Jews and Plastic Surgery

by: Mae Singerman

Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 14:14:43 PM EST


Three weeks ago, I wrote about the Matzah Ball, the “revolutionary” Jewish singles party on Christmas Eve aka the sleaziest Jewish themed event I’ve ever been to. At the Matzah Ball, as I wrote, there was a table offering plastic surgery advice and coupons.

Yesterday, after I had finally got the grime of the event off of my skin, I got a call from the plastic surgery clinic that the organizers of the Matzah Ball had given my contact information to (WTF Matzah Ball organizers?)  “Congratulations,” a cheery voice told me, “you didn’t win the drawing, but you were a runner up.” She offered me $500 off of any “cosmetic procedure”.  When I told her I wasn’t interested, she offered it to any of my family members, as long as they called back within 24-hours. “This is special for you, because you attended the Matzah Ball.”  

As disgusted as I am, I can’t say I’m surprised. Cosmetic surgery has been a not-very-secret secret of mainstream Jewish American culture for a few generations now. Two of my three grandmothers (yes, I said three) had nose jobs by the time they were 18. Grandma Esther got a nose job in a small town in Ohio in the 1930’s. Could that sound any more painful?

And by the time I was 12, Bubbe  Debbie made it clear that she would pay for a nose job. By the time I was 18, I had to directly tell her to stop talking about my nose. I’d love to say my grandmothers or the Matzah Ball is an exception, but unfortunately they aren’t. Is looking "like a Jew" still such a bad thing?
Mae Singerman :: Jews and Plastic Surgery
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Jews and Plastic Surgery | 2 comments
not just a "Jewish thing" (0.00 / 0)
I went to the Matzah Ball with Mae and had similar (yet not so dramatic) feelings about the “sleaziness” of the event.  I knew what we were getting into and knew what to expect, with the exception of the plastic surgery booth, flyers, and apparently follow-up phone calls about discounts.  And while, yes it is not a good feeling to attend a singles event and then get messages telling me I need plastic surgery, I disagree that the booth was there because this was a specifically Jewish event.  I do not feel that plastic surgery companies target Jewish audiences, nor are Jews among the highest demographic to get plastic surgery.  (I’m still looking for the facts to prove this though). It would be a ridiculous thing for the Matzah Ball to advertise that “looking like a Jew” is a bad thing, when the only reason why people attend their event is to find people that are Jewish, and in turn “look Jewish” – if people are attracted to other cultures, they should find another singles events to go to.  I think the bigger question here is, why was there plastic surgery advertisements at a SINGLES event?  That to me is the more offensive and off-putting sentiment taken away from the plastic surgery advertisements being at the Matzah Ball. 
Allow me to rebut. (0.00 / 0)
Five words: Real Housewives of Orange County.
Jews and Plastic Surgery | 2 comments
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