Today I read this article on the BBC about the growing trend for ‘designer vaginas’. I’ve been meaning to blog on the subject for a while, but, y’know, I’ve got Frankfurt book fair coming up and we’re crazy busy at work right now, so I’ve been relaxing in front of Season One Buffy instead of actually doing anything that requires turning my brain on. However, this particular article got my goat so badly that I felt the need to blog about it. Yes, I know how lame that sounds. Shutupandleavemealone.
So. Professor Linda Cardozo, from Kings College London, has spoken out against the dangers of vaginal cosmetic surgery. So far so awesome. We need professionals to take a stand against this kind of thing. However, two things the BBC quoted her as saying really made me growl:
Women want to emulate the supermodel. It’s part of a trend.
Yeah. The supermodel. I’m sorry, but when was the last time a supermodel showed her vagina to a mass audience? (That’s a rhetorical question. Please, please don’t answer it.) People are emulating porn here, it’s as simple as that. The mainstream porn industry shows us women with no pubic hair who tuck their labia into their vagina (srsly) in order to make it look ‘neater’. By neater, I of course mean more like a child’s. So why are we surprised that women are becomingly increasingly insecure about their own lady bits when they compare themselves with their boyfriend’s porn? Pah.
Women are paying large sums of money for this type of surgery which may improve the appearance of their genitalia but there is no evidence that it improves function.
Yeah, because that’s totally the issue here. Have I got it totally wrong, or is she agreeing that having your bits chopped off improves the appearance, but raising an issue with the fact that it might not improve the “function”? I mean, what?
Guh. I want to write more, but work calls.
Tags: beauty myth · feminism · gender · insecurity · plastic surgery · porn2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
They mentioned it on “Newsbeat” on radio one yesterday lunchtime. A girl who had the surgery made the awesome comment:
“I used to have to wait until I felt comfortable with a guy, and knew he’d understand before having sex. Now I don’t have to worry about feeling comfortable, or what he thinks or who he is, it’s great”
It made me sad. People have different views on sex but this paints being comfortable and actually knowing your partner as a bad thing…
And, completely agree with your thoughts on this. It’s terrifying.
Yup, it’s emulating porn alright.
I don’t understand…how many men have not had sex with a girl because they didn’t like her labia? Whenever I read about surgery all I can think of is housewives with too much time and money and women with self-esteem so low, they can’t even fake confidence.
Hymenoplasty? Seriously?
I know it’s bad women are doing these things but really; I’m having a hard time sympathizing with someone who will *willingly consent* to cutting up their vagina to match a pornstar’s. No gold star for any of these ladies.
Plus all the “plasty” words give me the giggles.