RSSBeauty is the Beast
What do you think of when you think of children’s books? I think of fairy tales and adventures with princesses and dragons…I think of books about overcoming obstacles, sharing and embracing others… I think of books that develop cognitive and literacy skills…What I don’t think of is plastic surgery…
“My Beautiful Mommy” is a children’s book that attempts to explain, to the children of mothers who endured or will endure plastic surgery, the purpose of the procedure and healing process. Not surprisingly, the book is authored by a plastic surgeon.
Initially, I thought about how traumatizing it must be for a child to witness your parents healthy one day and then the next day bandaged like a mummy…so for that reason I somewhat see a purpose for the book…
On the other side…
I view children’s books as tools for conditioning the mind of a child…parents/people use them to instill values, knowledge and skills within a child at an early age. What type of message is, “My Beautiful Mommy” sending?
The book perpetuates the notion that it is ok to be insecure about your physical appearance. Take a look at this excerpt: “that’s sweet of you to say my love but mommy is also having her tummy made smaller. You see, as I got older, my body stretched and I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. Dr. Michael is going to fix that and make me feel better.”
B&*$^ buy clothes that fit you and not the icon that your trying to emulate. It’s telling kids, “You never grow out of feeling bad about yourself but when you grow up you can pay the nice doctor to make you pretty.”
So I’m torn on this issue…Is solving physical insecurities through surgery suitable for a children’s book? Or should the title be, “don’t be stupid like mommy- your beautiful the way you are!”
32 Comments, Comment or Ping
TROUBLMan
Our society is sick. Instead of teaching our kids emotional intelligence, we’re teaching them quick alternatives for low-self esteem. What type of parent would actually buy this for their child? It’s one thing to be an adult, have certain insecurities about yourself and get plastic surgery, but to justify your low self-esteem to your children through fairy tales is insane.
It’s shit like this that fuels America’s anti-depressant dependency. What’s next, a book telling crack babies why mommy love the pipe?
[Reply]
Malia
SB—-Fabulous post!!!! Okay, usually I would argue that knowledge is superior to ignorance, but in this case it just perpetuates our society’s fixation with looks, fashion and bling!!!
It also begs the question because of its title “My Beautiful Mommy” - Will Mommies not be beautiful if they don’t get plastic surgery? What if you’re a Mommy who looks great, are you therefore not beautiful because you don’t need surgery?
When will it stop?
TROUBLMAN—–LOL @ why mommy love the pipe!!! Lord, please help him!!!! LOL - you are too much!
[Reply]
ChiCity Star
Upcoming titles:
“Dump Trucks and Tummy Tucks”
“How Mommy Lost Weight: A Kids’ Guide to Gastric Bypass Surgery”
“Mommy’s Life as a Stripper”
“Why Does Grandma Need a Face Lift?”
“Botox is Your Friend”
“Why Daddy Needs Viagra: All About Adult Vitamins”
[Reply]
Malia
Stop it!!! LOL!!!! I’m about to fall out laughing!!!!!
[Reply]
Felicia
This can’t be for real… it’s ridiculous! You have GOT to be kidding me!!! How ridiculous! This is just another way for the surgeon to make another dollar!!!! The book will probably be posted in the waiting room and I’m sure other surgeon’s will buy them in bulk too to justify it to their patients as well. It’s all about bottom line profits, damn who it hurts in the process! What if Mommy doesn’t wake up, like Kanye West’s Mommy? Then what?
[Reply]
*SB*
Troublman & ChiCity Star-
LMAO…I bet yall would make a fortune by publishing those books tho…
I was shocked by this too! Even Snoop Dogg is coming out with a book called, “wheres the cheese?” which is suppose to help urban youth deal with the pressures of growing up in the hood. Not, “why you wont see daddy until your 25″
So what would be the best way to inform a child about plastic surgery or other sensitive issues?
[Reply]
TROUBLMan
CHI CITY
“Why Daddy Needs Viagra” would be a NY Times best seller. And though I hate to admit it, I might buy “Mommy’s Life as a Stripper.” LOL.
SB
the best way to inform them is to talk to them about low-self esteem, because at the end of the day that’s what it’s about.
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TROUBLMan
I know the books called “My Beautiful Mommy” but what if mommy doesn’t look better after surgery. Shit, most people I see after they get plastic surgery look scary. What happens if the kid thinks mommy is ugly? What happens when the kids really learns about low-self esteem? In both instances mommy will look like a clown.
