There has been considerable debate amongst feminist scholars as to whether the
normalization of cosmetic surgery positively impacts women, empowers women by promoting
agency and choice (Gimlin 2002, Kuczynski 2006), or oppresses women by propagating
patriarchal ideologies that confine women’s bodies and consequently inhibit their voice (Blum
2003, Blood 2005, Heinricy 2006, Clarke and Griffin 2007, Tait, 2007). Rather than entering this
debate my argument proceeds from a premise that the normalization of cosmetic surgery is a
form of implicit and exclusive violence. Using a selection of post‐structuralist, feminist, and
psychoanalytic theories, I analyze the manner in which this form of violence confines women’s
bodies and structures the psyche. Using Jacques Lacan, Judith Butler, and Michel Foucault’s
argument on pastoral power, I deconstruct the formation of the normalized self, the conscience,
and the act of confession as it translates in the context of the cosmetic surgical body itself.
Furthermore, I highlight liberal feminism’s role in this form of oppression. In so doing, I
theoretically show the continual and effective functioning of pastoral power in the context of an
individualization technique that oppresses women in the second decade of the twenty‐first
century. I argue that the normalization of cosmetic surgery provokes a silencing of woman’s
voices, an exploitation and oppression of the individual’s psyche, and an invalidation of the living
body by a less visible, less explicit, mode of incarceration that is concealed by an aesthetic and
moral veil.
It is in this context that I present a counter discourse to the oppression that underlies the
normalizing discourses promoted by the cosmetic surgical industry, a destabilization of
patriarchal norms embedded within cosmetic surgical discourses, and a theoretical
reconstruction that involves an inscription of what I refer to as an authentic feminist voice in
contemporary consumer culture – a mode of intimate unconscious insurgence.
I advocate a return to Julia Kristeva’s theory and the intimate revolt promoted by her
ethical approach. Furthermore, I present a voice that demonstrates an intimate revolt – a voice
that challenges patriarchal norms and is not exclusively confined by the mechanisms of
normalization that shape the twenty‐first century woman with emphasis on the cosmetic surgical industry and its superincumbent discourses – the South African poet Antjie Krog. It is Krog’s
skillfully structured poetic texts that facilitate my theoretical reconstruction.
Applying Kristeva’s theory on semanalysis, I theoretically show that Krog’s work fabricates
an excess to the confines of the law of the Father and the mechanisms of normalization itself. In
addition, I present an “originary attachment” as an adaption of Kristeva’s argument on the chora
and my proposal of an “originary ideal” challenges Kristeva’s emphasis on phonetic grams in the
context of that which underlies the realm of the paternal metaphor.
Using Louise Viljoen’s analysis of Krog’s work and Bridget Garnham’s research on
emerging designer cosmetic surgical discourses as support, I then present Krog’s poetic texts as
a counter discourse to the “moral” cosmetic surgical discourses that exploit the ageing individual
in the second decade of the twenty‐first century. In addition, applying Kristeva’s theory on
paragrams to Krog’s poetic text(s), I present a destabilization of the patriarchal norms implicit
within cosmetic surgical discourses. Furthermore, I extend Kristeva’s theory on the principle of
negativity to present a re‐translation of the act‐of‐confession in Krog’s poetic text(s), an
extension of Foucault’s pastoral power and Butler’s argument on the exclusivity of normalization,
and a reclamation of her ageing body in Verweersrkrif/Body Bereft (Krog 2006).
Feministiese geleerdes voer al geruime tyd 'n warm debat oor die kwessie of die
normalisering van kosmetiese chirurgie vroue positief beïnvloed, vroue bemagtig deurdat dit
volmag en keuse vir hulle in die hand werk (Gimlin 2002; Kuczynski 2006), of vroue onderdruk
deurdat dit patriargale ideologieë voorstaan wat die vroueliggaam inperk en gevolglik die
vrou inhibeer om haar stem te laat hoor (Blood 2005; Blum 2005; Clarke en Griffin 2007;
Heinricy 2006; Tait 2007). In plaas daarvan om by hierdie debat betrokke te raak, gaan ek van
die veronderstelling uit dat die normalisering van kosmetiese chirurgie 'n vorm van implisiete
en eksklusiewe geweld is.
Aan die hand van post-strukturalistiese, feministiese en psigoanalitiese teorieë
ontleed ek die manier waarop hierdie vorm van geweld vroue se liggaam onderwerp en hul
psige vorm. Ek dekonstrueer die vorming van die genormaliseerde self, die bewussyn en die
daad van belydenis, soos dit in die konteks oorgebring word, aan die hand van Jacques Lacan,
Judith Butler en Michel Foucault se beskouings van herderlike oftewel pastorale mag.
Hierbenewens onderstreep ek die rol wat liberale feminisme in hierdie vorm van
onderwerping speel. Sodoende demonstreer ek teoreties hoe die voortdurende en
effektiewe funksionering van pastorale mag in die konteks van ’n individualiseringstegniek
vroue in die tweede dekade van die een-en-twintigste eeu onderdruk. Ek maak die aanname
dat die normalisering van kosmetiese chirurgie daartoe bydra dat vroue die swye opgelê
word, die individu se psige uitgebuit en onderdruk word en die lewende liggaam ontkragtig
word deur middel van ’n inkerkering wat minder sigbaar en minder eksplisiet is en agter ’n estetiese en morele sluier verdoesel word.
