Van Susteren should be proud of her new eyes
Pancake make-up can only go so far. For years, TV news anchors have relied on gifted plastic surgeons to give them a renewed sense of youthful beauty.
As common as plastic surgery is among industry insiders, few TV personalities have actually admitted to going under the knife.
Perhaps that is why TV newswoman and legal analyst Greta Van Susteren’s recent eyelift has received so much media attention.
Why hide the obvious? Viewers are not stupid. They can tell when something is amiss.
No one can deny that television is a business where looks matter, especially if you are a woman.
“How we look is part of what we do,” said Bonnie Erbe, host of the PBS news program “On the Contrary.”
Van Susteren’s candidness about her eyelift is refreshing. It is obvious that Barbara Walters has been nipped and tucked, but no one is sure exactly what she has had done and how many times.
TV journalists are among the more than 7 million people who receive plastic surgery in the United States each year and few ever admit it.
The two-hour eye tuck is the third most common plastic surgery procedure performed in the United States, after nose jobs and liposuction. The procedure, on average, costs approximately $2,230 plus hospital and medication fees.
It is no longer a man’s world. TV newswomen are making a name for themselves. In fact, the women aren’t the only ones receiving surgical help.
Six women to every one man go under the knife each year in the United States. Television journalism now has an equal opportunity factor in the workplace these days, as men have become just as concerned as the women about their appearances on camera.
In years past it was not uncommon to see a pretty blonde co-anchoring next to a graying gentleman. It used to be more important for women to maintain their looks than for the men.
Van Susteren is undoubtedly the best TV legal analyst and states that she made this decision all on her own.
She recently made the switch from CNN to the FOX News Network. Van Susteren left CNN accusing the network of slighting women and minority employees.
Her new employer came under fire recently for her new look. Many critics alleged that FOX forced her into surgery, but she has undoubtedly denied those allegations. FOX News Chairman Roger Ailes told the press he tried to talk her out of it.
People should always be content with their looks. It is part of who they are. Plastic surgery is a personal choice that can make people feel younger and more confident about themselves. For that, I think it is worth every penny.
Van Susteren has always been the tomboy of the networks. In 1999 she told “People” magazine that her New Year’s resolution was to “learn to comb my hair before my show rather than after.”
In the ever-competitive industry that is television news, women are encouraged to do everything possible to make them more appealing to viewers.
Van Susteren is not the only one playing up to a new look. Paula Zahn recently did a series of commercials claiming to be “a little sexy.”
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. A career in television is not easy. News anchors are under constant scrutiny, but if they are honest with their viewers they will maintain their trust.
Greta Van Susteren does not hide behind her brilliant new eyes; she sees a bright new future and possibly a longer career in television.
Sarah Hunt