[Reply]
*SB*
Troublman…
I feel you…i see that plastic surgery can often make people look worse rather than better…and sometimes the kids dont like the way their mother looks afterward…matter of fact, i remember this special they had on TV once about this lady that was addicted to plastic surgery…homegirl looked like that clown from SAW…her kids were scared of her…her husband wasnt attracted to her but she continued to do it….*shake my head* now thats some *ish that would scar you for life!!!
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"A Mom"
I think for some women after having a lot of children and the body is torn in all different directions this can be a maybe, but not and excuse. I think that plastic surgery for someone who has been in an accident or was born with a defect sure plastic surgery is good for them. But this hold idea that it would make them feel better in nonsense to me. What bothers me more is that books are telling our children that this is alright. We have gone to far with this quick fix world and what we need to be doing is building better self esteem for our young children. Self esteem should be a subject taught in schools just like english and math.
Parents more than anything need to take a good look at themselves and see what they are doing to destroy their children, and the way they feel about themselves. This mess is crazy!
[Reply]
"A Mom"
And you are right. Most people that get plastic surgery look like they got PLASTIC surgery.
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BIG TONE
If you don’t want your kid to read the book don’t buy it. Also don’t let them watch tv shows like Dr. 90210, Biggest Losser, hell even Top Model. There is nothing wrong with wanting to change your body. Thats why people go to the gym. Teach your kids from the inside out but don’t think that looks don’t matter. I don’t see any problem with a women wanting to get back to the way she looked 10-15 years ago before she had kids. Even if you workout 7 days a week sometimes there is extra skin and shit like that. Nobody wants to look at that. I don’t think people should use plastic surgery as a weight loss tool. Lighten up people there are things far worse in this world that you should keep your kids from.
[Reply]
Boosy
Plain simple, we as Americans are lazy, why else would it be ok for people who knowingly let themselves go. oprah, star jones, Big Whatever his face from the la radio show….these people because of their wealth are then given the chance to change it and then it’s like.
Well it makes me more confident. Naa it doesnt make you more confident, it makes other people around u more confident not to call u a fat ass…Whats worse is that black women bear the brunt of this population…Most people call it chunky and ass mean while you have ladies with more fat between their stomach and liver than i have in my whole body…think about it……so once again, this bougie nigga is saying FUCK SOUL FOOOD and all that shit…..If i remember correctly, the reason why niggas was eating chitlins in the first place was that, they couldn’t afford nothing else or were not allowed to get the nice part of animals..something like that….And all that Oil, it’s not even olive oil, its the fatty kind..Does that really bring families together…fucking killing ourselves…and then the damn name soul food gets a series on BEt…just goes to show the coonery in our community….I guess i’ll tack another 30% of the population getting diabetes and heart complications…Don’t forget about our boys at the golden arches…Go take a look at their stock price in the recession….26 fucking percent last quarter…..
[Reply]
Boosy
on another note, hate,hate, hate…..FUCK TV…i
m tired of dancing ass Americans, singing , laughing and theres no damn books in the schools in the hood…Whats going to happen to the 50% of kids who dont give a fuck about school noww and are not going…O yea, them niggas is definitely being preppped for jail, where maybe they will get a book at some point in there affter multiple stabbings and find islam……
Everybody wants to be a reality tv star…….that is the true state of the society, shit i might go get me some botox right now, hit the tanning salon so i can get my midnight black on
[Reply]
"A Mom"
Big Tone
Your right. I have 3 children and because of working out before and after my children. I only weigh about seven pounds more than I weighed in college. I do think it is alright for some after children because everyone can’t do the same as I do. But I don’t think that anyone can get back to where they were 10-15 year ago. I do think they can look even better than then that if they focus on taking care of the inside first which will make them truly take care of the outside. I learned that a long time ago. I love me and I work out 4-5 times a week. I’m older but my body and my mind are better.
[Reply]
Icy Mike
As a big big big big big big big big guy, I just buy bigger clothes, but it is kinda depressing when your clothes that fit you yesterday, no longer fit you today.
Just kidding. If you need to lose weight, make healthier eating habits a daily practice along with exercise. You don’t need drugs (unless you REALLY do), unless you’re going to die, you don’t need surgery.
Eat right, exercise. That’s all.
