I was just looking over the readings for Tuesday and I came across something very interesting. Greta Van Susteren, a news host, got plastic surgery when she moved to Fox 5.
I think this is horrible because one should not have to change one self to be liked. I think that if she is good at reporting the news, than is does not matter what she looks like. I feel that there are other reporters who do this too as well as celebrities.
The idea behind plastic surgery is to look young, so does this mean that older people should not be reporting the news? In this day in age, does one have to look a certain way in order to do the news? Do you think that one should completely change their appearance in order to land a job?
Tell me what you think.
Television has always demanded a certain level of attractiveness. As good as an ugly reporter might be, he or she will probably not get a lead anchor role in the modern TV world. This is purely to attract more viewers, and not scare them away with an unattractive face.
ReplyDeleteOf course, beauty is entirely subjective, but whoever is in charge at these stations must have some sort of standard by which applicants are judged.
Another element of this is the fact that she is a woman. The bureaucrats at Fox likely wanted to depict her as an attractive female to garner more views.
I think it is wrong that someone should feel forced to change their appearance. However, she likely made the choice herself.
Personally, I would rather see an older-looking newscaster. With age comes wisdom. In other words, older people have more experience and credibility; therefore, I would be more likely to trust an older newscaster.
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ReplyDeleteI dont think one should change their image to be liked or to get a certain job, however i think one should always try to look their best whenever they are presenting themselves to the world. In my opinion, i think having plastic surgery is completely wrong because in the eyes of the higher power, you were created that way for a very special reason. Secondly, plastic surgery can be very dangerous because doctors are not perfect and they make mistakes also. Those mishaps can lead to serious injury and maybe even death.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely nothing wrong with getting plastic surgery. Greta Van Susteren may have undergone plastic surgery to reward herself for landing a new job. Plastic surgery is meant to be purely elective, meaning no one can make the decision for another person to go under the knife. There is no proof in the article that Van Susteren had plastic surgery to make herself liked by the viewers. She could have made the choice to have the surgery based on personal reasons. If the plastic surgery gave Van Susteren a boost of confidence and thus made her a more effective newscaster, then it is a harmless issue.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments guys. Andi, I think that it would be interesting to see an older newscaster. I agree with you when you say that you can trust what they are saying more because they most likely have a lot of experience.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that one should completley change who they are to get a job, but I think that by doing plastic surgery, it helps with their image and maybe even their confidence. I think that if the main reason somebody gets plastic surgery is to boost their confidence, there is nothing wrong with having it done. On the other hand, I think that if they do it just to get a better job, or get ahead at their job, then it raises a problem.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Fox had any condition in the contract that said she had to get plastic surgery, Michael. No company (especially a news channel trying to maintain credibility) would risk the type of discrimination case that would arise from forcing an educated woman to fit the world's vision of beauty. I agree with Margo that she likely elected plastic surgery because of personal reasons, which could include being unhappy with her own appearance on the air.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that Fox news definately did not have anything to do with her plastic surgery, yet I think it is sad that women feel pressured to be what society defines as "beautiful" when there are few people who naturally fit this mold. I think that it is up to the person whether or not they get plastic surgery, but I also find it to be sad that society pressured women to look a certain way.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading that article, and I must say that I truly do hope that news stations around the globe (especially in the U.S.) do not set standards for people that may portray an "ugly" appearance.
ReplyDeleteI believe people should have the right to tell news no matter how they look. I know I've seen some unattractive males at times broadcasting, but they don't seem to be as closely criticized as women.
Just as this issue was somewhat explained in the article, hopefully we be discussing it with our guest speaker tomorrow.
I agree with Michael in that Fox may have had a part in her getting plastic surgery. She probably was not forced to do so by the contract, but the guys at fox probably had some influence of the situation for her to do so.
ReplyDeleteJust like Michael said, she is a woman, and it is Fox.
And they are paying her a lot of money. It wouldnt be unrealistic if Fox told her to pick up her image a bit before she came on the show. I wouldnt even doubt that they payed for it and requested it for her.
And it is a shame on our society that she was obliged or felt obliged to get plastic surgery because things like that, but then again, but thats how the visual media works. If you dont like it, stick to radio and print.
Very interesting comments guys. Becky, I see your point. I agree with you that if it helps to make one feel better about one's self, than I see nothing wrong with it. I think that if one wants to get plastic surgery, than one has to want to do it for one's self, not in order to get a job.
ReplyDeleteI will refer you all to the Nixon-Kennedy debate.
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