Pamela Baris Nascimento was a very popular Brazilian model and actress. She had previously undergone two plastic surgery procedures, but the third cost her life. On October 19th, the model died while undergoing liposuction. Apparently the doctors punctured her liver while she was on the operating table and then hospital officials tried to cover up the reason how she died for the past two weeks. The doctor who performed the surgery is now facing manslaughter charges.
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ReplyDeleteIsn't lipo supposed to be removal of fat just under the skin surface? How in the world did he puncture her liver?!! Manslaughter, indeed.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I know they really jab with those liposuction wands but what the heck was this doctor doing?
ReplyDeletePlastic surgery is considered the equivalent of getting a haircut in Brazil.
ReplyDeleteBack in the 90s, I worked with a woman who grew up in Rio. One day a few of us went to lunch together and I asked her if it was as common as an article I had read said it was. She said, oh yes. I had my ears pinned back and my nose done when I was 16. Everyone at school had something done. There's no stigma attached.
This was a stuffy professional environment and we were all kind of shocked that she was so matter-of-fact about it, but to her it was as trivial a matter as an American woman saying she had braces as a teen.
However, she noted with sadness that a friend of hers had died during lipo. This was just after Clueless came out, and I burst out laughing and said, she died during a routine liposuction?
Which was not the appropriate response, at all.
I can't vouch for Brazil, but having extended family in Argentina, I can say that plastic surgery is de rigueur there. In fact, my beautiful SIL - I mean, looks and a body we Americans would kill for - had breast enhancement so she could get a job - in sales, not modeling or acting, just a regular, fully dressed job!
ReplyDeleteMy sister, who is a total, in shape babe, is always despondant when she's in South America. She can't buy a pair of pants there, because as a 5'10" size 8, she is a bohemeth by South American standards.
@Jamie 2 - it's the same way in Peru. Lots of people walking around with that clear tape stuff on their noses, lots of surprised faces. Hah.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's totally like getting a haircut there. A Brazilian told me she had implants, because she "had to." "HAD TO" it was the matter of fact way she said it. I think it has something to do with how they run around in tiny bikinis all the time.
ReplyDeleteomg... i would get a nose job tomorrow. i don't see the stigma and don't like when people judge.
ReplyDeletemy family in argentina is very natural, however. i've heard how it is in brazil, but this attitude does not extend to my family's community in bs.as.
It's very much a cultural thing, and changing with time. I actually think it's a good thing for some procedures (fixing protruding ears or a hooked nose, for instance.) I'm less keen on implants, mainly due to the fact that they're risky.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, a woman coloring her hair was frowned up. In some parts of the world *ahem* *Britain* kids who wore braces would get laughed at.
As I said, I'm generally in favor of it if the person can afford it.
Can't stand vanity surgery. I dream of a world where no one gives a flying fig what anyone else looks like. Because after all, people SAY they're getting surgery for themselves, but the truth is they're doing it so that other people will look at them admiringly. The day I let a stranger's opinion of me take precedence over my own is the day I lose all credibility as a mother and as a human being.
ReplyDelete@Cee Kay: As a mother, if your child had protruding ears and was being bullied/ridiculed at school, would you ban corrective surgery? Assume the child has perfect hearing; it is surgery for cosmetic purposes only.
ReplyDeleteLets all say this together:
ReplyDelete"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me"
Mr B had protruding ears as a child and was constantly teased. His parents had them pinned back when he was 12 and he's always been grateful for that. And having seen the before pictures, it's a blessing they did that. He believes it made a huge difference in going through adolescence. Not to mention his adult life. There's a big difference between getting a facelift for vanity's sake and getting surgery that allows you to NOT be a target.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious - in Latin America are the patients who have these surgeries primarily women or do men have them as well?
