Jerry Hall Says Plastic Surgery is “Idiotic”
Photo: Getty Images.
Say what you will about Jerry Hall, but she certainly has never been shy with her opinions. In a new interview, the 58-year-old model says that people who have cosmetic surgery are making an “idiotic” choice—and that’s just the beginning.
“It’s so idiotic when [people] risk their lives to have surgery,” she tells Hello. “Every time you have anesthesia, you’re killing a lot of brain cells. Why would you do that? You could get infections; you could die.”
It’s not just the risks of surgery that rile Hall, though. She’s upset by the people who choose to go under the knife in the first place. “Why make yourself look a grotesque caricature of yourself?” she asks. “They don’t fool anyone. They look like pathetic, insecure creatures. I loathe the whole thing. I don’t mean to be critical, and I understand that actresses feel the pressure in Hollywood—they have to do it. I respect that and I feel sorry for them that they have to do it.”
While it’s fair and necessary to criticize impossible beauty standards, Hall’s vitriol is disconcerting—in part because she directs her ire toward the women who have surgery, not those unattainable ideals. Sure, it’s fine to declare that plastic surgery isn’t for you, or that you’re concerned about its popularity and risks. And she’s right—Hollywood should be taken to task for expecting its actresses to look forever lineless.
But saying that women look “pathetic and insecure” if they get a nose job? Or that a woman is “idiotic” if she decides to change the way she looks? That’s way harsh, Jer. It’s exactly the kind of talk that pits women against women, instead of rallying against the real problem: narrow, hard-to-reach definitions of beauty. Not to mention, it’s hard to hear a famously beautiful model ragging on women who don’t have the same genetic gifts.
Some people approve of cosmetic surgery. Others don’t. And that’s okay—to each her own, we say. Hall’s willingness to speak her mind is admirable, as it has been for decades. But putting down other women for decisions they make for themselves? That’s just not a good look.
