Jocelyn Wildenstein: The Early Warning Sign of Society’s Obsession with Cosmetic Surgery

The notorious socialite known as “Catwoman,” Jocelyn Wildenstein, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 84. Serving as a striking example of extreme cosmetic surgery, she symbolizes our cultural fixation with enhancements.

Instead of being a cautionary example, akin to Michael Jackson’s journey, she has inadvertently paved the way for a new generation of influencers and celebrities who are even more zealous in their pursuit of altered perfection.

Sadly for Wildenstein, she ventured into the world of surgical innovation too early, leading her appearance to be perceived as botched — many would describe it as bizarre — with her permanently swollen face, voluminous cheeks, taut skin, and cat-like eyes believed to be inspired by her pet lynx.

(Remarkably, she stated to The Sun, “I haven’t had plastic surgery.” In contrast, her ex-husband confided to Vanity Fair: “She thought she could repair her face like a piece of furniture. Skin doesn’t function that way, but she wouldn’t heed advice.”)

The journey allegedly began after her marriage to art collector Alec Wildenstein ended in 1978, when she allegedly discovered him with a 19-year-old model.

With abundant wealth, having received a staggering $2.5 billion settlement along with annual payments of $100 million for 13 years post-divorce, Wildenstein still found herself unable to reclaim her former beauty, becoming a distorted version of herself.

In a similar vein, wealth and access were not enough to prevent Michael Jackson from transforming into a nearly unrecognizable figure.

Priscilla Presley has also been accused of overindulging in fillers and Botox. Similarly, Sharon Osbourne, who acknowledges being “on face three and counting,” lamented to The Sunday Times in 2022 that a facelift left her with one eye “different than the other,” making her appear “like a f–king Cyclops.”

This is not merely a slippery slope; it resembles a treacherous hundred-foot drop surrounded by warning signs.

Yet, our society has disregarded these warnings and plunged into an obsession with plastic surgery.

Between 2019 and 2022, there was a 19% surge in cosmetic procedures across the United States. The industry reached a staggering $56.8 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to soar to $94.5 billion by 2032.

While celebrities like the Kardashian and Jenner families maintain an air of mystery about their enhancements, many women rush to various doctors, including some who lack proper licensing, to achieve similar looks. The consequences can be dire, as evidenced by the tragic case of a woman whose OnlyFans fame stemmed from her resemblance to Kim Kardashian, who died from cardiac arrest following a surgical procedure.

Some celebrities, such as Megan Fox, have openly acknowledged their cosmetic surgeries. Moreover, an entire industry of YouTubers and influencers exists, who share videos documenting their surgeries — amassing millions of views from impressionable youth aspiring to emulate them.

Ultimately, today’s celebrities and influencers carry just as strong a compulsion toward surgery as Wildenstein did. They are merely fortunate to benefit from a generation of plastic surgeons with more experience and advancements.

However, this fixation is akin to dysmorphia. It’s easier than one might think to lose touch with reality reflected in the mirror.

With new trends emerging almost every second, it creates an array of novel insecurities that spread rapidly in society.

Who would have known about buccal fat removal until it went viral? And no one even considered nasolabial folds until platforms like TikTok insisted they required immediate enhancement.

This rise in niche and obsessive mini-procedures has captivated our cultural mindset, propelling countless women toward plastic surgeons with newfound critiques of their bodies and faces.

While many may not attain an appearance as extreme as that of Wildenstein, there remains a poignant sadness in the sight of beautiful young women erasing their distinctive traits only to pay for “Instagram faces,” rendering them indistinguishable from countless other augmented influencers.

With Generation Alpha already becoming obsessed with skincare even before reaching middle school, there’s genuine concern about their future — and whether they might internalize the belief that, regardless of their transformations, they will never truly be enough.