The anti-choice politics of Botox
Plus: the end of 'vibes,' reparations for forced sterilization, and more in the weekend roundup.
Right to it!
I’m thinking about…
The anti-choice politics of Botox, thanks to Jessica DeFino’s new advice column. As she writes in response to a letter writer asking if she should be more “proactive” about anti-aging treatments:
Must you make a political stance with your sagging skin? I mean… yes, kind of. No matter what you do—Botox, no Botox—the face of an aging woman has political implications. Did you know the makers of Botox have donated tens of thousands of dollars to US legislators attempting to enact a national abortion ban?
I did not. More on that here.
I’m reading about…
Pregnant Gazans who are desperate for medical care, some of whom are miscarrying and having cesareans without anesthesia, as the result of living in a war zone. There are roughly 50,000 pregnant people in Gaza, 5,500 of whom will give birth in the next month.
I’m *not* thinking about…
Kim Kardashian dressing up as a Bratz doll for Halloween. There is a take here—I was going to say something about the layering of artifice, hyperreality, the literalizing of doll-like ambitions—but contemplating it makes me feel like I’m running out of batteries. Even more so once I realized Kylie Jenner already has her own Bratz doll.
