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“Botched” is no hack job

E! reality television show has a compassionate and empathetic take on plastic surgeries gone wrong

The hit E! reality television series “Botched” chronicles the work of plastic surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif as they seek to rectify cases of plastic surgery that have gone horribly, horribly wrong. “Botched” returned for its second season with a familiar face within the reality show circuit — a transgendered woman who injected cement into her face, followed by a woman who suffered from severe, third degree facial burns.

The premiere episode, entitled “I Love New York,” opens with the infamous Tiffany Pollard, better known as “New York” or “H.B.I.C.” (head bitch in charge), the fiery, outrageous, and meme-worthy contestant on the dating competition show “Flavor of Love,” which launched her into reality television stardom. “Flavor of Love” subsequently garnered Pollard her own shows including “I Love New York,” and “New York Goes To Work.” Pollard, deferring to the trappings of fame and striving to remain relevant in a time when reality television personalities are appearing left and right, received breast augmentations that eventually led to her breasts sagging under all the excess skin. Pollard also has a deviated septum, making breathing difficult as it is.

Even more shocking and scandalous is the case of Rajee, a transgendered woman who attended what she described as “pumping parties,” where individuals would inject materials obtained through the black market into their bodies to achieve a desired look. In order to help in easing her transition from male to female and to ensure that she was comfortable with the result, she inserted cement into her face which culminated in large, festering boils on her skin.

However, the most upsetting situation of them all goes to the third patient Cristina, who after a freak accident at a young age, was scarred with burns across her face. She dubbed herself “Mrs. Potato Head” because of the many surgeries she has had.

While the craziness of botched plastic surgeries are addicting and it is definitely interesting to see the lengths to which people will go to ensure that they look the way they want, the show does a lot more than feed into the train wreck aspect that makes for good reality television. Dubrow and Nassif stress the dangers of plastic surgery, which it seems that many people forget. The two doctors are also personable and compassionate, choosing to forgo criticizing those who come into their office and working effectively as a team.


It may seem almost comedic but regardless of the entertainment factor, "Botched" is an educational and harrowing look into how obsessed society has become with physical appearance and the ever-mounting pressures to mold onself to fit into the perceived notions of beauty.

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