© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Nose Didn't Get a Nose Job... Yet

Credit La Melodie / Flickr Creative Commons
/
Flickr Creative Commons

"The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of human aesthetics which holds that when human features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural human beings, it causes a response of revulsion among some human observers." (Wikipedia)

Some version of the uncanny valley phenomenon is tangled up in the national freak-out this week over actress Renee Zellweger’s post-nip & tuck coming out party. Of course, the uncanny valley usually flows in the other direction — from the artificial toward the almost-natural. Cosmetic surgery can work in reverse. We almost recognize Renee. It’s so close — but also indubitably the result of manufacture — that we are unsettled by it.

I have a second — otherwise undiscovered — theory about this week’s Zellwegangst. Look at this montage of photos from the Elle event. Am I imagining it, or is there, in the words of Jackson Browne, “just a trace of sorrow in her eyes?” Not in every shot, but frequently enough so that we know she knows the way she’s being looked at. And it makes us uncomfortable.

"I think it's interesting how people try to pit older, wrinkled women against young ones with the assumption that the former are just jealous of the young ones' sexual power." Not my words, but an email from one of our guests. On this show, an all-women panel uses the furor over Renée Zellweger’s face as a portal into other inter-generational battles.

Men are hard on women. Consider this idiotnik who referred to the Williams brothers. And, of course, women are sometimes hard on each other. Consider Annie Lennox’s possible ill-conceived take on Beyonce. Women sometimes exploit little women to trigger an important dialogue. Consider the pink and frilly f-bomb video. (The four of us are split up the middle about it.) And even when you’re 60, 70 or 80 you might still be contemplating the fine line between “getting men off and celebrating women.” Oh, and does Fox News really have a “leg cam?”Hot women from outside their ideological framework, however, should not speak up.

Other topics we were considering for this Nose:

  1. Battle of the trolls: Kathleen Hale reveals the war raging between authors and readers
  2. Streaming Music Has Left Me Adrift
  3. In praise of middle-of-the-road parenting
  4. Author Stalks Anonymous Blogger Who Gave Her a 1-Star Review
  5. The Choices of Kathleen Hale

GUESTS:

  • Irene Papoulis teaches in the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric at Trinity College
  • Carolyn Paine is an actor, dancer, and choreographer
  • Patty McQueen is a communications strategist for Communication Strategies

SONGS:

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public.
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content