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Wow...it's amazing how the entire group of 12 million LDS worldwide can be categorized as "judgmental" and that "ethnic features probably strike them as non-standard".
Utah Mormons only comprise 12% of the entire worldwide membership of the LDS church.
Now...to get back to Utah Mormons...sure...Utah is definitely a very "white" state - I have never seen so many blond-haired / blue eyed babies in one place at one time since I moved here!
I don't want to go an inflammatory and insensitive route with this thread; however, see "Relocators" thread for my experiences. I'm sorry, but the Mormons I have personally known in Southern California and in North Central California seem to be a little too invested that they follow certain expectations as to their marital status and procreation patterns, more so than other religions with which I am minimally acquainted. It would be fine if they chose that for themselves and did not hold those same expectations for people belonging to other sects where being single is considered totally acceptable. Most of the ones I know are squeaky clean non-ethnic types with children that look just like you described. My "judgmental" issue comes from my experiences in attempting to obtain employment in Mormon dominated establishments. Again, see "Relocators" - I was stunned at these occurrences while Catholic, Protestant and Jewish employers have typically given me the "come on in" when I was properly qualified for the work. As a result, Salt Lake City is just a place to transfer planes if using Delta.
Back to plastic surgery which, by the way, I think is a GREAT thing if one is so motivated. As an adult, I just got out of braces and felt it was $ 4 K well spent. Back on topic, please.
I don't take it as a bashing, Easterner...I agree, I do believe the poster was just referring to Utah LDS which is why I included the article about how white Utahns gladly serve missions abroad and are bilingual because of it...in fact I don't know of a missionary who DIDN'T hope to get called abroad prior to getting their assignment.
I, too, am non-white, am of Filipino descent...have olive skin and dark hair, dark eyes. I am often asked about my ethnicity - more so here in Utah than anywhere else but it's never done with any malice...just curiosity. Most of the time, it's followed up with a comment like: "My wife is Asian too...or I served my mission in the Philippines, etc. etc."
I don't take offense to it all. I (and my family) do stand out. My husband is Caucasian so our kids are a mix. We do get a lot of attention but all of it has been extremely positive. My little 3-year-old girl with long dark hair and light porcelain "china doll" like skin literally stops people in their tracks (at the mall, at the doctors office, everywhere!) and they comment on how cute and beautiful she is. This happens almost daily (don't mean to brag...but it's really not an exaggeration). She didn't get this much public attention in Southern Calif.
If she was the typical blue-eyed, blond-hair toddler that's everywhere here, she probably won't get as much attention.
I think because I / we are not the WASP-looking Utah Mormon stereotype, people probably assume I'm not LDS either (I am). So with that being said, even with people thinking I'm NOT Mormon, I'm always treated with respect, with warmth, and with a smile. People are a heckuva LOT nicer HERE than in Los Angeles!
Last edited by BuhByeCalifornia; 01-04-2008 at 05:03 PM..
My wife worked for a large bridal store that catered to "Temple Brides" for 2 years in SLC. She emphatically tells me that at least HALF of her brides had implants. The way she knew this (other than being told right out)...was that most standard wedding dresses are made to be proportional to your body. When bust and waist don't match up....it is usually because of breast augmentation. Sorry for the tangent there...but it helps prove the point. There were more than a few cases of 18 year old brides being fitted for dresses...then calling a few months later to get refitted because they just had their boob job. Don't kid yourself....high school girls are getting augmentation in Utah. It's too bad...the Mormon faith has a lot to offer. The pressure put on women is one of the dark sides.
That IS interesting, Alexei! I would love to see stats on the ages of women in Utah getting plastic surgery.
But again...an LDS 18-year old BRIDE getting implants (who already FOUND her man) is different from 18-year old single gal getting implants to FIND a man.
I really think plastic surgery in general has just gone up in recent years because of the popularity of shows like "Dr. 90210" or "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover".
But I disagree that plastic surgery is a "dark side" of Mormonism. You can't generalize the entire LDS population as feeling the pressure to go under the knife and no where are we instructed or counseled to do so.
You will never find this written in the LDS Doctrines and you will never hear it preached in a Sunday service...but the LDS faith breeds an incredibly large amount of pressure for its members(women in particular) to have their looks remain at a certain standard.
This stat does go hand in hand with some of the other lists that the SL/Utah Valley tops...namely...highest per capita of anti-depressant use...most number of bedrooms per house...most number of children per household. The need to fit in the Mormon culture is very strong in SLC (not as strong for LDS members who live outside Utah). You can see this everyday driving through the SL/Utah Valleys in towns with a high LDS population. The homes are immaculate...the cars are large...the credit card bills are even larger! the pressure put on women is even larger because they need to remain looking good for their husbands.
There are some interesting parallels it seems between the Mormons and the Orthodox Jews, who are common in this area. There is a lot of pressure, especially on the women to be attractive and to attract a mate when they are young, and then to breed like crazy! There is this expectation on women in some of these cultures to be the perfect wife and mother, keep a perfect house, and to cater to her family while putting her own needs and desires behind everyone else's. It can be very tough on the women. As a result of this, among the Orthodox Jews there is a lot of depression and a lot of eating disorders. I have heard this is somewhat true of Mormons as well - but I have also heard that it's not really discussed publicly...
