"Ethnic" rhinoplasties are turning y'all into Whoville citizens (sorry)

Why are nose jobs (rhinoplasties) the first stop when it comes to attaining pretty privilege? Why are so many influencers, celebrities, and everyday people altering their noses today to fit Eurocentric beauty standards? In this video, we'll dive deep into nose aesthetics — from ancient civilizations to Hollywood and TikTok, the nose has carried more than just air.

We’ll explore the long history of nose beauty standards, examining how racism, colonialism, and pseudoscience like physiognomy shaped the “ideal” nose over centuries. Drawing from cultural historian Sander Gilman’s Making the Body Beautiful and insights from NYU’s article Nose Jobs and Neo-Colonialism, we’ll break down how rhinoplasties became popular in early Hollywood, the pressures faced by actresses and women of color, and how modern social media trends — like the rise of the “Instagram Face,” — are influencing beauty ideals today.

We’ll also talk about how pretty privilege and the monetization of beauty culture impact our mental health and self-image, and how cosmetic surgery often becomes not just an aesthetic choice, but a survival tactic in a Western-dominated world. Finally, we’ll look at the rise of movements like #BigNoseEnergy and #EthnicNose, where more people are reclaiming their heritage, celebrating natural features, and challenging rigid beauty norms.

In a world where we are always encountering plastic surgery and beauty culture, we often come face to face with our relationship with our own features, especially our nose. It is therefore critical we discuss reclaiming our identity in a world that profits off our insecurities.

Animations:   / kashmirichaiandbooks  

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