Beauty and Aging Edition
I am currently investigating Botox parties for a magazine story idea.
If you don’t know what Botox parties are, well now you have a wonderful rabbit hole (RH) for your Tuesday Depression Distraction needs! The Kit did a pretty good rundown and Toronto Star posted an article of the exact same name with more localized reporting.
Transparently, I have never had Botox or any aesthetic touch-ups. And I think the idea of cutting myself open or injecting drugs into my skin is depressing, especially after reading about how our beauty ideals are mostly inspired by a Reddit thread. Begin THAT RH with an article from The Cut.
The Industrialization of our Faces (not a bad title, right?) is unbelievable. How did we end up in this place where we’re constantly trying to conform our faces to some mostly racist ideals which actually age pretty purely. I’m interested in a few things: the red tape, the psychological implications and the people pushing these chemicals. Where do they come from? What the hell are we doing?
Check out these links. None of them are beauty tips. All of them are things that make you go HUH? Sure to distract you from your fear of being the ugliest person alive which, by the way, might be a pretty good thing.
Links and Rabbit Holes
- FICTION BOOKS: Ok, first of all read Shelly’s Frankenstein. You can read it as a free eBook from the Gutenberg Project. Or, you can listen to countless audiobooks while you walk around in the dark winter (my favorite way). While you’re there, why not read Dracula too? Or, if you have very little attention span, just read one chapter a few times. The writing is so intense.
- NONFICTION BOOK: Bill Gfford’s Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (or die trying) is actually sort of depressing at first but then, if you keep reading or listening, it gives great insight into the history of aging. And oddly enough I started to feel like, aging is super inevitable and I can just let it happen.
- ACTIVITY: Alright, this might not appear to be about beauty but have you ever heard basic chicks talk about lemons like they cure everything? I found a great list of ways to use lemons and I think, if you don’t feel like thinking about beauty or you need a break, get some lemons and change your life.
- PODCAST: The Baron of Botox with the GENE-YES Justine Harman is about Fred Brandt, the dermatologist who championed the Botox space until he tragically committed suicide (read all her work for a great RH. So YES the suicide stuff is triggering but if you can grip past the first episode, holy shit is this ever a rich rich rich story and great reporting. If you focus on the craft of this podcast, it’s not depressing. And, sometimes when I know a story might trigger me, I ask a friend to listen a bit before I do, if it’s something they’d be interested in. That way, I can talk to them about it if need be.
- LONGFORM NONFICTION: Well, DUDES, I see you and I definitely care that the male body is suddenly standardized at super-hero heights. I loooooved Vox’s generous coverage of human growth hormone and steroids and allll the stuff bulking up male Hollywood bodies.
- TRUE CRIME: A mother-daughter butt injection team accused of murder. You’re hooked right?? There are so many layers of sad to this story but the train wreck will RH you.
- INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Have you ever heard of the Coalition for Radical Life Extension? Guys RADICAL LIFE EXTENSION! They have a conference and, oh yes, it’s as wild as it sounds.
Subscribe for daily link lists and GREAT rabbit holes:
Rachel Ganz 