In hierdie konteks bied ek ’n teendiskoers aan vir die onderwerping wat onderliggend
is aan die normaliseringsdiskoerse wat die kosmetiesechirurgiebedryf ondersteun, en ek
bepleit dat die patriargale norme wat in diskoerse oor kosmetiese chirurgie vassit,
gedestabiliseer word. Ek demonstreer verder ’n teoretiese rekonstruksie wat ’n inskripsie
insluit van wat ek ’n geloofwaardige feministiese stem in die eietydse verbruikerskultuur
noem – ’n modus van intieme, onbewuste opstandigheid.
Ek bepleit 'n terugkeer na Julia Kristeva se teorie en die intieme oproer wat deur haar
etiese benadering voorgestaan word. Afgesien hiervan stel ek ’n stem voor wat ’n intieme opstand demonstreer – ’n stem wat patriargale norme uitdaag en nie uitsluitlik onderdruk
word deur die normaliseringsmeganismes wat vorm gee aan die vrou van die een-entwintigste
eeu nie, waar die klem op die kosmetiesechirurgiebedryf en die boliggende
diskoerse daarvan val – Antjie Krog, Suid-Afrikaanse digter. Dit is juis Krog se kunstig
gestruktureerde digterlike tekste wat my teoretiese rekonstruksie fasiliteer.
Aan die hand van Kristeva se teorie oor semanalise toon ek teoreties dat Krog se werk
’n ruimte daarstel wat "uitstyg" bo die grense wat die wet van die Vader en die
normaliseringsmeganismes stel. Hierbenewens stel ek ’n "originêre gehegtheid" as
aanpassing van Kristeva se beskouing van die chora voor, en my voorstel van ’n "originêre
ideaal" daag Kristeva se opvating oor paragramme uit in die konteks van dit wat ten grondslag
lê aan die gebied van die paternalistiese metafoor.
Op grond van Louise Viljoen se ontleding van Krog se werk en Bridget Garnham se
navorsing oor opkomende diskoerse oor ontwerpers- kosmetiese chirurgie bied ek Krog se
digterlike tekste aan as ’n teendiskoers vir die "morele" diskoerse oor kosmetiese chirurgie
wat die verouderende individu in die tweede dekade van die een-en-twintigste eeu uitbuit.
Daarby, deur Kristeva se teorie oor paragramme op Krog se digterlike teks(te) toe te pas,
demonstreer ek 'n destabilisering van die patriargale norme wat implisiet in diskoerse oor
kosmetiese chirurgie teenwoordig is. Hierbenewens brei ek Kristeva se teorie oor die
negatiwiteitsbeginsel uit deur middel van ’n heroorsetting van die belydenisdaad in Krog se
digwerk(e), ’n uitbreiding van Foucault se pastorale mag en Butler se opvatting oor die
eksklusiwiteit van normalisering, en ’n opeising van Krog se verouderende liggaam in
Verweerskrif/Body Bereft (Krog 2006).
Sekubekhona izingxoxo-mpikiswano eziningi kwizifundiswa zama-feminist ukuthi
ngabe ukwenza isurgery yohlinzo olungajulile ukuzishintsha ukubukeka ngokwemvelo
(cosmetic plastic surgery) kunomphumela omuhle yini kwabesimame, ngabe kuhlinzeka
ngamandla kwabesimame ngokuphakamisela phezulu ukuthi umuntu azenzele akufunayo
kanye nokuzikhethela (Grimlin 2002, Kuczynski 2006) noma kuyinto ecindezela abesimame
ngokuqhubela phambili indlela nama-idiyoloji abekwa ngabesilisa ukuthi imizimba
yabesimame kumele ibukeke kanjani, kanti lokhu kucindezela izwi labesimame (Blum 2003,
Blood 2005, Heinricy 2006, Clarke and Griffin 2007, Tait, 2007). Kunokuthi iphuzu nami
ngingenele kule ngxoxo-mpikiswano, elami iphuzu lona liqhubeka ukusukela kwisimo
sokuthi ukwamukela uhlujzo olungajulile lokuzitshintsha ukubukeka kwabesimame
(cosmetic surgery) kuyindlela yodlame olungaqondile ngqo kanye nolukhipha inyumbazane
abesimame. Ngokusebenzisa amathiyori epost-structuralist, awe-feminist kanye nawepsychoanalytical,
ngihlaziya indlela le nhlobo yalolu dlame ecindezela ngayo imizimba
yabesimame kanye nokuhlela indlela okumele bacabange nokuzibona ngayo.
Ngokusebenzisa iphuzu likaJacques Lacan, Judith Buttle kanye noMichel Foucault lamandla
okukhokhela ngokomoya, ngiqhaqha indlela okubumbeka ngayo isithombe sokuzibona,
unembeza kanye nomoya wokuhlambulula ngokuzidalula (confession) lapho kubhekwa
izinto ngaphansi kwesimo somzimba wokuhlinzwa okungajulile ukuzishintsha ukubukeka
ngokwakho. Nangaphezu kwalokho, ngigqamisa indima ye-liberal feminism ngokwayo kule
nhlobo yencindezelo. Ngokwenza lokho, ngikhombisa ngokwethiyori ukuqhubeka
nokusebenza kwamandla esikhokhelo ngokomoya ngaphansi kwethekniki yokuzazi komuntu
eyedwa okucindezela abesimame kwiminyaka elishumi yesibili, yesenshuri yamashumi
amabili nanye . Ngiqhubela phambili iphuzu lokuthi ukwenziwa kohlinzo olungajulile
lokuzishintsha ukubukeka kuqala umoya wokucindezela izwi labesimame, ukuxhashazwa
kwabo, kanye nendlela umuntu azibona ngayo ngokwengqondo, kanye nokucindezela
umzimba ophilayo ngezindlela ezingazibonakalisi obala, ezifihlekile, indlela yokubopha
efihlwa yindlela yokubukeka kanye nokwembozwa umoya.
Kungaphansi kwalesi simo lapho ngethula khona i-discourse yencindezelo eyenza
ukuthi imboni yohlinzo olungajulile ukuzishintsha ukubukeka kwabesimame kube yinto
ephakanyiswayo nokubonwa iyinhle, ukuphazamiseka kwama-norm endlela yengcindezi
yabesilisa, ngaphansi kwama-discourse okuhlinzwa okungajulile ukushintsha ukubukeka,
kanye nokwakha ithiyori ebandakanya ukubona izinto ngendlela ethize, engikuchaza
njengezwi okuyilo elifanele le-feminism, kwisimo sosiko esiphila ngaphansi kwaso samanje -
okuyindlela abantu abazibuka ngayo ezingqondweni ngendlela engekho obala.
Ngigcizelela ukubuyela kwithiyori kaKristeva, kanye nokuthi abantu babhoke
indlobana ngezindlela eziphansi, okuyinto ayiphakamisayo yenkambiso yokwazi okulungile
nokungalunganga (ethical approach). Naphezu kwalokho, ngiveza izwi elibonisa ukubhoka
indlobana kwabesimame ngendlela engekho sobala - izwi elifaka inselele kuma-norm
okubhozomelwa ngumqondo wokulawula kwabesilisa, kanti futhi leli zwi aligcinanga nje
kuphela umumo wabesimame ngendlela ejwayelekile njengowesimame wesenshuri
yamashumi amabili-nanye ngokugcizelela kwimboni yohlinzo olungajulile lokuzishintsha
ukubukeka, kanye nendlela lokhu okuyisihibe ngayo – ngokusho kukasonkondlo waseNingizimu Afrika, u-Antjie Krog. Imibhalo yezinkondlo zikaKrog ezinobungcweti yiyo
eyenze ukwakha kwami kabusha ithiyori.
Ngokusebenzisa ithiyori kaKristeva ye-semanalysis, ngibonisa ngokwethiyori ukuthi
umsebenzi kaKrog uqambe okweqele ngaleya kwizihibe zomthetho kubaba kanye nezindlela
zokwenza izinto zibukeke ngendlela evamile noma zingavamile. Nangaphezu kwalokho,
ngifakela i-"originary attachment" njengokwenza ukuthi kube kwesinye isimo, iphuzu
likaKristeva ku-chora kanti isiphakamiso sami se-"originary ideal" sifaka inselele kusigcizelelo
sikaKristeva ngamagremu efonethiki ngaphansi kwesimo esigcizelela umfanekiso
ngasohlangothini lobaba.
Ngokusebenzisa ukuhlaziya kukaLouise Viljoen kumsebenzi kaKrog kanye nocwaningo
lukaBridget Garnham ngokuvela kwama-discourse ohlinzo olungajulile ukuzishintsha
ukubukeka njengesisekelo, ngase ngethula imibhalo yezinkondlo zikaKrog njenge-discourse
yokuphikisa ama-discourse e-"moral" yama-discourse ohlinzo olungajulile lokuzishintsha
ukubukeka, elixhaphaza abantu abagugayo ngeminyaka eyishumi yesibili kwisenshuri
yamashumi amabili-nanye. Naphezu kwalokho, ngisebenzise ithiyori kaKristeva
kumapharagramu kwimibhalo yezinkondlo zikaKrog, ngaphazamisa imibono yokuphatha
kwabesilisa equkethwe kuma-discourse ohlinzo ulungajulile ukuzishintsha ukubukeka.
Ukuqhubekela phambili, nginwebe ithiyori kaKristeva ngesimiso se-negativity ukwethula
ukuhumusha kabusha umoya wokuzihlambulula ngokuzidalula otholakala kwizinkondlozikaKrog, ukuwukunweba amandla umbono kaFaucault wamandla okuthi abantu bazibone
ngenye indlela kanye nephuzu likaButler wlkuthi into engavamile engaphandle ibonwe
njengento efanele, kanye nokwamukela umzimba ogugayo kwinkondlo ye-
Verweerskrif/Body Bereft (Krog 2006).
