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BY ROMA GONZALES
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Wednesday, October 4, 2017
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IF YOU want to make it in Philippine show business, you either have to be extremely good-looking or extremely hideous, so said one of our high school teachers in an attempt to teach reality.
Marlou Arizala, now Xander Ford, has interestingly been both. As Marlou, he was made famous by his playboy attitude mismatched with his pug nose, dark complexion, and pock-marked face. Although his initial stardom is credited to his ridiculous combo of bad boy arrogance and unappealing looks, the bullying that came with it was admittedly a cause of anguish. This Sunday, his new persona, Xander, emerged from right under the cosmetic knife with fair skin, fuller cheeks, and an aquiline nose. Jaws dropped. Eyebrows shot up to the sky. This is a miracle. This is hope. This is distasteful.
The metamorphosis was so great that it became a global social media topic. Basically, this is a genius marketing strategy for the cosmetic clinic and the network that handles Xander. But at the core of this are big questions that will continue to gnaw at those who were swept with the transformation.
What does this say about our society? It is noteworthy to point out that Filipinos are incredibly enamored with beauty pageants. Beauty queens become household names. Movie actors get elected to the highest ranks of politics even without experience. Our TV advertisements are composed mostly of products targeted at improving physical appearances: shampoos and conditioners, whitening lotions, body sprays, and slimming food and drinks. Quite ironically, we are a predominantly Christian country, and Christ repeatedly walked amongst the lepers and other outcasts according to the Bible. Yet here we are, ready to ridicule those who are not good enough according to our standards of beauty.
If Marlou and a thousand others are plagued with self-hatred and long for physical transformation, it is because of the way society has generally treated them. Ours is a society that gives much emphasis on physical beauty.
Furthermore, is plastic surgery going to be a trend, if not a norm, now? I suspect so, especially that Marlou’s transformation was broadcast over primetime Sunday television and his before-and-after photos have permeated multiple forms of media. To what extent will this be acceptable, if it will be at all? Perhaps, more and more adolescents at their age when social approval is so powerful and necessary, will turn to plastic surgery to make up for their self-esteem issues.
Actress Arci Munoz also made buzz last week for an enhancement that made her end up looking like Michael Jackson. If she can’t be contented with her mestiza good looks then, can we?
Physical appearance is part of the evolutionary process. It is basically about having good genes, and our preference for symmetrical faces is supposedly to ensure the highest chances of survival of our species. However, haven’t we humans evolved to create moral laws, ethics and values, enough to reason now that a man’s claim to the right to live a dignified life is inherent and universal, and never dependent on his appearance? It may be safe to say that when we judge people by their looks, we regress to our base instincts.
Despite Marlou’s shocking switch to Xander, he still gets hateful comments in social media. The same people who made fun of his looks back then still throw heaps of taunts at him. He just can’t win. And maybe, with all this ongoing hate and the ever-changing fashion trends and beauty standards, what matters is not how others regard us, but how we esteem ourselves.
Perhaps it’s going to be a good thing for the economy if we could get a booming medical tourism hinged at cosmetic surgery. Perhaps it’s every person’s right to seek out their happiness and contentment even if it comes from artificial means. Perhaps it’s a good thing if we all go under the knife, and when we are all equally good-looking, we can finally look for the standout and the enduring: good attitudes and vibrant personalities. (rr_gonzales316@yahoo.com/PN)
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