Monday, July 25, 2005
Modify This!
It's the most exciting thing to happen in Penticton, British Columbia since, well, since a statue of a nude guy holding a bag was placed in a central roundabout, only to have his penis knocked off, before eventually being relocated to a private vineyard for his own safety. Such things don't go down to well in the generally conservative Okanagan region (nor do they with local do-gooders like Graham Capill, who once objected to a Maori carving with a penis). But last night the local culture war in Penticton was taken to new heights (or lows) by the Sextreme Makeover Competition at the Element Nightclub.
The basic theme of the competition was that one "lucky" young lady would be win a new set of breasts, courtesy of the Nightclub giving $3000 to a local medical professional. Luckily, Mildred Wakefield and her Holiness Bible Movement supporters weren't going to take this lying down, and they took to the sidewalk in a musical protest.
The winer of what appears to have been a fairly tasteful event was a Ms. Tiffany Friesen (22), whose image can be seen via the previous link. She is described by the Globe & Mail (accurately) as a slim, tanned woman from Fort St. John, who said her good looks aren't enough for her. I wonder if she travelled the 755 km distance just to be in the running?
Anyway, this is the point at which medical ethics enters the body modification picture, with the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons contending a woman's judgment can be clouded when she is given breast implants for free (as opposed to having some bloke pay for them??). Indeed, it has adopted strict guidelines barring doctors from doing surgery on contest winners, claiming the "extreme makeover" trend is unethical and in bad taste. Which is a bit rich from an industry which makes a fortune from cosmetic surgery, not least in BC!
The basic theme of the competition was that one "lucky" young lady would be win a new set of breasts, courtesy of the Nightclub giving $3000 to a local medical professional. Luckily, Mildred Wakefield and her Holiness Bible Movement supporters weren't going to take this lying down, and they took to the sidewalk in a musical protest.
“We need to show these young girls there's something better out there for them, they don't need to be exploiting their sexuality,” said Ms. Wakefield. “Why don't they come sing with us?”Sadly, the elderly gospel singers were also firm believers in the "early to bed, early to rise" mantra, and had gone home before most of the patrons arrived around midnight.
The winer of what appears to have been a fairly tasteful event was a Ms. Tiffany Friesen (22), whose image can be seen via the previous link. She is described by the Globe & Mail (accurately) as a slim, tanned woman from Fort St. John, who said her good looks aren't enough for her. I wonder if she travelled the 755 km distance just to be in the running?
Anyway, this is the point at which medical ethics enters the body modification picture, with the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons contending a woman's judgment can be clouded when she is given breast implants for free (as opposed to having some bloke pay for them??). Indeed, it has adopted strict guidelines barring doctors from doing surgery on contest winners, claiming the "extreme makeover" trend is unethical and in bad taste. Which is a bit rich from an industry which makes a fortune from cosmetic surgery, not least in BC!
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