@Cee Kay - I shared this in a thread the other day, but it pertains to this post so I'll share here as well. I had really awful chicken pox when I was 3, and it left me with tons of scars, most noticeably on my forehead. Once I started going to school, I was teased about it constantly through middle school. I'd cry about it to my mom all the time, and felt horrible. The summer before high school, she took me to a plastic surgeon who basically cut the scars out and sewed them together. Rather than having a ton of pits in my forehead, it healed as fine, linear scars. Now, no one notices them unless I point them out. I am SO appreciative of my mother for taking that step for me.
ReplyDeleteI just watched a YouTube video about this industry in South Korea. It's like going to the dentist, they say.
ReplyDeleteIn South Korea, and many other countries, people have to submit a photo with ANY job application.
@libby - I believe it's like that in China (for some reason Shanghai specifically stands out in my head) as well. People kind of line up to go in the the PS's office and have things done.
ReplyDeleteIf something honestly makes you feel bad about yourself to the point where, yes you do want to change that, what's the harm? As long as you do it for yourself, and after careful consideration go for it. I apply this not only to cosmetic surgery, but tattoo, piercings, and style etc. that being said, I have no tattoos and the only cosmetic procedure I've had done was get a freakish mole removed on my neck when i was like 11, so I'd feel confident wearing ponytails.
ReplyDelete@SusanB Men get plastic surgery too. It's happening more and more in the US as well, and not just with actors. A lot of business men are doing it, very subtly, especially as they approach their 40s or 50s and worry about competing with younger people.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, there's a whole trade of surgery/tourism where the exec and his wife fly to Rio on "holiday" and come back two weeks later looking very refreshed. They have English-speaking doctors and staff, deluxe spa-like resorts for pampering while you recover, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than it is in the US.
A company I used to work for went bankrupt in 2008 and my former boss was interviewed on TV. I hadn't seen him in 16 years, and he had barely aged. He was close to 60, but not a gray hair in sight and very few wrinkles. That wasn't good genes.
Good for you Amber. I'm a huge believer that if something bothers you and you have the means to change it, go ahead. Screw what others think.
ReplyDeleteI would SO do some lipo-FOR ME! No need to judge. F*ckin sucks for her tho.
ReplyDeleteI live and come from Brazil.
ReplyDeleteI'm not gonna comment on the incredibly short sighted generalizations I've read about plastic surgery being equivalent to a haircut in a country where 90% of the population can barely afford the latter. I just wanted to come here and say the lady who died was absolutely NOT popular, or well known. She was a stage dancer in one or two mediocre shows, and if she hadn't died, no one would be talking about her. Sad that she did die, but as far as being a personality she is insignificant. Not popular, or not even known, at all.
Hope the doctor goes to jail.
So true Jaime2.
ReplyDeleteI think if something bothers you and you have the means to change that, go for it.
A number of years ago I interviewed for a very specific position. I discussed this with the interviewer over the phone and confirmed it the day before.
Well imagine my shock when I walked in and suddenly the position had changed to "assistant." This person also said she thought I was "too senior" for the position and would (suddenly) be unhappy with the salary. I was flabbergasted!
Although I snagged the interview on my own, I knew a higher-up at the company. I contacted her and told her what happened. A short while later, "the interviewer" was gone.
thanks for clearing that up, mers.
ReplyDeletei wanted to add, botox and injectables are kind of gaining popularity with my age group (18-24). it's seen as preventative and of course, it's done very in very subtle areas, i.e. the upper forehead. with the spa specials lately, i might go treat myself for christmas :)
to apply for my university, every student is required to send in a photo along with their essays, etc. my school was recently ranked very highly by a publication for having the "hottest guys". i'm not complaining.
@surfer - good for you! There's a definite bias in hiring "older" people. What is shocking is that the interviewer was so blatant about it. You may have had grounds for a discrimination suit there.
ReplyDeleteI want a tummy tuck so badly... having three large babies wrecked me. I am a size 6 but things don't fit right because of how much hanging skin I have. Bleh. And still, from both cost and risks, I haven't done surgery yet. I hate how I feel with it, even if it makes me shallow.
