The New Yorker Essay: Plastic Surgery, Instagram Face, and the Erosion of Human Beauty
A New Yorker essay by Jia Tolentino examines the contemporary obsession with cosmetic surgery, tracing its evolution from Instagram Face to deep-plane facelifts and looksmaxxing. The piece critiques how digital platforms and AI have commodified faces, creating a cycle where women and increasingly men alter their appearances to match algorithmically generated ideals. It notes a 19% projected increase in facial procedures, with 57% of surgeons reporting more patients under 30. The essay highlights the rise of looksmaxxing among young men, exemplified by Braden Peters (Clavicular), and the influence of AI-generated images on beauty standards. It references the closure of feminist media outlets like Jezebel and the normalization of surgery among celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kris Jenner. The author argues that beauty has become a disciplinary tool, stripping faces of human meaning.
Key facts
- The essay was published in The New Yorker.
- It discusses the rise of Instagram Face and deep-plane facelifts.
- A 19% increase in facial procedures is projected by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
- 57% of surgeons report an increase in patients under 30 seeking cosmetic work.
- In 2024, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported almost 50,000 Botox and filler procedures for patients under 19.
- Braden Peters, known as Clavicular, is a 20-year-old looksmaxxer who has used peptides, supplements, meth, and hammers.
- Kylie Jenner began getting lip filler as a teenager and had her first boob job at 19.
- Kris Jenner had a second facelift at age 70.
- AI image generators produce thin, light-skinned women when prompted for 'beautiful woman'.
- The essay references the closure of feminist websites like Jezebel, DoubleX, Rookie, and The Hairpin.
Entities
Artists
- Jia Tolentino
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Kylie Jenner
- Lindsay Lohan
- Kris Jenner
- Braden Peters (Clavicular)
- Sheryl Sandberg
- Faith Hill
- Elon Musk
- Umberto Eco
- St. Augustine
- Hegel
- Elaine Scarry
Institutions
- The New Yorker
- American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- New York magazine
- Vogue
- The Guardian
- Jezebel
- Redbook
- InStyle
- Marie Claire
- Glamour
- Self
- BuzzFeed
- The Washington Post
- DoubleX
- Rookie
- The Hairpin
- TikTok
- Substack
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Grok Imagine
Locations
- Dallas
- United States