5/5 More information about this title from A&E:
  by Derek Dunbar (Sacramento, CA USA)
More information about this title from A&E:

Five incisive programs reveal the ugly side of our obsession with looking our best. From toddler pageants to surgery addictions, discover the real costs of being pretty.

Today's youth-obsessed culture has spawned an estimated 50 billion dollar a year cosmetic industry and over 11 million cosmetic surgeries are performed every year in the United States.

But this American fervor to be ever-young started long ago with Ponce de Leon's search for the elusive Fountain of Youth. In this eclectic and informative collection of documentaries A&E® delves beneath the surface of a world that rarely goes more than SKIN DEEP. From de Leon's age to today, these shows offer rare insight into facets of THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY like the exploding plastic surgery industry, the disconcerting and humorous sides of baby beauty pageants -- think Jon Benet Ramsey and Little Miss Sunshine -- and the merciless and highly competitive world of aspiring models.

SKIN DEEP: THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY includes these programs:

* Quest for the Fountain of Youth: Find out why an educated man like Ponce de Leon risked everything in search of something so unbelievable as the Fountain of Youth.
* Baby Beauty Queens: Images of little girls dolled up in fancy dresses and striking promiscuous poses raise questions and spark debate. What message do these contests send to little girls when they are judged mainly on their beauty? Is this exploitation or a harmless hobby?
* Beauty Under the Knife: Plastic surgery has gone mainstream, with everyone from teenagers to businessmen going under the knife. Look at the dark side of this explosive growth, and meet people who have suffered botched operations.
* Young Models: Every year, thousands of young women head to New York City hoping to become the next Naomi, Tyra or Claudia. For a handful, their dreams come true. But for many more, the dream turns sour. See the modeling industry as never before: through the eyes of teenagers yearning for their big break.
* Beauty in a Jar: Examine the social, racial, sexual and political history of the American beauty culture. How was the American ideal of beauty transformed over time? How does advertising tap into women's fantasies and hidden desires?