Edd’s MANtra: For The Love of a Man
I first heard about this the day after the Grammys, when the world was captivated by “Chrihannagate.” But since people won’t shut up about it, I figured I’d add my two cents. Plus, it fits nicely into our recent discussions about women’s body issues.
From music-news.com:
Usher was on the receiving end of a scary and confusing phone call recently. His wife, Tameka Raymond, was having liposuction earlier this month in Brazil, which was completely unknown to the singer.
Usher found out when he received a phone call that Tameka was in an induced coma. At this point, he rushed to the hospital in Sao Paulo, where he learned that his wife had suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest while under anesthesia. She was brought back after a minute and sent to ICU.
Tameka was transferred to a second hospital, where she remained for 11 days.
So, if I’m reading this right, Usher’s wife snuck off to surprise Usher with lipo surgery? In Brazil!? Doesn’t she know that in Brazil, crazy doctors steal organs from dumb Americans and sell ’em off to the highest bidder?
I learned that from watching that movie Turistas.
Anyway, this story brought back sad memories of Kanye West’s mother, who died back in ’07 from complications from cosmetic surgery. It amazes me that celebrities will put themselves in harm’s way to achieve a more desirable figure.
I guess it shows that women in showbiz are even more pressured to look like stick figures than noncelebrities. Tameka has been known to have a jealous streak (she was allegedly giving Usher’s co-star Keri Hilson the side eye during the “Love In The Club” video shoot) and I guess she thought the only way she could keep up with the young’ns is to have all the goop drained from her hips. And it nearly cost her her life.
I think Usher, and men in general, need to do a better job of showing their women that they don’t have to look like Twizzlers to be attractive. I mean, Usher married a woman that’s old enough to be my grandma’s grandma, has a criminal record and who already has like 74 children. He HAS to love her to put up with all that.
Perhaps women are doing harmful things to themselves because that’s what they THINK their man wants. I can’t speak for Usher, but I know that’s not what I want.
I’m not sure I believe that the men in women’s lives are to blame for women’s “issues” with their looks.
Every man I’ve ever dated has been more than complimentary when it comes to me, my figure, etc… Yet, I continue to work on the me, the shape that I want. I think it’s part self-image and part comparative image. Part of me wants to look the way I want to look, regardless of what others say/see. Another part of me compares myself to the “images” I like and wants to look like them.
I do think it odd that she went all the way to Brazil, when I thought it was common knowledge (and if not, should be among celebrities) that serious complications are more than likely to occur there. However, if you refer back to your second-to-last paragraph, that might explain why she did it. If we see all that about her, she knows way more about herself…and I’m sure their almost-called-off wedding didn’t help either.
I agree with Chantay. While I’m sure some women do get cosmetic surgery to please their men I think poor self-image is always at the root of these things.
Like Chantay, most of the men I’ve dated (and the one I married) have been complimentary of my face and body, but I have struggled with image issues because I compare myself to the women I see in magazines and on TV.
Furthermore, women can also be very disparaging to one another. For example, I have small boobs, but no man has ever had anything negative to say about that (at least not to my face), but growing up the women in my life were always the ones with something to say. Now that I’m older and I love my breasts as they are, it’s no longer an issue. But when I was younger it’s something I really struggled with, but no man in my life was to blame.