Maybe I’m just cranky because I’ve been gradually hacking up my left lung for the past few days (Luden’s cherry cough drops, you taste like delicious candy but really aren’t that effective when it comes down to it, duh), but I feel the need to comment on "health-conscious" Kelly Ripa’s plan to air her first Botox injection live on Regis & Kelly.
Can she NOT?
Ugh. I know why she wants to. "Ratings." But, just, no! It’s bad enough that everyone’s having it done, at this point without even the slightest debate. Now the millions of perfectly fine-looking, home-grown peeps who think Kelly Ripa is awesome will become even more inspired to do it. I won’t pass judgment on the awesomeness of Kelly Ripa, but I’m fairly positive that Botox is NOT AWESOME. It’s gross. I hate it. This is really mean, but when I watch Desperate Housewives, I get this terrible urge to go around popping the about-to-burst-anyway eye sockets of the main characters just to see what would happen. It’s a real challenge to write the TV Watch for that show because I have trouble deciphering the indeterminate emotions of every woman except Mrs. McCluskey. Susan is… sad? Lonely? Look at Lynette — based solely on what’s coming out of her mouth, I’m guessing she’s ANGRY. Maybe? Wait, why does Bree look surprised? Oh, that’s just how she looks. Sometimes these constitute the entirety of my notes. (That would be on one of my "lazy" nights. But still.)
You walk along the street and the humans look like aliens! Does nobody care? *#%(@! Kelly, please!
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That is so true. You can’t tell people’s emotions on television any more because they’ve done so much botox they can’t move their foreheads or scrunch their eye brows anymore!
Jeff Rivera
Author of FOREVER MY LADY
Warner Books
http://www.ForeverMyLady.com
Good article! Why doesn’t she just go get a face lift? I know, she doesn’t really need anything so drastic at this time. Kelly Ripa is a media hog of the worst kind. This is almost as bad as Oprah Winfrey looking at women’s breast after plastic surgery.
She should get vaccinated against homophobia. And move somewhere remote.
I hate that women are ruining their faces in the name of beauty. We have let the cosmetic surgery thing go way too far. They don’t look pretty or young, they look alien.
Paulo C. – If I disliked you would that make me idiot-phobic?
At least it’s not Oprah. I’m sure Ripa’s housewife/soccer mom following is large, but if The Oprah did it I’m sure her lemmings would suck every last bit of Bo out of the U.S. and cause a backlash becaue of the short supply.
Oh, please, how old is this EW writer? Can’t be more than 25, I’m sure, but she sounds like a 17-year-old Valley girl. Talk about ignorant!! Listen, honey, why don’t you hit the wrong side of 35 first, and then get back to us on how “gross” it is, okay?
calm down, NY MOM. I guess that hit a nerve, huh? Or a muscle? Or whatever your weekly shot of botox hits.
Sad. When someone as pretty as she is has to do this stuff in public for ratings. I find her annoying and shallow but very beautifl… A few lines in your face doesn’t diminish beauty.
It’s botulism. I’m sure down the line they will discover that injecting rancid meat into your face is not the healthiest thing to do. I doubt the long term side effects are yet known. Remember Thalidomide…
Kelly Ripa does not need Botox. I think most people look worse with injections, but to get it done when it’s unnecessary is just stupid. She can only look worse.
Botox is stupid. Why can’t people just live with the way the good Lord made them. I could see plastic surgery in you had a bad accident, but to have stuff just because you want to look younger, own up to your age people.
The wrong side of 35? EEEWWWW! What have you done to look so bad at 35 NYMOM? You think Botox will fix that?
Don’t do it, Kelly. Aging gracefully is the way to go. I can’t imagine “The Graduate” would have worked half as well if Anne Bancroft had looked like a modern actress her age (e.g. Lisa Rinna).
I read that interview in Self magazine, and she said that if she ever does get botox she would want to do it on the show b/c it would be free. She didn’t say that she was going to do it now. Read the interview!
