One step up from the devil

It would seem the old Hungarian adage "A woman needs to be beautiful to get a man, but men have only to be one step up from the devil" is alive and well in 21st Century Australia. It may be a clumsy translation but you get the drift.
I seldom feel the need to comment on what is discussed on Radio National's Breakfast program - I leave that to the excellent Fran Kelly but this morning...

This morning she interviewed prominent Australian plastic surgeon Dr Bryan Mendelson about a book he's written and his opinions about plastic, or as he calls it aesthetic surgery.
I was appalled at his shallow estimation of what is important and at how he tried to label it 'the importance of beauty on the inside'.
Dr Mendelson effectively encourages aesthetic surgery for women (no mention of men in modern surgery was made) so they can preserve the looks of their youth, because as his imbecilic example conveyed, women who age naturally tend to get ignored by men. And there, ladies and gentlemen is our reason for being. To be noticed and talked to by men. Younger men, and older men, he said.
He is perpetuating this disgusting fallacy and adding fuel to the self-loathing fire stoked under women for many decades. I concede plastic surgery is sometimes necessary, and of course it's each person's choice. But to suggest that women's worth in society is dictated by how young they look made me so angry.

M used to say to me "You're over 30, you're past it. You should shut up and settle with a man because soon they're going to be thin on the ground for you". It made me question all the lines on my face, the sagging of skin on various parts of my body, my spots of cellulite here and there. It made me hate everything. And it takes AGES to get over that shit.

I'm not saying we should let ourselves go - quite the contrary, stay fit, healthy, sun-smart and sensible by all means - men and women both - but don't bend to Dr Mendelson's one dimensional tirade against loving yourself naturally.

Phew, I really needed to get that off my chest.

Now on with the day!