has become more commonly used by "average" people.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has reported that there were more than 8.7 million procedures in 2003, a 32 percent increase over the 2002 figure.

TV networks have taken notice of this - producers of reality TV programming have turned their cameras on this dangerous trend.

Shows and documentaries featuring plastic surgery have flooded prime time TV slots.

These shows, cheerfully titled "Nip/Tuck," "Extreme Makeover," "The Swan" and "I Want a Famous Face," all show viewers the process of an individual's transformation, giving the viewer access into the surgery room, graphic images and all.

Although the shows never outright say they are condoning what the viewer is seeing, these shows can actually promote excessive plastic surgery as a conventional hobby.

This can create very dangerous and unrealistic expectations for viewers, some who may watch these shows and comprehend that it is a good thing to go all out and get many surgeries.

The assumption is the intentions of these shows are to depict the great lengths people will go to in order to enhance their features. However, although we see the pain people go through in the process, ultimately, in the end, everyone is happy as the screen fades to black.

Either way, these programs are setting a bad cadence for society.

The shows deluge our airwaves because money speaks - these shows gain very high ratings, hence the proliferation of these type of programs.

The two newer plastic surgery shows - "The Swan" on Fox and "I Want a Famous Face" on MTV - although similar in nature, each take a different approach.

"The Swan," its title stemming from the Hans Christian Andersen tale "The Ugly Duckling," has 16 female contestants who undergo extensive surgery with the goal of making it to the end to compete in a beauty pageant and be proclaimed "The Swan."

On Monday, the winner of the show was a 32-year-old woman named Cindy.

Some of the procedures Cindy underwent: an endobrow lift, mid-face lift, removal of cheek fat, removal of fat under eyes, lip augmentation, liposuction, chin refinement, a FotoFacial, laser hair removal, collagen, lasik surgery, breast augmentation and a tummy tuck.

Cindy came out a completely different woman - her confidence was high, and one could tell she loved her new look once she saw herself in the mirror.

How long this attitude will last is yet to be known.

Over on the cable network side, "I Want a Famous Face" takes a documentary style approach, each week showing somebody who wishes to look like a celebrity.

Subjects have desired to look like everyone from Britney Spears to Brad Pitt or even Elvis.

The shallowness and pettiness of the people portrayed on this show is alarming, as the infatuation with a certain celebrity's looks is taken to the ultimate degree.

These people look toward a celebrity's success and try to emulate the person, rather than actually put any effort into developing their own personality and uniqueness.

One of the most ironic concepts is the fact that TV networks constantly ridicule Michael Jackson or Cher for all of their cosmetic upgrades, but then they turn around and have numerous programs like these.

Also, the age demographic of viewers and the contestants on these shows fall into the 18-to-35 category - they're not exactly battling the "aging" process yet.

The reflection of society portrayed through these shows needs to be analyzed. We have stooped so low as human beings that character and personality mean nothing in comparison to looks.

Yes, the sophistication and possibilities of minor plastic surgery can work wonders for those who really need it.

However, many who get these extensive procedures don't.

Angelique Arnauld said it best: "Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."

Ken Lotich is the Spartan Daily opinion editor.

"Behind Blue Eyes" appears every Thursday.

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