Post Class Response 10/31

In Thursday’s class as we came about Adorno and Horkheimer and the relation of sameness and body modification. I was extremely shocked by the relation of these two concepts. It seems as though people either want to be the same or they want to take the other extreme, and be different. While at first modifying one’s body was considered extremely different, in today’s society body modification is common. Whether it is through tattoos, piercing, or plastic surgery what was once different is now more than normal. While I am often drawn to stare at people who have these kinds of body modifications it is not because I am offended but rather because I don’t understand them. I think in any way altering one’s body is not necessary. Of course there are certain circumstances that make body altering more relevant than others. The way the media portrays the acceptance and even encourages the plastic surgery and other body modifications to make everyone look as close to the way society constructs “perfection.” It is even apparent in the lives of celebrities where they want to look like someone or something that they see as common and desired. For example, how Ashlee Simpson got her nose job to look like Jessica Simpson’s. I wish I could understand more about why people seem to modify their body when it causes so much attention. If the media and our society gave up on the existence of “perfection,” “sameness,” and “difference” we would all be free to express ourselves as individuals and that is a start.