ReplyDeleteCee Kay, I respectfully disagree. While I don't want to freeze time I run, eat clean and take care of myself but breastfeeding my 3 babies, c sections and pregnancy has done a number on my chest.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about getting small implants and/or a small lift. I feel self conscious and wear a bra ALL THE TIME.
Logically, I get your body changes but this is something I sometimes think I should just go ahead and do for me. My only caveat is I don't want the down time from my addiction to my sneakers..
@Amy- I joke about my awesome abs- I have great ones till I have to bend over...;) ::sigh:: yup, if it wasn't for the downtime I'd probably do that too.
ReplyDeleteWe can be shallow together.
Ha!
DeleteWow... just wow!!!!!!
ReplyDelete@Mers, I'm Brazilian too and I second every word you said.
Enty, I don't know where you get your information sometimes, but this woman was a nobody.
Second and most importantly, cosmetic surgery is not as common here. Like Mers pointed out, most people can't barely affort food, let alone plastic surgery. It is common among C and D lists celebrities, but that's just like any other place, right? Hiii, Octomom!!!
And sure hope this doctor gets some kind of punishment.
Having said that, many girls that I know have breast implants but that's all.
I just... I hated this post.
Thanks SusanB. That's what shocked me too - how blatant she was about it. But I think that also goes to show how young she was, because if she had had half a brain, she would have known what she said was most likely illegal.
ReplyDeleteI did get a job at another magazine (same ownership) in that group.
@Mers, White Lily: Sorry I offended you. I am aware of the poverty in Brazil and didn't mean to imply that people from the slums routinely got plastic surgery.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't happen in any country in the world.
I was just pointing out that until recently, plastic surgery here was regarded as something to be ashamed of and the province of actors and the very rich (most of whom would deny having had any).
So my Brazilian colleague surprised all of us (conservative bankers) by being so open and matter-of-fact about the work she had had done, and confirming that the information in the article I had read - that Brazilians don't have hang-ups about PS and think nothing of having it done, and said that most of the people at her secondary school had had some work done.
This was about 16 years ago, and I remember how there's a scene in Clueless (a sight gag really) at Beverly Hills High School that showed just about every girl in sophomore year walking around with post-nose-job tape. That scene got huge laughs when I saw the movie in NY. It's not that rich kids in NYC didn't get nose jobs too; it was just done discreetly over their summer vacation.
I'm not clear if you're angry that I commented that it was like having a haircut (really, I meant, in terms of significance, never meant to imply that every single person in Brazil has access to it) or that Enty overstated the importance of the dead woman.
Again, sorry I offended.
@Jamie 2,
ReplyDeleteIt's ok. Maybe this is commmon in Rio and I'm not aware of it. But it's not that normal, not for me, at least. I guess it is not a stigma here since we see so many subcelebrities doing plastic surgeries and publicizing like it was just a new outfit. I do know a few girls who had boob jobs but never heard of any one having lipo, nose jobs...
And Enty overstating her importance annoyed me too...
=)
I agree it is a cultural thing. In Europe you don't see half the plastic surgery or make-up you see in the States. The Latin culture is MUCH more about looks and being skinny and looking put together all the time. I'm not just talking out my ass, I have first hand experience of both cultures.
ReplyDelete@Egyptian Ankh you can talk about other latin cultures, but unless you come from the same country as I do, you can't talk about mine.
ReplyDeleteI had a tummy tuck (I'm 42 x2 c-sections). One of the best decisions I ever made. Had realistic expectations, did it 100% for me, and never regretted it for a minute. Best money & time I ever spent. Honest-to-God improved my quality if life.
ReplyDeleteAge and looks, terrible ways to hire people.
ReplyDeleteA couple years ago I applied for a part-time photography gig. They wanted to see some of my pictures. That would have been fine... but they wanted to see pictures OF me, not SHOT BY me!
I also had to misrepresent my age. They only wanted cute co-ed women in their early 20's. It was a lucky thing that I stayed out of the sun all my life and have no wrinkles! It worked; they hired me. I hated being judged like that, but I needed the work.
i'm Brazilian and i live in Brazil. never heard of this girl before.
ReplyDelete