On a random day during a dull week, I all but dropped confetti from the ceiling announcing that I might get my breasts lifted. My friend's most immediate reaction was to fire off a stark "Why?" with a stank face.
In the past, she has also admitted that she desires elective surgery, but yet there I sat, feeling forced to make my case to another woman who claims to support the rights and choices of other women – all the while policing their bodies. I was met with the disdain of someone who has made space for the stereotypical assumptions surrounding women who partake in elective surgery.
Still, I entertained the dialogue because it's one that needed to be had. On any given day, I'd be out here braless regardless of how my breast hang, which highlights that this decision is the furthest thing from coercion based on societal shame or any one person's shame.
Not everyone seeks to get plastic surgery because of their programming or insecurity rooted in societal beauty standards.
And, although I'm 100 percent sure that this is what cosmetic surgery is rooted in, I hear so many friends discussing elective surgery that at this point, it is on the verge of being normalized for no reason other than because it's our damn prerogative.
Plastic surgery has been labeled as this God-awful thing that one does until they've reached a pinnacle of self-hate or want to appeal to men, but there seems to be little to no grey area on the subject matter. Although self-hate has definitely been the case for some, I don't believe it always has to be this deep...after all "hate" is a strong word, especially when used to describe a majority of those partaking in cosmetic surgery.
Personally, I viewed it as an opportune time to explore the idea, as the surgery could potentially be covered through my insurance and the worst that they could say is "no" right?
People are allowed a preference and while there are women who revel in the beauty of their stretch marks and breasts that have withstood the test of time and gravity, that's not my mood in regards to my own body. For better or worse, that is my vanity operating full throttle. Can vanity be fueled by insecurity? No doubt. Still, being vain is not always indicative of latent insecurity so much as it is what it is: shallowness. I know that may be a crazy concept, so I'm running it back just a little bit louder and a little bit more clear:
In the same way that embracing your natural body doesn't make you secure, it does not indicate insecurity when a woman seeks out surgical enhancement.
I yearn to be free of the societal standards of how I should look or what size breasts are allowed to be free of the harness contraption thought up by controlling men moonlighting as paternal figures. I'll go braless with zero shame in a heartbeat, but if I can have perkier breasts, I'll take that rack too because why the hell not? Of all the things I am insecure about with my body, my breasts are not one – so I feel safe assuring anyone that there's not a sense of dissatisfaction pushing me to consider having my breast strung up a little higher.
But even if it were due to dissatisfaction, we can't advocate that women have the autonomy to make some decisions about her body without judgement, without honoring that same reasoning for the rest of that woman's body.
Either way, it's not our place to put a scarlet letter on women who opt for cosmetic surgery.
At best, I'll give way to the thought that societal standards have programmed this level of vanity, but isn't that everything that we know? The norms that we don't enjoy, we fight to deconstruct, but the thought of elective surgery in a healthy manner doesn't strike me as the worst message I or you or we have received from the world.
As a Black woman in America, I think the more pressing issue and dangerous message is sent by society's praising of the Kardashians who pay to make themselves in the image of Black women, meanwhile, Black women are ostracized for the very same features.
If I'm going to have a stake in the impact of plastic surgery, it's not going to be for the woman who has made the choice to responsibly opted for plastic surgery. Instead, I'm going to give my attention to advocating for those who would put themselves in harm's way in order to alter their image. Those who spend their last to alter their image. Women who are addicted to plastic surgery to the point of being unrecognizable. These are the scenarios that I personally feel require intervention – some on a micro level (mental health care) and others on a macro level (added restrictions on the black market).
Otherwise, and I'm sad that I even have to tell you this but, my body, my choice.
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Featured image by Getty Images.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Taylor founded Mastermind MGMT, an agency that represents some of Hollywood’s best “image architects” like Roach, Kellon Deryck, and Kollin Carter, who are responsible for creating unforgettable style and beauty moments for celebrities like Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Taylor and her company possess an array of functions, but her biggest role is to be her client’s advocate. We hear endless stories about how creatives aren’t paid or underpaid in the entertainment industry, but Taylor ensures that her clients get their piece of the pie. The entrepreneur opened up about her company and her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“I always say that I'm an artist advocate first, deal closer second. So my primary focus is to just make sure that the artist is getting everything that they deserve, whether it's compensation or, you know, certain accommodations, but just making sure that they have everything that they need to be able to show up and provide the best service that they're hired for,” she explained.
“So you know, in the beginning, it was hard because I didn't have any experience, and the artists who I was working with at the time–we were learning together, meaning neither of us had assisted anyone. We didn't have mentors in our specific fields. So every deal was like a new learning experience for us from the styling side and also from the business side, and so it took, you know, doing some research, using some very creative tactics, to find out information in the industry and just starting to request accommodations that I knew other artists were granted, who maybe didn't look like my artists.”
Photo courtesy of Tamara Taylor
Ten years later, there’s still not many people who are doing what Taylor is doing. However, things have gotten easier thanks to the research and connections she made in the beginning. During Mastermind MGMT’s ten-year anniversary celebration, she announced her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on helping young entrepreneurs through a 12-week program. The program is divided into “two routes.” The first route is for aspiring creative artists who want to start a business from their talent and all the things they need to learn about business, such as taxes, life insurance, etc. The second route is for practicing creative artists who are already in the industry but need resources such as how to plan for retirement or how to sustain themselves if they can’t work for a short amount of time, i.e., the pandemic.
“I just feel that I'm able to have a business and be successful because of their art as well. And so there are things that I know, I tried to teach it to them but understanding that I can only do so much because I'm not a subject matter expert in those fields,” she said. “So I at least want to be able to provide the resources, and then if they make their grown decision not to do it, then that's on them. But you know, I could be guilt-free and taking advantage of the resources that I'm also providing to them.”
Taylor continues to be an innovator in her industry by always pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking one step ahead of everyone else. The Chicago-bred businesswoman is moving into the tech space thanks to a new invention created with her clients in mind, and she is looking forward to bigger collaborations in the future. Follow Mastermind MGMT on Instagram @mastermind_mgmt for more information.
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Feature image courtesy of Tamara Taylor