So maybe a high rate of plastic surgery makes sense from this stand point.
That IS interesting, Alexei! I would love to see stats on the ages of women in Utah getting plastic surgery.
But again...an LDS 18-year old BRIDE getting implants (who already FOUND her man) is different from 18-year old single gal getting implants to FIND a man.
I really think plastic surgery in general has just gone up in recent years because of the popularity of shows like "Dr. 90210" or "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover".
But I disagree that plastic surgery is a "dark side" of Mormonism. You can't generalize the entire LDS population as feeling the pressure to go under the knife and no where are we instructed or counseled to do so.
Well...I didn't say that the plastic surgery is a dark side...but the pressure put on women to look a certain way certainly is. I also was not generalizing the entire LDS population. I stated that this is a local Utah phenomenon.
And why do so many young girls need/want implants anyway?
Heres the article BTW. It is the number of practicing plastic surgeons per capita that is considered....not the number of people who have been nipped/tucked. I admit it is tough to draw conclusions based on this article.
Well...I didn't say that the plastic surgery is a dark side...but the pressure put on women to look a certain way certainly is. I also was not generalizing the entire LDS population. I stated that this is a local Utah phenomenon.
And why do so many young girls need/want implants anyway?
You're right...Alexei...I mis-read your comment. My mistake.
I think young girls want implants because plastic surgery is more widely "accepted" now (probably because of the shows I stated above).
And plastic surgery is also contagious...it's funny when the topic is brought up in conversation...and one person admits to getting something done, everyone else starts to talk about what they WOULD LIKE to get done.
"Since so-and-so got it done, then it's okay for ME to go under the knife too."
I guess I just run with a vain group of friends! (I admit - I AM vain, myself!)
You're right...Alexei...I mis-read your comment. My mistake.
I think young girls want implants because plastic surgery is more widely "accepted" now (probably because of the shows I stated above).
And plastic surgery is also contagious...it's funny when the topic is brought up in conversation...and one person admits to getting something done, everyone else starts to talk about what they WOULD LIKE to get done.
"Since so-and-so got it done, then it's okay for ME to go under the knife too."
I guess I just run with a vain group of friends! (I admit - I AM vain, myself!)
Thats an excellent point....and is thought about by a lot more people that we think!! You are probably right....and the article could be misleading in not saying that all these surgeons are busy!
I also think that there is some "preying" going on. Bridal shows are held in many Utah high schools...and cosmetic surgeons have booths at these bridal shows. definitely pressure there!
I just moved back to long Island in NY...vanity is alive and well on the East coast as well!!
There is this expectation on women in some of these cultures to be the perfect wife and mother, keep a perfect house, and to cater to her family while putting her own needs and desires behind everyone else's. It can be very tough on the women.
Am I the among the few that believes your spouse should be your "equal" ...in brains, earning power, emancipation, and so on...it sounds like there is pressue to be a "decoration on a man's arm" in some cultures. That's one empty woman. And, that's backwards thinking in my estimation. I always got along with the girls (now women) who were really smart and less so with the girls (now women) who wanted to be homemakers and siphon their identity from mine. I see too many situations where 2 professionals SHARE the chores...the cooking, the cleaning, taking kids to school and so on ... according to their schedules.
In fact, I would think professional women would be bigger consumers of plastic surgery to remain more youthful in competitive work settings.
I see too many situations where 2 professionals SHARE the chores...the cooking, the cleaning, taking kids to school and so on ... according to their schedules.
In fact, I would think professional women would be bigger consumers of plastic surgery to remain more youthful in competitive work settings.
I'm unclear about what you mean about seeing "too many" situations where 2 people SHARE the chores...I can't tell if you think this is a good thing or a bad thing.
The Utah surgery stats really don't show how many "professional" women (I'm sure you mean women NOT in the adult industry! ) have surgery vs. women who are stay-at-home moms.
And why shouldn't stay-at-home moms get cosmetic surgery? Oh that's right, as stay-at-home moms, we're allowed to just let ourselves go - sit on the couch and eat bon bons all day while watching "Oprah".
But since we're not "really smart" (I guess my UCLA diploma must be a forgery ) like the girls (now women) YOU get along with, well hey we may as well look hot, right?
about what you mean about seeing "too many" situations where 2 people SHARE the chores...I can't tell if you think this is a good thing or a bad thing.
A good thing. Gosh, a good thing. The way it should be.
My parents were not professionals but they cooked together, cleaned the garage together, did repair jobs together without adhering to tight b.s. male / female role definition. They are from Europe, though. I've met my share of CAPs (Catholic American Princesses), through church groups no less, that had a severe entitlement problem and were more interested in what one could provide as opposed to what one offers as a "total person."
Hence, my leaning to dual income/no kids. Let someone else reproduce the human race.
You're quoting me out of context. I just assumed that professional women "consumed" more plastic surgery than homemakers, that's all. The books/articles all say that businessmen, among males, are the most apt to be "consumers" of plastic surgery, probably after entertainment personnel.
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) have surgery vs. women who are stay-at-home moms. 
) like the girls (now women) YOU get along with, well hey we may as well look hot, right? 
