ACCLAAN EP 4 Body Modification: Should You Change Your Appearance?

Makabunadito sa Aklan!

Welcome to Aklan! It's me, Virginia, please, and Pura Luka Vega, talking about anything, everything under the sun.

And today we will talk about the recent, recent Dina Bonnevie.

Oh, the comment of Dina Bonnevie.

Yeah. Sabi kasi Dina Bonnevie, di dinakalayo ang artista kasi makakamukha naman.

Kasi nai papagawa kasi sila sa TikTok.

I mean, I think— I mean, of course I'm from the US, I don't know.

I think, and we, we came into, uh, you know, back in the old times, like old Hollywood, classic glamour, these are the— I put it in quotation— standards of beauty. They emulate that because that's what they see in media. Wala syang ano, wala pa tungkung pa nung retoken. And now, because of technology and modern medical advancements, you can actually modify parts of you however you want to, to probably appeal to what is the current standard of beauty. Now, ang question kasi, Jan, is Should you, or what are the things that you need to consider if indeed you want to consider a little bit of a nip and tuck?

Actually, there are a lot of layers.

There are a lot of layers. Well, what are our standards of beauty?

Yeah, you know, I mean, I myself modified my nose.

Really?

Yes, I'm, you know, I'm—

Can I test?

My nose is an open book. Can I test your nose?

My bridge is real.

I had an aileron trim.

An aileron trim?

Yeah, an aileron trim that they trim your—

Can you— Is there also an anal trim?

You wish!

This is so funny, dog.

Okay. Anyways. Okay, happy sha. But looking back, I kind of regretted what I did because I realized that I did that because I believed and I bought into the illusion The standard of beauty is that of the white beauty.

Like, na matangos ang ilo.

Exactly.

Yeah, but culturally naman kasi in the Philippines, may ganun na, like, we've been taught na—

That's what I'm trying to allude is that because we are a colonized country and we've looked up to our colonizers, talaga, colonization talaga. Exactly. No, no, no, that's really real. You know, we've, we've been talking about this for so long. The billboards contain all of these, you know, um, mestiza women. Yeah, yeah, yeah, those are the motivations why most of the time, why we— here in the Philippines specifically, why we modify our bodies, our faces. Yes, exactly.

Change our facial features. Well, you know what, we have changed a bit still. We kind of still deviated from trying to be your mestiza, um, I know, may mga— marami din mga mabai ang nag-embrace ang kanilang ano. Yeah, skin tone, size, all of these things. Yeah, yeah. But the other side of it is, you know, are we—

are there— is there really a rule as to Whether or not I already done. Yeah, so it's not a breast girl. Well, soon. Whoa. So the question, I think the question really is, do we— is there really a rule as to, you know, how much we can modify on bodies, our faces? Whose decision is that? Is it ours? Like, is it the society's? Or is it about body autonomy? My body, my decision.

You know what, sir? Sir, I believe that the body is a temple. So when it is a temple, you decorate it however you'd like to decorate it. Saringin ba 'yung temple ng gai. So ang gusto mo siyang lagyan ng kunare palamoti like tattoo, or you go as far as you modify it and form the ideal form in your mind. By all means, in my opinion, because that's the gift from you.

I agree. I guess the question is how much and how far.

How much and how far. Depends on my budget, ka. You know how much.

Because you can go as far as modifying everything except your brain, theoretically.

Oh.

If your body is at your disposal, you can do anything. Hmm. So I guess there's a moral aspect to it. Yes.

Right? I feel like you have to be happy, and there's also a sense of contentment, I think, which is needed. Because, you know, there's a lot of shows that features like botched surgeries, people who have undergone like a lot of surgeries. There seems to be, um, not— there's, there's no limit to what they can— they feel like, you know, a size bigger, it's not enough lip fillers that there's not enough. And I, and I, and I understand, but there's also like, like, um, like what you've said, you also need to kind of improve the way that they see themselves.

Yeah.

So, cuz I think people are very beautiful already, uh, with what they've done, you know. If they wanted to do a little bit of this and that, why not? But sometimes even if you tell them they're beautiful, they still don't see it yet. So there's an issue of self-image, like how do you see yourself? Siguro, I think before you go to any procedure, you really have to reflect on it first, like really reflect.

There's also a religious aspect to this because some would claim that tampering on what God has created is a violation.

