Nothing inherently wrong with an individual getting veneers or cosmetic surgery, but I really liked this article and its discussion of some of the things that have been on my mind lately as I start to age and reconsider how much I’ve been affected by social ideas around how we’re supposed to look (and as my teeth become slowly more tea-tinted).
“These perfect, inhuman teeth embody a phenomenon that I am calling “hotness creep.” Hotness here is emphatically not about beauty — which is rooted in nature and often results from an unexpectedly pleasing assembly of imperfections — and it’s not about being sexy: messy, raw and alive. Hotness, by this definition, cannot be achieved through regular means, e.g. a combination of genetic luck, fitness and nutrition; hotness here must be bought and rigorously maintained through laborious, expensive and possibly dangerous upkeep“
Perfect teeth tracks with the sense that everything must be eternally perfect and sterile and flawless. Not just people parts, but objects as well. Read reviews of people furious that the Apple Watch they bought developed tiny scratches after a year and Apple refused to replace it for free. Or the people pissed that their white shirt was stained after they spilled wine on it and demanding a refund, or that their 2 year old fleece sweater has pilled so something must be wrong with it so throw it away.
And yet these same people are struggling with the anguished desire to be unique and special. A crooked tooth is unique. A cleverly embroidered shirt hiding a stain is special. De-pilling a sweater takes work, but now you invested your time into your object and increased its value to you.
Is it a money thing? Only poor people have flaws? Only poor people own objects that show signs of wear or age?