30th April 2001
"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face" or words to that effect, wrote the Bard of Avon. Despite or maybe because of this, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2000, at present before the Seanad , will allow the publication of candidates' photographs beside their names on ballot papers in local, general, European and presidential elections from now on. This may help that sector of the community, 20 to 25% we are told, who are functionally illiterate to at least pick out those with a friendly face and candidates who have visited their districts.
Recently on television I saw the tail-end of a programme called "The Human Face" presented by John Cleese. Apparently, internationally, we all like faces that are symmetrical, eyes that are round (where does that leave those from the Far East?), full lips and good skin. While it does not say so in the Bill I decided a recent photograph would be needed so I set off to have one taken which would make me look as electable as possible. - I decided that rather than attempting to emulate a film star, a "best supporting actress" look would be useful.
The photographs which I got a few days later cheered me up enormously but amazingly, in the same post came an invitation to a plastic surgery clinic in this city who wanted to let the general public know of their treatments. Had the clinic owners heard about the new Electoral Bill, too?
Plastic surgery to me was always a very serious matter, dealing with burns, cleft palates, major facial problems, but the clinic advertising its wares seemed to be mainly into liposuction, breast augmentation or reduction, laser treatment of veins, etc., etc. The cost of attending the explanatory meeting at the clinic was £5 and the money would be given to charity.
Now I am sure that anyone attending such clinics won't end up looking like Michael Jackson, the pop star, but I do query the wisdom of promoting plastic surgery in this way. It is so easy to feel that all our problems would be solved if only we were thinner, taller, shorter, paler, browner, had better skin and on and on. We would have a better job, our marriages would be happier, our children less troublesome. But what about the old fashioned method of referral by one's general practitioner who might have knowledge of the reasons why the treatment of minor problems was being sought?
If the size of the photograph for the ballot paper had been more than head and shoulders would those with a high BMI have had to consider liposuction? John Cleese's programme was only on the Human Face but as far as fat goes, it is not fab nor is flab fun. I have written before about the 6kg average increase in weight of the Irish adult in the last ten years but a bit more exercise and less food is what is needed. Liposuction, which has its own complications, even mortality, just sucks out some fat cells allowing the others more room to expand.
Politicians know how we look can mean even more than what we say despite this being the day of the sound bite, most communication being non-verbal. One morning some time ago I met a woman who said to me "You were wonderful on television last night". Naturally I was pleased and asked her what she had liked about what I said. This was a foolish question because after some thought she replied "Your lipstick was the same colour as your blouse"! It is on such details that elections are won and lost, apparently, and not on policy. I wonder did the Government take such niceties into account when they framed the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2000!
Former film stars have had mixed success in politics. The recently deposed President of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, an ex-film star, is in jail in Manila awaiting trial on corruption charges. His presidential campaign was greatly helped by his former starring roles which made him easily recognisable and this is very important. Also, apparently, he usually played "Robin Hood" type characters which his unfortunate impoverished followers thought he would continue to be in real life if elected. Now, I am not suggesting he felt type cast and decided on a "robber baron" role for a while hence his recent loss of office and arrest but fiction may have come in the way of fact for the voters who thought they knew his persona. His followers would like Ronald Regan, too. When he was President on occasions he reminisced publicly on heroic stories which were film scripts rather than facts. Being B film scripts few who had seen them remembered the stories and anyway, he had tears in his presidential eyes when he recounted the tales which made him very convincing. How we look is what really matters, even though to know a person the face only gives us a few clues with which to start.
Senator Mary Henry, MD
