The logo for the Daily Beast's Obsessed website. It reads: 'Obsessed: What to Watch, Binge, See, & Skip'
DAILY BEAST
CrosswordNewsletters
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      0

      Angelina’s Bold Boob Move

      STILL SEXY

      When the actor announced she’d had a preventive double mastectomy, I immediately felt her pain. But I’m just doing what I have to do—Angelina’s genuinely brave. By Michelle Cottle.

      Michelle Cottle

      Updated Apr. 21, 2017 10:23AM ET / Published May. 14, 2013 3:15PM ET 

      Toby Melville/Reuters, via Landov

      Turns out the sexiest woman in the world and I have something in common. Two things, actually.

      On Tuesday, the New York Times ran an op-ed by Angelina Jolie in which the actress shared her decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery. In Jolie’s case, the procedure was prophylactic. Her mother, after a nearly decade-long struggle, succumbed to ovarian cancer in 2007 at age 56. Jolie herself has the BRCA1 genetic glitch, which her doctors estimated put her odds of developing ovarian cancer at 50 percent, and her odds of breast cancer at a dizzying 87 percent. And so, for the sake of her children, her husband, and her sanity, Lara Croft decided to have both breasts overhauled before they turned on her.

      Jolie kept the multi-month process quiet until her final surgery on April 27th. Now, with her new, improved ta-tas firmly in place, she is hoping her story can help other women—perhaps even save a few lives. In addition to writing the Times piece, Jolie plans to have her ongoing treatment regimen, both conventional and holistic, posted on the web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center where her surgeries were conducted.

      I’m a few weeks behind Jolie in my rack replacement. (I am, in fact, typing these words while at the hospital waiting to get my pre-op workup for my second round of surgery.) I had my bilateral back in March, after an ugly biopsy result. In response to my piece on the subject, I received many emails and calls from old friends, colleagues, and even strangers, cheering me on and telling me how brave I am. While kind, this wasn’t actually true. I mean, getting appropriate medical treatment isn’t a question of bravery so much as necessity. You do what you gotta do. As for explaining the experience: Why not? Rather than making me feel vulnerable, explaining my decision gave me at least some sense of control. (And as Jolie notes, feeling as though you have a measure of control over your life can be comforting in such situations.) Besides, as a print journalist, I have the luxury of not worrying overmuch about what most people think about my attractiveness or sex appeal. I may harbor personal preferences and prejudices regarding my form, but my professional identity isn’t intimately tied to it. It is in no way my job to embody an idealized form of beauty and sensuality.

      It is, by contrast, a big part of Angelina Jolie’s. To a greater degree even than your typical leading actress, Jolie’s appeal has long been tied to her jaw-dropping beauty—beauty that is more sexual in its appeal than, say, Julia Roberts. Whatever her acting gifts, Jolie would not have become the megastar/tabloid darling she is if she were not damn near every man’s fantasy.

      Rationally and in purely aesthetic terms, the star’s recent medical odyssey should not change any of that. (She and husband Brad Pitt can presumably afford a kick-ass reconstructive surgeon.) Celebrity appeal is a nebulous thing, however, and you never know what will hit fans the wrong way. By discussing her mammary travails so openly, Jolie runs the risk of messing with the fantasy. And for this reason, her willingness to go public with her surgeries strikes me as a genuine act of bravery—and one that will hopefully provide comfort and even inspiration to many women out there facing similar challenges.

      After all, if Jolie can boldly and publicly trade-in such prime assets, what are the rest of us so anxious about?

      Michelle Cottle

      Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

      READ THIS LIST

      DAILY BEAST
      • Cheat Sheet
      • Politics
      • Entertainment
      • Media
      • World
      • Innovation
      • U.S. News
      • Scouted
      • Travel
      • Subscription
      • Crossword
      • Newsletters
      • Podcasts
      • About
      • Contact
      • Tips
      • Jobs
      • Advertise
      • Help
      • Privacy
      • Code of Ethics & Standards
      • Diversity
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Copyright & Trademark
      • Sitemap
      • Best Picks
      • Coupons
      • Coupons:
      • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
      • HP Coupon Codes
      • Chewy Promo Codes
      • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
      • NordVPN Coupons
      • JCPenny Coupons
      • Nordstrom Coupons
      • Samsung Promo Coupons
      • Home Depot Coupons
      • Hotwire Promo Codes
      • eBay Coupons
      • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
      © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC