Plastic Surgery Nation: An Analysis of the Influence of the Reality TV Show Extreme Makeover on American Culture
Student: Nancy Nicholson
Thesis Advisor: Peter Haratonik
Abstract: Americans have been undergoing elective cosmetic surgery at dramatically increasing rates ever since the reality TV show Extreme Makeover debuted in 2003. A content analysis of this show attempts to determine whether or not viewing this program is affecting the behavior of the American public in regard to cosmetic surgery. The content analysis is positioned in relation to a historical synopsis of the cosmetic surgery industry in America, feminist media criticism, and cyber-theory. What are the possibilities that the nose-job at 16, the boob job at 20, and the face-lift at 40 will become just another American standard?