#1 December 7th, 2005 03:20 AM

SCSIgirl

Member

Natural or Plastic?

While we're ranting about shaved or natural,  and discussing negative terms, if I were to call anyone ugly,  it'd be someone like Pam Anderson.  The current issue of American Photo (a very trite "we're the height of culture" rag) has  Pammie on the cover with the BIG headline:  Is Pam Anderson Art?. 

After I got control of my gag reflex,  and wondered what new low the editors had sunk to,  I began wondering what men or women expect of an icon.  Pam Anderson was a very beautiful woman in her youth; before she stepped into the injection molding machine and became the plasticized Barbie doll of today. 

I don't want to go into a discussion of her lack of wit or talent, or even common sense,  but rather: Is this really an icon?  Is this something to aspire to?  Is this a beacon for young women to to find enlightenment?  Is this really the sexuality men are seeking?  She stays successful.  She managed to have enough audience to stay employed in the "entertainment" field.  What keeps supporting her????   (besides silicon).

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

Nitch100

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Plastic should be for reconstructive or other medical reasons only.

As for Pam Anderson - some things defy explanation. I am fairly certain, however, that all assessments of her talent aside, she has no sense of irony whatsoever.

I think that a lot of men are drawn to "perfect" female specimens in entertainment not because of their so-called beauty. Take a look around your local mall. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a truly beautiful woman. It's that women like Pam Anderson offer a kind of no strings attached beauty. Women are hard work - to get to know them, nuture them, support them. Pin-ups, porn stars and other women in entertainment, on the other hand, not only look good, but they have artificially perfect personalities, brains, love of organized sports and beer etc. Again, take a look around. Every CBS comedy is based on a really normal guy with a really hot wife who is also cooler and smarter than he is. Pam Anderson is simply that dynamic taken to an absurd level.

And I'd also like to take this opportunity to say to everyone -- if the most erudite thing you can think to say about a photo on this site is "Nice tits" than please take your hand off the keyboard and put it back wherever it was. Thank you.

blissed

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

When I worked as a monitor engineer (how much feedback do you want a lot of the people I wanted to meet because I thought they were cool, turned out to be arrogant and a fare few people I thought were naff, turned out to be nice and fun to work with. So, it would be nice to meet her and find out what she's like. I don't like the way she looks, I prefer natural beauty to plastic or goth. But I think people can look how they want.

cynicism

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

I strongly prefer natural breasts over plastic. There are lots of different kinds of natural breasts, and I prefer some over others, but they all look better to be than the "I have two hemispherical bowls glued to my chest" look.

I strongly prefer natural skin over tattoos. A small tattoo can be tasteful, and a completely tattooed body can be fascinating (in a "I don't want to touch THAT" way), but too many people get multiple tattoos without any plan, so they clash. Horrible.

The only piercings I can always stand are ears, and even then only one or two per ear.

But I have no problem at all with shaving or waxing - I'm not a "bushy" fan. Well, except for eyebrows - looking at someone without eyebrows is just strange!

mikhaill

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Is the question of "natural v. plastic" to do with her body alterations or her persona more generally?

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Witty one-liner encapsulating powerful insight.

SCSIgirl

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Is the question of "natural v. plastic" to do with her body alterations or her persona more generally?

Actually, Mik, I was refferring to the various inserts in her body (not just the breasts) ,  but now that you mention it,  her persona could be another subject. 

Her previous personna was fairly shy and demur.  Now her presentation is that of a strong warrior.  But it's a faux strength.  I beleive if you put her in the middle of the jungle and handed her a knife and said,  "now find your way to safety"  I think she'd crumble very quickly.  Whereas I believe most of our ISM constituency would far out distance her and probably even make it.

I find that sexy.

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

mikhaill

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Actually, Mik, I was refferring to the various inserts in her body (not just the breasts) ,  but now that you mention it,  her persona could be another subject.

Well, if you were originally asking if I (random ISM forum poster) find her attractive in her post-body-mod form, I'd say no, I prefer her from her "natural" days. The look from her early Playboy shoots is much preferred to her scary-mannequin look to me.

But your subject line ("Natural or Plastic?") suggests some judgmentality towards body modifications ("versus" nature, so to speak), which I'm a little more hesitant to endorse. In Pammy's case, I think her body mods made her look less attractive, but that's a specific assessment of one person, not a comment passed about any boob job (or reduction, or use of make-up, or tattoo, or piercing, or hairstyle....)

