PLASTIC SURGERY & a history of disasters

naked Black woman - Shley Amour

"The ghost of the truth of contrasts and contradictions existing and tormenting the history and the present within white women is cancerous, insidious, and active. Since the first time European men stomped into the richness of the Land of the Blacks their women were doomed to suffer and struggle against the shift in the eyes of their men, who saw African women from numerous tribes, and nations barely clad. Seeing their bodies, the full breasts, the strength of limb, the proverbial springs of sexual, and spiritual powers they embodied, the hips, and the large, wide and full derrieres, and the deep texture of skin tone white women were to faint within from the poverty of their perceptions of self." - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 4.26.14

HEIDI MONTAG
by Judy Eddy/WEEN.com

Where do we begin with this one? The former "Hills" star and one half of Speidi (with husband Spencer Pratt) became the poster girl for ridiculous plastic surgery back in 2009. One special day in November of that year, Montag went under the knife, had 10 procedures and emerged virtually unrecognizable. from breast implants to rhinoplasty to a butt augmentation, Montag had it all. Years later she would express regret for undergoing so many surgeries and explain that she didn't realize how much it would entail. READ MORE

Joan Rivers, comedienne & survivor of her business, is 78 years old. She has had plastic surgery procedures since the mid-1960's. What marks her distinction, in my eyes, is her resilience as a woman, mother, and the wife of a husband who killed himself. I measure the amount and mixture of regret, guilt and criticism I've levied her way over the years. Part of it was based on her looks, and another part upon the sheer strength of what I later discovered was her work ethic. I don't know all the reasons why she rubbed me the wrong way, but she did, and I regret it because in the years she was on the Johnny Carson show, as a guest, Americans were getting to know her comedy, and her strength of character.

I found myself  looking hard at her appearance, and her appearances, and began to see a path to take as she seemed to dig into the path she was upon. Each of the many nights she was a guest on Johnny Carson's late night show was a study of a woman I did not enjoy looking at because she was so masculine with feminine lines, and vulnerabilities which softened the edge of my harsh assessments. Then Johnny Carson, the great Johnny Carson, did something that blew my mind. He got enraged, and took it out on his friend, Joan Rivers the day she went to him, out of respect, and told him about an offer she had to headline her own talk show! Like many viewers we were stunned at the depth of Carson's rage, and stupefied the way he attacked her! He never let up, and never forgave her, but for what, and why? Well, the why came from the masculine scale everything was measured for a man of his time.

I sat with this for a long time because I had a sister  whose life was moving towards a lifetime of Christian ministry. I had been opposed to my little sister in the ministry, not because I had thought to derail her, but because her run for the role went against a head full of scripture that did not support women ministers. The clash wasn't bitter. It was angry, mean and self-righteous on my part.

In our family we found ways to confront issues, and each other that resolved amicably over time, and not a long period of time usually. This one my father resolved embracing the two of us in his foyer. With wise words Daddy reminded us of our bond, and our love for each other. That moment opened us up to the recollection of a wonderful childhood we'd spent together. We looked into each others' eyes the way we did as kids, and hugged making words that allowed us to do what we needed to do in life with the others' support and blessing. It was an important act of power & understanding of support and forgiveness.

- Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories
4.26.14

naked Black woman