Plastic Surgery Addicted Celebs

Its no secret that celebs often go under the knife in order to stay looking young and to enhance their chances at getting roles. Many people criticize celebrities for getting plastic surgery, yet we trash them if they don't look perfect. Take Jessica Simpson for example, she has recently been criticized for putting on weight. Her recent change in size has been the subject of tabloid magazine headlines, blogged about and mocked in comedic skits. Disney's Ashley Tisdale, and Ashley Simpson are two young celebrities who have both recently had nose augmentation in order to enhance their appearance. People worry that the personal choices of these celebrities will have a negatively affect on young fans, the mother of a young Ashley Tisdale fan comments on the matter by saying "It concerns me that my daughter looks up to these girls, because they are so beautiful to begin with, and then when they get plastic surgery they are sending a terrible message to their young fans?"-Entertainment Tonight

As much as I understand where this mother is coming from and although I believe Hollywood contributes to the body images issues and self esteem problems of many young girls, I think that celebrities have the right to make the personal choice to enhance their appearance. Although celebrities are often role models and their actions have immense influence on their fans, I don't think the message they are sending to young girls is all that bad; although their actions aren't suggesting to young girls that everyone is perfect just they way they are, they are sending a message of reality- that if you don't like something about yourself, you have the choice to alter it if it will make you feel better, and that sometimes you have to do things to further your career- in the case of celebrities they have to "maintain their appearance" in order to stay employed.
However, if people don't like the messages celebrities are sending by getting plastic surgery, then they have the power to change that. Ultimately, we are the ones putting the pressure on them; the celebrities are controlled by the entertainment industry, but we control the entertainment industry through our viewing choices. In the late 90s and early Millennium when models and actresses were reaching unhealthy weights, people fought back boycotted shows and certian fashion labels until a change was made. I think the public often underestimates their ability to provoke change in Hollywood and the amount of influence their choices have the entertainment business- such as buying tabloid magazines and blogging about celebrities gaining weight.