Image? Beauty?

Drat! Until now she is considered a high priestess of couture and beauty. Everytime I attend a social gathering there is inevitably a svelte damsel garbed in that famous 'little black dress' proudly faithful to its backless original. Her perfume Number 5 does not fail to impress in high society. Our featured agency for this post is Madame Coco Chanel because of recent discussions about women wanting to make themselves attractive and beautiful with clothes, jewelry, hair styles and coloring, beauty products, and now cosmetic surgery. I asked myself what would Coco think of breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and liposuction. If anyone who has intimacy on her thoughts and philosophy, please post your comments.

More than just profits from it, beauty has been medicalized for sure suggesting that it can be improved or modified. I do not have problems with that as long as women's self-image, self-esteeem, and well-being are made better and therefore their lives changed after the cosmetic surgery. With the improvement in body parts, one's self-image image improves in the short term and I hope in the long-term too. Do their sex lives improve as well? Was the husband or boyfriend a major factor in the pressure to look younger or more beautiful?

Men are not spared. I have been receiving enormous spam emails offering various concoctions of Viagra. A friend informed me (how could I be so ignorant) that some major pharmacies sell tea blends that offer Viagra-like effects but for shorter durations. Better, longer erections! Larger penises! Men are also pursuing to regain lost youth and to increase virility.

I mentioned the word 'profit' earlier which i think has motivated this whole industry. Whether or not the need is there, the landscape of cosmetic surgery has motivated that need or desire to surface -- even if irrational. Or is there a "right to beauty" really? And is cosmetic surgery the answer?

Too Hot to Handle

In a neat, little DHL Package today came a surprise that's too hot to handle -- ten small medicine boxes each of which contains blister packs of the world-renowned pill popularly known as Viagra. Suggestively branded as "Fire", the product which retails in India was sent out of London by a work colleague [who I trust is not Captain Hook or any of his cohorts].

I couldn't agree more that sildenafil citrate (aka Viagra or Cialis; 100mg tabs) reflects advancement in science along with other drugs designed to stimulate or dull the senses. On the upbeat side, they're promoted as 'male sex enhancers' but are medically considered as remedies for erectile dysfunction. It appears that the drug is available locally and globally.

The note attached to the package specifically said that the product was for "tests" which I took to mean seriously. Neither have I tried this drug before nor do I intend to do so now. While I was certain that there will be 'takers', I have asked someone to offer it to some individuals who might be interested in trying out.

Experiences anyone?

Let's await the next episode!