Actress Amber Tamblyn is bravely sharing her personal story about undergoing cosmetic ear pinning surgery at the young age of 12, just as she was landing her first major television role.
Tamblyn, now 41, reflected in a poignant essay in the New York Times on how the “subtle messages of sexism” and the “sexualized spotlight of the entertainment industry” influenced her decision to alter her appearance.
“As a little girl, I had ears that stuck out like big butterfly wings,” Tamblyn wrote. “Some kids at my school in Los Angeles would make fun of them, and I’d often stare at myself in the mirror, wishing my ears would lay flat against my head.”
But the turning point came when Tamblyn, at just 12 years old, secured her first big TV gig. “Once I knew millions of people all over the world would be judging me on their television screens, not just on a playground, that knowledge changed everything for me,” she explained.
Tamblyn, who made her television debut on the soap opera “General Hospital” in 1995, said the prospect of being in the public eye prompted her to undergo the ear pinning procedure, also known as otoplasty.
“Going under the knife felt like choosing a weapon I could wield in self-defense against my own disposability,” Tamblyn wrote, acknowledging the internal conflict she felt as a “fiery young feminist” at the time.
Her experience watching the new horror film “The Substance,” which stars Demi Moore as an aging actress who resorts to extreme measures to appear youthful, sparked the actress’ candid reflections. Tamblyn saw parallels between the film’s themes and her own journey.
“These are universal realities for any woman, no matter her background or profession,” Tamblyn wrote. Generational wisdom passes down the subtle messages of sexism to us almost from birth.
While Tamblyn is not ashamed of her decision to undergo the surgery, she hopes that one day society will embrace women’s natural appearances without the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards.
Tamblyn said, “I’m not saying that plastic surgery is bad or that everyone who elects to change their bodies regrets their decision—my 12-year-old self included.” “But Elizabeth Sparkle is a warning to all of us about what we might be willing to destroy in the name of desirability.”
Now, as a 41-year-old woman, Tamblyn says she is “quite content” with the person she has become, “encroaching crow’s feet, chin hairs, and all.” Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges young women in the entertainment industry often face and the courage it takes to embrace one’s natural beauty.