It's, you know, you're going against Yeah, but I mean, we can, we can go as far as whose God are we talking about? And another issue is, um, I think body autonomy for the longest time has been an issue because there are a lot of people who are speaking for other people's bodies and they don't own the bodies. Like, like, like, it's— it can go as far as like, um, in legislation, the government deciding for women's bodies, but these are not women. Who are deciding for women's bodies. For example, if you are, you know, you decided to have these tattoos, it's your body. I'm not going to be like, oh no, don't do that, but because it's your body.

Yeah, definitely. There's so many aspects into this. What aspects into this?

Plural. Yes.

I mean, modifying the body is one.

But damag ko sumo ba nang paghatlung I know, arm.

No, I'm talking about a specific technology called CRISPR, which can already modify your—

CRISPR? CRISPR.

It can modify your, your genes. Oh yeah. And it's being used to, um, to treat really rare diseases. Yeah, but before it happens—

So can you have CRISPR, um, when you're already like—

So like, for when CRISPR, you can change your eye color.

So if you undergo CRISPR, it will change your eye color, or is it more of like for future offspring?

Research CRISPR, CRISPR. But I kind of get what you mean. I get what you mean.

It's saying that are we playing God?

Exactly.

If we have gene modification, in my opinion, it benefits if it is intended to get rid of the diseases that we don't have cure for. So there's a certain gene sometimes that is the reason for very rare diseases, and probably to improve the life of future generations. I'm really pro gene modification, just as long as we prolong human life and we— I mean, would it?

Even prolonging human life, yeah, actually a huge issue because for some economists—

A little problem, amor.

For some economists, it would mean if you prolong life, you need more resources because—

Only problem in economics.

People are living longer, you know, and children are continuing To be born?

I think, you know, I think it's only an issue, uh, there, there's like what you've said, this is a very, um, a lot of factors are involved in this issue, like in terms of economy, can we afford, um, I'm an Aman, but, but, um, I think in a perspective of, of health, in trying to really get rid of like cancer, for example, or, you know, because there are some people who are predisposed to cancer because this is genetic. So if you can modify that, then there's a better quality of life in the future. Now, I think the issue comes more with should we prioritize it? Because we have also a lot of other issues that I think we should also look into. Kasi na sabi mo, problem na tayo natin is economy, nang bansa or nang boom. The global economy, then we can prioritize that. Yun lang kayo, prioritize that. Wag na yung pagandahan, wag na yung gene modification.

Everything is, I think, related to the socioeconomic aspect of everything. But let's bring it back. We were talking about body modification.

Yes, you know, CRISPR.

I know. CRISPR. Because it's related and it can go that far. You know what I mean?

Actually, CRISPR, that part na kalage sa subtitle. CRISPR. Ano ba ibi sa binang CRISPR?

CRISPR with wings. No, that's not CRISPR. Oh, you never asked. CRISPR modification. But the main target is to really, you know, cure diseases. But now CRISPR is being used to also extend lifespan. Oh, okay. There you go. But anyways, let's rein it back and let's talk about the body modification. People looking like each other already. And in some countries that already exists.

Korea. South Korea. Yeah, exactly. South Korea.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] It's happening here already in the Philippines.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Anyways, I don't know. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Let's think about it. Oh my God. It's really more of, you know, I respect people. I think It's a valid take when people think, "Everyone's just like, they look the same." Okay, that's your opinion. I get that. I respect that.

And actually, you don't have to look the same. It's still a choice.

Yeah, so exactly. I think we should go also with embracing the differences that we have, that we are very uniquely beautiful. Uniquely beautiful. And you don't really have to adhere to the standards of beauty because Honestly, I don't think there is a standard. I mean, people would say like symmetry. Example, Virginia, very symmetrical. No, but, but yun lang yung ano ko doon.

Like, um, just as long as you're happy, uh, but I think what I want to point out is modifying your body also points to your identity, right?

Yeah, of course.

And identity is very important for us LGBTQIA people.

Yes, yes.

And for some, it's really life-saving for them. Gender-affirming care is life-affirming for a lot of trans people, non-binary. And so I support, I support body modification to affirm your identity and how you feel about yourself. Yes.

Spokesperson. I do agree, I do agree that I think, um, you are free to modify yourself because it is who you are and it gives you that step closer to the body that you identify that you belong to. And that's why I say, like, paksinasabing, the body is your temple. The body is a temple. Decorate mo, like modify your body if you like, because it's your body. Yeah, and love your body.

The better you feel about your body, the better you feel about yourself.

Love it.

And the better you treat others.

Yes, and the better you treat others, gatama. Sinabihilaw. Gatama naman.

Anyways, this has been a great discussion.

It has been a great discussion. So it was nice to discuss this with my sister, Virginia, please.

And Pura Loka Vega.

And stay tuned for our next atlat.