Jour1111 Assignment- Annotated Bibliography

Cosmetic Surgery- PIP Implant Disaster

Lirola, M. M. (September 2012). The Dream of a Perfect Body Come True: Multimodality in Cosmetic Surgery Advestising. Discourse & Society, 23: 487-507.

1.       

      This article captures the rhetorical and multimodal strategies implemented in selling cosmetic surgery. It looks at how cosmetic company’s implement a form of physical insecurity driven advertising and discourse to exploit an idealized image of the female body, one that is only achievable through cosmetic procedures. The article focuses on Western society’s increasing dependence on materialistic consumption and body altering products in order to achieve a generally male generated perception of female perfection. Physical health is taking a backseat to society’s ideal of physical beauty. This article is useful in the sense that it shines a light on the exploitation of female insecurities to sell products and identifies that developing an emotionally stimulated self-perpetuating ideology is at the forefront of the cosmetic surgery craze that’s ruling society. Limitations in this article would be that main points or article angles are based on collective opinions rather than supported findings or statistics. This credible piece of work provides the groundwork to understanding how large cosmetic surgery corporations take advantage of human emotion to generate business and aids in a better understanding towards the development of cosmetic surgery and advertising.

 

News Limited Network. (October 14 2012). Burst Breast Implants Have Long Term Effect. Herald Sun.

2.       The News Limited Network reviews the latest cosmetic surgery catastrophe relating to French company, Poly Implant Protégées (PIP). By applying government collected information, accompanied with personal victim accounts this article documents the rupturing of breast implants after authorities uncovered that the French implant manufacturer used industrial silicone rather than the medical-grade accepted silicone. This article aims to break down the cause and symptoms related to PIP implants as well as identify the legal rights of victims. Applying the most up-to-date, credible information, News Limited advises that even after a medically suggested removal of the implants in question, victims are still expected to encounter ongoing medical issues, many of which have not been acknowledged by the French company, or many other articles on the case. Taking a delightfully refreshing and insightful angle on the PIP implant emergency, this report mainly focuses on the aftermath and attempts to forewarn those thinking about partaking in cosmetic procedures. Limitations to this story would be that the personal victim account has only been taken by one woman, and some of the particular terminology used suggests that the symptoms this one woman encounter will occur to everyone with PIP implants, however every person reacts differently to medical procedures. This could potentially reflect lack of depth, in the interviewing process of the story.

 

SBS. (2012, April 5). PIP Breast Implant Ruptures Increase. Retrieved from SBS News World Australia: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1640265/PIP-breast-implant-ruptures-increase

3.       In this news article, SBS issue a health warning and educate readers on the sheer volume of women affected by the French company PIP and their misuse of industrial silicone in implants. Implementing internationally gathered information, this article aims to primarily warn and alert the estimated 350 000 women suspected of having PIP implants. Particularly focusing on the 6000 Australian women believed to possess the rupturing implants, this article advises victims about their rights and available help towards implant removal services, which may subsidized by Medicare. SBS offer crucial information to women affected by this cosmetic disaster, as well as provide basic information to all about the time frame, and extent of the French company’s misconduct. Limitations of this news article would be that some of the provided information throughout could be deemed contradictory, in the sense that it suggests there is no need for concern or urgency if no symptoms are occurring after urging all women in question to immediately opt for an MRI. Predominantly directed at victims, this article captures that the utmost important element of this cosmetic inquiry is to alert women about the health problems and signs associated with PIP implants. Notably acknowledging SBS as a reliable news source this piece is also a great provider of statistics and international findings on the case.

 

Ashleigh Fenn, A. T. (2012). Channel 7 Televison Interview- Exploding Pip Breast Implants. (R. Sadler, Interviewer)

4.       Along with three personal accounts and an implant medical officer Chris Baggoley, Channel 7 takes a personal approach to the PIP implant case and puts faces to the story.  This story primarily focuses on shaming the company and targeting women about to make the decision to opt for breast implants or any other invasive cosmetic enhancing procedure, by instilling fear into the prospective implant candidates. R. Sadler along with his interviewees, label Jean-Claude Mas, owner of the French company, as a terrorist and suggest that these implants, combined with breast feeding has caused cancer in victims children. Limitations include these extreme very one sided claims that show no attempt to hear any comment from the company in question. A strength would be that the story includes a breakdown of the cost and make of the implants as well as noting the French company PIP implants were approved on the basis of how cheap they were to make by surgeons, so that other people are accountable for this incident, something not noted by any of the above citations. Overall, although the story is highly bias, a refreshing local angle on the PIP disaster has been captured and the story is a notable source for multiple victim accounts on the case.