I would. I have a physical disability that is visibly obvious, and I'd certainly consider having cosmetosis to reduce some of the "evidence," so to speak.

I can't wait for society to finish deciding that it's not going to penalise me for being funny-looking; I'm already paying huge financial and social penalties because of it (for example, I've looked at salary calculators and I make about $40K less per year than someone of my age and qualifications -- that's a lot of money). If I knew for sure there would be a way to surgically reduce the visible effects of my disability, hell, yes.

Not surprising. I was reading a very popular blog the other day and the question was "if you had an extra $20K would you get a boob job, a tennis bracelet or a bigger diamond?" Putting aside how odious the whole idea was, almost all of the commenters picked "new boobs" and went on and on about how they would LOVE to have perfect, perky tits. It made me sad.

Huh. I'd pay off half of my student loans.

I don't know that I'm all that surprised with that statistic. I mean, I'm 20 and I love the body I have. But I know that when I'm an adult, I will get varicose veins. It happens to all the women in my family when they get pregnant and I'm on the pill, which increases my chances of getting them. I will definitely have them taken care of when that day comes if I can afford it, because I have long pretty legs and I don't want to have to cover them up because of something like that. So, I guess I'm one of that 50%.

I do find the obsession with boob jobs a little... odd. I understand getting them lifted but the idea of inflating my chest to barbie like proportions just makes me shudder. As far as I'm concerned 32A is a-ok.

Genny there are other ways to prevent varicose veins as opposed to getting surgery...plus, if you gain alot of weight during pregnancy you may find yourself covered in stretch marks that can't be removed by quick and easy procedure.

I'm completely against plastic surgery, unless someone needs plastic surgery for a life threatening condition, such as a tumor. I think of it this way; is it worth it to risk your life to look normal or like a supermodel who represents superficial beauty only? Is it worth it to me to look a certain way so that others can accept me and treat me better then they do now? For me, that answer will always be no.

Boob jobs creep me out a little. I don't think it's natural for a breast to be the size and shape of your head. Something unsettling about that.

"I can't wait for society to finish deciding that it's not going to penalise me for being funny-looking;"

-I can't for society to quit normalizing every goddamn thing that makes money simply because it can.

-I can't wait for people to start addressing the problem that is a superficial culture

-If celebrities started having their toes chopped of to wear high fashion heels--women would do it.

-If enough ads and shows glamorized women wearing their breasts on their shoulders (granted it medically possible) we would. And, eventually, doctors would make it "safe" and "more affordable to *everyone* (yay!)" and so that would of course = "it's okay to do!" or "I wanted to do it for ME"

Interrobang, I think it's crap you have to do that to make yourself not feel so isolated and even CLOSE to equal on the pay scale.
I'm sure there are a lot of women who would say "you go girl! Its your choice!"

Go Under the Knife or Make substantially less than your *attractive* counterparts--what a choice.

You dont look "funny." This mentality does. And if it's not apparent by now, I have zero tolerance for it.

does it count as plastic surgery if it's the type of thing where someone who has lost a lot of weight gets a skin reduction procedure...? because even though that's obv cosmetic/not life or death surgery, i have come to the standpoint (after a long time of being very staunchly of the mindset that ALL plastic surgery is playing into fascist beauty standards) that if someone has worked hard to lose a whole lotta weight (which i recognize might be for problematic reasons, but anyway) they can elect to remove what's likely a source of shame as well as ragin' rashes. thoughts?

I would have plastic surgery in a second to reduce the size of my breasts. Even with losing weight, they haven't shrunk, and they're beginning to reduce my mobility.

What Jo said.

I could spend less on bras! I could exercise without being gawked at (well, more so than usual)! I could sleep without constantly shifting position!

Le sigh.

Seriously, why is plastic/cosmetic surgery okay if someone has a 'legitimate' or medical reason for it, and not okay for other reasons? I attach absolutely no morality to it. I really don't understand the "it's okay to have a breast reduction because that's not vanity" or "it's okay to get breast implants if you had breast cancer" or "it's okay to get a nose job if it was broken in a car accident." I mean really, why do we care WHY someone does something? I am completely flabbergasted. Yes it's conformity, blah blah blah, but as Interrobang pointed out, it's really difficult to be different. It's easy to tell someone else who has a HUGE nose for example (cough: me ) that they are being vain for getting surgery but they don't know what it's like to be constantly made fun of/treated differently. Knowing that the beauty culture was oppressive etc etc didn't make me feel better when I was being ridiculed or passed over. BTW, now that I've had my completely "vain" surgery, I actually care much LESS about my appearance because people aren't constantly pointing out to me how I'm different from everyone else. I suppose I could have sent a big fuck you to society by not conforming, but it would have cost me.

Sort of as a response to what Jane said, sort of as a general point in this discussion -- I think it's important to realize that we can hate the plastic surgery industry and the society that supports it without vilifying the women who choose to have plastic or other cosmetic surgery for non-medical reasons. I would love to have the money to get a chemical peel, and when I get older, to have Botox or a facelift, but what I'd ideally like is for society to be okay with how I look even if I have acne scars or wrinkles. But just like every other woman, I'm not immune from patriarchal beauty standards, and it's not fair to any of us to expect me or Jane or Interrobang to be anti-beauty-standard martyrs. (Not that anybody here was doing that, though!)

I think, though, that just as we make sure not to demonize women who do get cosmetic surgery, it's also important to realize the class implications, that cosmetic surgery is only available to middle to upper class women. Therefore, the benefits that Interrobang speaks of are only available to women who already have a certain amount of privilege, and help make the gap between rich and poor even greater. I remember during my college days feeling like crap because it seemed like every woman on campus was gorgeous and perfect-looking, but now that I've graduated and do outreach in a poor neighborhood, I barely think about how I look because most of the women there look just as ordinary as I do. Looking back on it, I remember how many of my college classmates had had nose surgery, boob jobs, or even just plain had money for really nice beauty products that could make them look better. Realizing that really made me see how the implications of cosmetic surgery are a lot broader and more complex than most people realize.

I'd just like to express my total agreement with ponies and rainbows and JustAnotherJane.
I hate holier-than-thou attitudes, especially when they're coming from "my" side.