Letter to the Editor published in Marketing Magazine

[Guest guest]

From Ruby Rahn . . . Thank you Ruby!

Background:

1. Shari Graydon is a journalist, media critic,

speaker and award-winning author. She developed

http://plasticassets.com/ a hoax website that offered

free breast implants, as a sign-up bonus, when you

applied for a credit card. She developed the website

to draw attention to the devastating impact that

breast implants have had on hundreds of thousands of

women. She also wanted to make the point of how easy

women can be misled and deceived by marketing

campaigns.

2. Menzies wrote an opinion piece in Marketing

Magazine called “Implanting Ignorance.” This was in

response to Shari Graydon " Plastic Assets " website.

3. Following is a letter I wrote to the editor in

response to Menzies opinion piece. They

published an edited version of my letter today.

Ruby

http://www.marketingmag.ca/webextras/content.jsp?content=20060127_200039_6684

May 15, 2006

Who’s implanting ignorance here?

I recently read an online opinion piece that

Menzies wrote called “Implanting Ignorance.” (May 8,

p. 12).

As with all social creatures, of which humans belong,

our “sense of self” our “identity” develops in large

part from our relationships with other people and

within the groups and communities where we live. Our

relationships with other people and our communities

are based upon, not only our convictions, efforts and

education, but also how we appear or are perceived by

others. It is a contributing factor of our status and

standing within groups.

Good-looking men and women are generally judged to be

more talented, kind, honest and intelligent than their

less attractive counterparts. Controlled studies show

people go out of their way to help attractive

people–of the same and opposite sex –because they want

to be liked and accepted by good-looking people.

The fairy tales, cartoons and animated movies of our

childhood reinforce the myth that has become reality:

“What is beautiful is good, and what is ugly is bad.”

The tragic truth is that plain people earn 5% to 10%

less than people of average looks, who inturn earn 3%

to 8% less than those deemed good-looking. Studies

show attractive students get more attention and higher

evaluations from their teachers, good-looking patients

get more personalized care from their doctors,

handsome and beautiful criminals receive lighter

sentences than less attractive convicts.

Realizing this, it comes as no surprise that people

all over the world spend billions of dollars every

year on all sorts of things to improve their

attractiveness.

The problem is that the cosmetic surgery industry and

their “public relations” firms understand these human

vulnerabilities and use them to manipulate people. The

spinmeisters have intimate knowledge of the

psychological and sociological “condition”of human

beings and exploit peoples’ fundamental need for

appreciation and acceptance. Their plan is to increase

the number of ordinary people who feel it is in their

best interest to utilize and purchase their

“improvement” services.

The purpose of the PlasticAssets.com website by Shari

Graydon was to show how vulnerable women are to the

advertising and marketing strategies used by the

cosmetic industry and their ad agencies. I think the

point made by the website is both poignant and

insightful– if you are interested, enticed or being

seduced by this –look how vulnerable you are. The fact

that this website attracted over 130,000 visitors

within the first month, proves how many women are at

risk of being misled, deceived and manipulated.

The other factor is, that although silicone breast

implants have been on the market for over 30 years–no

one has ever been able to provide long-term safety

studies. I believe this is the primary reason that

silicone breast implants are still widely unavailable

in the U.S.

It is cheap and easy to say breast implants don’t

cause this symptom or that condition–it is quite

another and more important issue to provide

documentation of their safety and efficacy. It is only

reasonable to ask if silicone breast implants are

safe, then why can’t they prove it?

The cosmetic surgery industry and their spin doctors

have spent millions of dollars trying to confuse,

deflect and deny the real problems thousands of women

have already experienced with breast implants. It

appears from reading your article, that you have also

been seduced and manipulated by the marketeers. As a

journalist, reporter, writer or whatever... why don’t

you talk to or read some of the stories of people

whose lives and livelihood have been devastated and

destroyed by having breast implants, then ask; Who is

actually implanting ignorance?

Ruby Rahn

Kansas City, Mo

Editor’s note: According to the biography provided by

Ruby Rahn, she receiving silicone breast implants

in1980 on the advice of her doctor after having

potentially cancer causing lumps removed from her

breasts. By 1992, when the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration put a moratoriumon silicone breast

implants, she was already ill and unable to work,

which ultimately resulted in the loss of her home and

business. Although she went to many doctors, no one

could make a definitive diagnoses or recommend

treatment on the many health problems she was

experiencing. Since 1994 Rahn has worked with

organizations involved with trying to educate the

public and governments as to the dangers women face

after receiving the devices.