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March 21, 2006
Argentina's Bent for Plastic Surgery
Why are Argentine women obsessed with plastic surgery? In this article from the Guardian, the author talks to a pre-eminent Argentine cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Juri, to find out why.
'Because the Argentine woman is very sophisticated and engages in a great deal of social activity; because here in Buenos Aires we do not consider ourselves Latin Americans but Europeans, and so we must look and dress the part; because the philosophy of looking after yourself is fixed in the minds of Argentine girls from a very early age; because there is enormous competitiveness among "las Argentinas"; and because good looks open the doors to love and money.'
Then the author talks to an Argentine psychoanalyst, Sonia Abadi, who offers a more Freudian-era explanation.
'Can it have something to do with prostitution?' is the first thing she says when I ask her why she believes it is that Argentine women drive men wild like no others. Prostitution? I exclaim, taken aback, but am immediately reminded of Juri's point about the competitiveness of women, and their idea of beauty as the means to find love and money. 'Yes, prostitution,' she says, defiantly, provocatively, with a knowing smile . 'There's a big tradition of it in this country, and quite a recent one too.' [...] 'If Argentina remains to this day a deeply "machista" country,' Abadi says, 'it is because of the idea entrenched in the male psyche of woman as whore.'
Read the article: High-flying, adored, and siliconized
Posted by joegrohens at March 21, 2006 11:45 PM
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