Adeles Situation - Cosmetic Surgeries to Change Appearance - Essay Example

In the case of Adele, there is a myriad of legal issues concerning her situation: She begins fasting on a very strict diet in order to lose weight, because she deems herself too fat. Since this is the case, there is a possibility that she has developed Anorexia Nervosa, which includes having a very thin body and a distorted body image with a dread of fatness, among other things. However, there is no conclusive evidence showing that shes developed this illness, so it is impossible to decide that. The law understands the problems and difficulties of the disease, and has therefore, in certain cases, agreed to detain young girls against their will in order to be treated and for their lives to be saved. Out of respect and highest regard to the sanctity of life, treatments are sometimes forced on sufferers, who refuse consent to it because they want to cause themselves harm or that their logic is distorted due to the mental problem underlying. That was the case with B. V Croydon who refused to eat when she was prevented from harming herself, and was tube-fed against her will (Cooper, 2005). Feminists say that the illness is a symptom in a society which judges people on the grounds of looks, which emphasises thinness and has unreal requirements and stereotypes regarding peoples appearance. Also, it is much more frequent in girls than in boys, only increasing in greater ages. Adele undergoes different cosmetic surgeries to change her appearance. The law requires a person to sign a consent form to undergo these procedures, and those who choose to do so must be examined by a doctor beforehand in order for an evaluation of the reasons behind wanting to go through the procedure. Feminists say that this is an unnecessary step that shouldnt be taken. They claim that people should be happy and proud of their own body, accept it and love it, instead of trying to change it to fit a certain stereotype or desire of someone else in the society. Also, they say that the purpose of it is mainly to achieve the approval of someone else, rather than of themselves. Adele is pressured into photographing for provocative and perhaps even pornographic photos with men and animals. Posing for a photo shoot like Adele has done is not considered to be illegal as long as the participant is an adult and agrees to it. However, it is obviously immoral and reprehensible, mainly because she was tricked into doing so because she was given a large quantity of alcohol beforehand. The law does not consider being photographed in provocative poses to be illegal, but using animals in this photo shoot causes it to be a "grey zone" since it is possible that sexual interactions between human participants and the animals were initiated, and then it is illegal on accounts of both bestiality and animal abuse. Furthermore, getting a person drunk in order to make him do something equals coercing him by force to do that thing. For all intents and purposes, Adele was tricked, manipulated and made against her will to participate in that photo shoot. Feminists cry out against any depiction or display of women in provocative situations, claiming that it is demeaning to women, presents them in an unflattering and humiliating way, diminishes their value and the respect to them, and basically consists of using them to satisfy the selfish needs of men. It perpetuates the inequality of men and women and the unfair usage of women. Adele is forced to have sex with the photographer who shot her in the photo shoot, after he tricks her into his study, pretending to want to show her the photos he had taken of her before. She is a victim of rape. The law distinguishes between different kinds of rapes, as the most common one is referred to as a "classic rape". Most of the times, it is done by someone that the victim knows. The offender does not have to use force or violently attack the victim in order for it to be considered a rape. The only requirements are that the victim does not consent to sexual intercourse with the offender at that time, and that the offender knows that the victim does not consent to it, or is just reckless about whether or not the victim consents to it. Due to a low rate of convictions of rapists, some women choose not to report the incidents. Some are too traumatized and afraid to do that, fearing for their lives if they did. Others worry about the long cross-examination theyll have to be put through by the opposing counsellor, representing the rapist. Women know that complaints dont always go to court, and even if they do, some rapists go free due to one reason or another. Brereton and Edwards are names of 2 victims, who suffered much during the trials regarding their ordeals (Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000). Feminists deem rape as the murder of a womans soul, the taking of her free will, the robbing of her spirit, her will to live and the ability to function well in her everyday lives. Women are traumatized after the incident, having an extremely hard time to get back to their normal lives. It takes them a very long time before they feel safe again, before they can trust men, let alone get into a relationship with them and allowing themselves to open up to them. Rapists are perhaps the most morally reprehensible criminals because they destroy and shatter their victims life but still let them live and struggle with building their lives again. Even years after the incident, the memory and the horror felt during that time affects them, and some of them are plagued with depression, anxiety, a feeling of insecurity and many other mental afflictions. The act itself constitutes the usage of brutal force and power to violate the womens most private and intimate place- her body. The photographer tells Adele that he has shown her pictures to his friends, and that they would like to pay her for her to provide them with sexual services. Bob (the photographer) wants a certain percentage of what she will be earning from them. He is soliciting her to prostitution, while taking on the role of her pimp. He wants her to sleep with men for money, while he gets a cut of the earnings. Bob is adding insult to injury. Not only has he raped and traumatized Adele, but he also wants to further cause her harm by using her as a prostitute for his friends and getting money out of it. The law tends to be very harsh and strict in cases of solicitation of women to prostitution and using them sexually for money. It is illegal for sexual services to be given in exchange for money, especially when someone else (a pimp) is orchestrating this and benefiting from it. Feminists accordingly exclaim against this, saying that women are used sexually as a mere tool and object for men to play with. Women are objectified as sexual toys to be used and thrown afterwards, rather than as human beings. A womans dignity and her privacy are being hurt, as she is used to please others at the expense of her own life, happiness, respect and health. They put their lives in danger every day and are at risk from both the men with whom they sleep and their pimps, who control every aspect of their lives and sometimes threaten them. In short, the solicitation and pimping of women are a gross exploitation of women which degrades them and puts them in serious jeopardy. References Cooper, M.J (2005). "Cognitive Theory in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: Progress, Development and Future Directions". Clinical Psychology Reviews, Vol. 25 (Issue 4), p.511-531. Fisher B.S, Cullen F.T & Turner M.G (2000). "Sexual Victimization of College Women", Bureau of Justice Statistics, Published December 2000. Read More