I don't buy her warrior princess act, either, of course.

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Witty one-liner encapsulating powerful insight.

blissed

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Plastic surgery has a bad name because like a really good wig, we've never seen one, because we thought it was real hair. So expert surgery goes unnoticed.

As to Pamela. There's a similar model in England called Jordon. But when she was part of the TV show "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here" along side Johnny Rotten. which I saw bits of in my lunch break at work. I think it was Johnny Rotten who turned out to be a prat, and she was nice. 

Pamela's appearance isn't to my taste, but there's a lot of things that are, so I enjoy them. She's very successful in a very competitive field isn't she, so she probably deserves a bit of credit for her achievement. I'm sure there are some models who are getting older and feeling professionally insecure, who've had very good cosmetic surgery and look natural and that I've perved over quite happily.

SCSIgirl

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Plastic surgery has a bad name because like a really good wig, we've never seen one, because we thought it was real hair. So expert surgery goes unnoticed.

As to Pamela. There's a similar model in England called Jordon. But when she was part of the TV show "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here" along side Johnny Rotten. which I saw bits of in my lunch break at work. I think it was Johnny Rotten who turned out to be a prat, and she was nice. 

Pamela's appearance isn't to my taste, but there's a lot of things that are, so I enjoy them. She's very successful in a very competitive field isn't she, so she probably deserves a bit of credit for her achievement. I'm sure there are some models who are getting older and feeling professionally insecure, who've had very good cosmetic surgery and look natural and that I've perved over quite happily.

And you are right.  I wasn't lamenting plastic surgery as a whole,  I was lamenting on the total transformation of a beautiful woman into a media character.  We all know the elder statesmen (Joan Collins, Cher, etc) have done extensive surgeries to stay young looking,  but they still look like themselves.  Pam and others have transformed themselves into something that I can only label as a fantasy travesty.  It has no appeal to me.

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

blissed

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

I agree. Still there's only 2 more words that have to be said at moments like this. Micheal Jackson

Belgareth

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

I agree. Still there's only 2 more words that have to be said at moments like this. Micheal Jackson

That isn't plastic surgery, that's drastic surgery!

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blissed

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

That's what he needs to put him right again. If that's possible.

cfd339

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

What plastic I've felt I haven't cared for either.  A turn off actually.  I'm sure as was said earlier I've seen plastic without knowing it, then fine.  I can understand reconstruction when needed for the self esteem of the patient, but altering your body for someone else like that I just don't get.

I'd rather flat than plastic.  I don't care for shaved, but don't mind it as long as I'm not up close and personally with stubble and razer burn.  I just think that's unnatractive.  Shaved generally looks too much like a little girl, and I'm not into little girls.

I don't care for piercings, though one in the earlobe is so common as to be invisible.  Anywhere else is a bit of a turn off for me.  If it makes you happy, go for it.  It doesn't work for me though.

Tatoos are generally a turn off for me as well.  I realize I'm sounding like a right wing fundy here (and I'm not, even though I do live in the largest western Theocracy on the planet).

blissed

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

I don't like tattoo's because there permanent, a bit like having the same pictures on the wall forever.  and I don't like them on women because they look sort of manly to me, and over time turn into a splodgy mess. I like non permanent body art though. I think you can be very adventurous with that. I've never seen people using sunbathing to print negatives on to skin I wonder how that would turn out.

SCSIgirl

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

And you are right.  I wasn't lamenting plastic surgery as a whole,  I was lamenting on the total transformation of a beautiful woman into a media character.  We all know the elder statesmen (Joan Collins, Cher, etc) have done extensive surgeries to stay young looking,  but they still look like themselves.  Pam and others have transformed themselves into something that I can only label as a fantasy travesty.  It has no appeal to me.

And bunched under the broad topic of plastic,  I should add natural or CHEMICAL?

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

mikhaill

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

And bunched under the broad topic of plastic,  I should add natural or CHEMICAL?

*gasp*

*gag*

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Witty one-liner encapsulating powerful insight.

cynicism

Member

Re: Natural or Plastic?

Temporary "tattoos" are definitely a whole different subject. They are more like make-up. Not a permanent change to the body.

Body painting, like makeup, can be well-done, or not so well-done... We've all seen make-up disasters. I've seen photos of a woman who'd had a full torso painting of Celtic designs, and she was wearing a see-through top over it. The result was startling, gorgeous, and probably didn't offend most people (the painting concealed her nipples).