Helen Mirren would not be winning all these awards right now if she didn’t accept her age.
I agree with Tracy — this blog is a little misleading if you actually check out the story it’s linked to. It sounds like she might have been joking. This makes it sound like it’s already scheduled for sweeps.
Best example of the “Desperate Housewives” frozen-face phenomenon: Nicole Kidman in “Cold Mountain.” I’m sorry, I couldn’t take that movie seriously because I kept thinking, “I’m pretty sure Botox wasn’t available during the Civil War.” Also, how old was that character supposed to be? She was completely naive, yet she was clearly well into her 30s.
Calm down here people, sheesh, it’s just Botox. Look at the Frankenstein Kelly Ripa is now, and you’re fretting because she’s getting a few teeny injections? Honestly. And men, lighten up with the “women ruining their beauty” stuff. Women have their own money and right to choose what to do with it. Men have weird ritutals, too…hair plugs, bald spot paint…
If women can afford to erase some lines and wrinkles making them look and feel younger, more power to em. These hate-filled comments clearly come from people who have never had any need to alter their appearance – and that’s incredibly lucky. Once you’ve gone through a few small procedures, you realize there is nothing substantitating the media hype. So calm down, and stop projecting your own self-dislike on to others choices. (…I can’t believe you people got me to stick up for Kelly Ripa…)
Annie, love your cough drop joke- they don’t work.
Marcia Cross wins my award for too much Botoie.
Kay: I don’t think anyone really cares about Kelly getting Botox. She has earned the dislike of many with her silly antics and incessant chatter, she does not know how to come up for air. She should get stitches along with the botox on her lips.
I have been a longtime watcher of regis and kathie lee, and now for the past 5 or 6 years kelly, she is gorgeous and so does not need botox..i hope she’s joking. she could seriously consider gaining about 15 lbs and then I think would look much better and healthy! she’s too skinny right now and it hurts me to see a mom of three who clearly weights 90 lbs soaking wet!
Growing older in this society is terrifying. I don’t blame Rippa- though one would hope that those on tv would think about the consequences of peddling plastic surgery and other augmentations.
I agree that women shouldn’t bother with Botox (and most plastic surgeries). As for “You walk along the street and the humans look like aliens!”, I’m pretty sure that only applies in New York or LA…it’s definitely not the case in Portland. LOL
That’s one of the reasons I stopped watching DH – I find acting without the benefits of facial muscles really alarming. Look at say, Helen Mirren and what she can do with an infitessimal shift of an eyebrow. Acting is more than just saying the words, people! The plastic doll look has got to go.
Is she trying to make us think that she hasn’t already had BOTOX injections? yeah right. How old is Kelly Ripa? I seem to recall that she was on Soul train or something..
Well it’s not as if she’s a talented actress who needs her entire instrument to have workable parts. She’s just a low level TV celebrity, and in that cutthroat world, botox is a sad and pathetic must.
And as for the cast of DH – none of whom is a fine actress, and all of whom were hired for their beauty – aging normally and gracefully is not in any of their contracts! Pretty eye candy actresses look stupid with botox, but, hey, they’ve got jobs.
And Helen Mirren, who is hired specifically for her acting ability, is very unusual. Roles like hers don’t come along so very often.
I often rail about the godawful shallowness of the infotainment industrial complex, but I don’t think it will change. People would have to be able to overcome their reactive, “ooh, pretty, shiny, sexy” programming and think on their feet.
And how often does that happen?
Kelly wouldn’t need Botox if she gained fifteen pounds. Those lines would smooth out, she’d have more energy, and it would be one less set of celebrity tendons I’d have to see on a regular basis.
Ripa is a gumshoe Kathie Lee wannabe, she does the same stuff Kathie Lee did without being actually funny.Media hog is right!!
Annie Barrett don’t listen to the bitter NYMom, your writing is great and very funny!!!!!!!!!