[Reply]
Icy Mike
When a real big guy gets a gastric bypass, he often has a lot of skin left over due to stretching. It’s a pretty ugly sight, especially when the subject has been fat for good part of his life. I have to agree with SB on this, some times trying to ‘look’ beautiful can leave you very scarred physically.
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TRAVELING MAN
I would read “Mommy’s Life as a Stripper”, now that’s some interesting s**t. I hope it wouldn’t be a childrens book, but hey if you got to teach kids how to get to through college as a single parent without getting a real job then you got do what you got to do. On a serious note, I can’t believe the bs our society focuses on because its going no where fast. I always say every dynasty comes to an end, and the crap we are pumping into the heads of our kids now is going to have long term reprecussions.
[Reply]
Q.
Big Tone i think there’s a bigger issue, though.. Yea, “don’t buy it works”, but why was that book published anyway.. Why do we continue to water and dumb down our literature? i know of so many other books that don’t get picked up that would be way more educational and informative than a book for kids talking about chicks that look like Vivica Kim..
our society is something.. i mean, yeah, do you (in terms of plastic surgery), but we don’t need it available for kids.. soon we’ll see 10 year olds asking for implants because they want to fast forward to puberty so that they can get attention from 38 year old men..
[Reply]
RBT
Im a do what you do type person in theory I had no problem with the book because with plastic surgery on the rise it is something that should be addressed but then I saw the excerpt and was like yo thats fucked up that doctor needs to get fucked up for perpetuating that type of shit “mommy cant fit in her clothes” Bitch buy some new clothes you obviously have the money your paying for somebody to cut you up or better yet pay a trainer and do some sit-ups, run bitch run!!
[Reply]
RBT
BT - I like the biggest loser and celeberty fit club they show people the effects of hard work
[Reply]
Malia
Yall are definitely on one today!!! RBT —that’s funny.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COMIC RELIEF TODAY!!!!
[Reply]
LovelyNicoya07
What the hell type of childrens book is that???..Reading that kinda Sh*t to your kids is just asking for them to have mental issues by puberty..LOL i mean come on there are sooo many other topics or stories they could write about…geeze! our society is fallin down the drain.
[Reply]
Diana
It’s disgusting that a book like this was published in the first place. We are ruining our younger generation and don’t even realize that. Funny this post was written today because I was at work today and when one of my students came to sit on my lap I realized her clothing. She had true religion jeans on, lacoste shoes, and some fancy shirt. She is just shy of three years old. I felt sick to my stomach just thiking about how much her outfit cost and she was at school palying in paint and mud. We are teaching our young children all the wrong things and putting emphasis on the unimportant. I’m shocked at the topic of this book and find it incredibly sad that this is what our society is boiling down to. The superficial and the physical. I hope we can all boycott this book and pass on the word..
[Reply]
"A Mom"
Diana
I agree with you but people have the right to do these things. The problem is do we allow them to enter our world. No we also have a right to reject them and teach ours better.
[Reply]
KV27
The fact that someone seriously wrote this book and that a company was willing to publish this shows how sick society is. I want to see how many teens have plastic surgery when the kids who get this story read to them grow up. And I want to see how their parents tell them no.
[Reply]
BIG TONE
Q
What do you mean “dumb down our literature”? We are talking about a kids book. I guess that we shouldn’t have animals walk, talk, and act like humans in those books either. The parents control what their kids take in. The book was published because that is right the we have. The other right is to not buy the book.
RBT
The biggest loser doesn’t show the effects of hard work. It shows the effect of a 1500 calorie diet and about 6-8 hours of working out a day. I don’t think “every day people” can manage that.
[Reply]
RBT
BT - Thats real
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"A Mom"
RBT
It doesn’t take 1500 calories or 6-8 hours of working out a day.
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TROUBLMan
I don’t agree that it’s disgusting that this book was published. What’s disgusting is the low self esteem that penetrates our society. The book is aimed at being an educational tool. How is it wrong?
[Reply]
alwayswrite
Take that shit off the shelf. Period…
[Reply]
alwayswrite
….Freedom of speech though. I agree with Troublman. I don’t necessarily think it is bad for being published. But, the content is problematic, the message is misleading, especially for a child. For God sake’s…
[Reply]
Reply to “Beauty is the Beast”
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♦ TROUBLsome - Be Strong, We Need U
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