Welcome to the 188th Carnival of Personal Finance! Our theme for this week’s edition is Jane Austen, as I am a admirer of both her novels and the films based on her novels, which are graced throughout with witty commentary on society — and in …

Stories like the cologne article is why I love Business Pundit. You have a good eye for catching things I miss since I’m always looking at stock charts, so being able to contribute some on-topic humor is the least I can do.

I tried looking at this article from more of a therapy background since I’m a student of psychology/sociology, so maybe that’s why it turned out a little better than I originally thought it would.

Regarding liposuction and cellulite creation, I really don’t know all that much b/c there are some unresolved theories that fat cells within the human body are held at a constant. Theory says that if they’re removed, you experience less weight gain since fat cells do not reproduce like most of our cell lines. I’m not an expert of course, but if the offending fat cells are surgically removed, it seems like it would reduce your chances of cellulite appearing. Unless, you had a poorly trained plastic surgeon and he “missed” a few spots.

You’re certainly correct that different environments bring different cultural and societal norms. I’ve seen it go so far as generational gaps between Americans.

Pose a question to someone who is 70+ if a well known model (say Heidi Klum) looks healthy or unhealthy. Most of our age demographic would say she’s fit and healthy, but individuals like my grandmother would say she’s unhealthy. Folks like her who lived during the Great Depression, or through other less fortunate times would probably say she looks unhealthy.

That’s because in most areas of western civilization, if you had a little meat on your bones or you did not have a tan, you were seemingly thought of as wealthy or well to do.

Take a look at European artwork from the late Renaissance or Baroque periods, when women would be considered overweight by today’s standards are displayed as, well — sex objects. You could also go so far as saying that Marilyn Monroe might be the last American woman with a plus sized body that was considered a supermodel.

These days, if you’re skinny and tan for 365 days a year, you’re widely considered to be rich or a movie star. Funny how the societal image of “sexy” has been flipped around isn’t it?

I read your post about Ashley. The level of self-loathing–indeed the correct term–that women have for themselves in the civilized West is unbelievable. It is ingrained from the time we are girls, and yes, the media has a big role.

I never believed the claim, thinking it the domain of morally stifled elders, until I left the country for six months to go to a place in Africa where I wasn’t exposed to the constant “lose weight, fatso!” message that the media here perpetuates. I came home and, to my surprise, experienced a negative self-image for the first time in months. The environment in which this self-hatred festers is incredibly relevant.

Also, shooting off the cuff regarding liposuction, I have heard that it removes fat, but encourages cellulite. The result? Another no-win situation wrt the female body. It’s a sad situation. Nice work looking into it, as a guy.