You don’t have to frequent Mar-a-Lago to know that women spend a lot more time and money on our appearance, our health and our presentation to the world than men do. Most of us take that for granted. Where men compete physically and professionally to gain power and wealth, women compete with their appearance for wealthy and powerful men.

Most of us live quite happily with ordinary husbands who go to work and, ideally, are partners and equals in life. We leave billionaire hunting to the gorgeous women whose goal in life is to become trophy wives. Because once a man who has “made it” ditches the woman he swore to love for better or worse, he turns to arm candy that makes him feel young and manly again. He also wants a glossy, sexy woman who serves as a testimonial to his importance.

The Beauty Myth and Pygmalion

Pygmalion and Galatea by Jean-Léon Gérôme

There’s even a book—“The Beauty Myth”1990) by Naomi Wolf, in which the author argues that modern culture pressures women to alter their appearance—through dieting, cosmetics, fashion, and even surgery—to attract men and conform to societal expectations.

Ms. Wolf frames this pressure as a form of social control, suggesting that the “myth” of beauty keeps women focused on their looks rather than on gaining power and equality.

On the other hand, we have the story of Pygmalion and Galatea in which a sculptor from Cyprus carves a statue of a woman so beautiful and perfect that he falls deeply in love with it. According to Ovid’s ”Metamorphoses,” Pygmalion treats the statue as if it were alive—bringing it gifts, caressing it, and even laying it in a bed he prepares. Moved by his devotion, the goddess Aphrodite grants his wish and brings the statue, later named Galatea, to life.

The Women of Mar-a-Lago

Now consider the women of MAGA and, most especially, Mar-a-Lago. They have a similarity of appearance: artificial, glossy, and hypersexualized.

• Puffy duck lips pumped up with hyaluronic acid or other fillers
• Overblown synthetic breasts that are polished, pushed up, and presented.
• Small, perky noses that often don’t fit their faces
• Sharp aggressive cheekbones
• Long blond hair, often colored and extended
• Heavy overdone make-up
• A deep, phony tan
• Very high heels, skin-tight dresses and plunging necklines.

Examples of Mar-a-Lago Face

Describing Mar-a-Lago Face

In Women.com, Bernadette Roe says,

”The “Mar-a-Lago” face is made up of a combination of excessive filler and botox, unnaturally smooth skin, perfect teeth, and a full face of makeup. Add lip filler, laminated eyebrows, and a uniform of tight dresses and heels to that list.” : https://www.thelist.com/1817157/what-is-mar-a-lago-face-who-has-tried-the-trend/

In The List, Carissa Jean Mares describes it as,

“Frozen, unmoving foreheads, arched and overfilled-in brows, dainty tipped noses smothered between two peaking and swollen cheekbones, and don’t forget the lip filler. These are all ‘common signs and symptoms of what many have referred to as ‘Mar-a-Lago face,” a trend including the often visible overuse of plastic surgery.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Julian Sancton chipped in with this description:

“Their faces had all, over an unspecified period, morphed from conventionally human to makeup-caked, angular cheekboned, full-lipped, Fellini-esque exaggerations of the dolled-up Fox News anchorwoman look.”

(Check out this article for before-and-after photos of MAGA women
currently sporting a Mar-a-Lago face.

Questions About Mar-a-Lago Face

Having said that, I have a number of questions about Mar-a-Lago Face:

• Why would a woman do this to herself? Cosmetic surgery is painful and disfiguring until it heals. It may not turn out as planned and it may not even last.
• Why would a woman want to look like all the women around her? How can you compete with other women if you look just like them?
• How could women not see how phony they look?
• How could women not recognize how cheap and vulgar they look?

Ms. Roe thinks that the women themselves decide to make these changes, submit themselves to cosmetic surgery, injections, and other procedures to look youthful and stay relevant. I don’t argue with this view because history tells us what women will do to themselves and to other women and even children to gain male favor.

Indirect pressure might come from wanting to become part of the crowd. Gaining entrée to a certain group means fitting in. You can’t look like the Ugly Duckling and be accepted as part of the flock. So you see what you need to do to get what you want and make the necessary changes.

But I’m not so sure that’s what’s going on here.

Direct and Indirect Pressure

I think the MAGA women are also pressured by the men in their lives to conform to this specific look. Although It’s described as Mar-a-Lago Face, it turns real women into real-life Barbie Dolls: stiff, overdone, and plastic.

Why would a man want to urge (or demand) that his wife to agree to this? Well, men also use women to compete. They even rank another man’s wife or girlfriend by her projected numerical score. Is a man’s female companion just a six? Or an eight instead of a ten? Well, that must mean he’s not top dog. In this situation, a woman is no different from a Ferrari or a mansion—just an accessory that boosts a man’s status.

And they want their female accessory to be a luxury brand.

Pygmalion in Reverse

Courtesy of People.com

This strikes me as Pygmalion in reverse. These men are cutting and sculpting the living women to resemble their ideal statue–or one that is the typical male ideal.

For evidence, look no further than Jeff Bezos. The billionaire, arguably already a top dog, divorced a real, beautiful, and generous woman to replace her with a puffed-up Barbie Doll of his own.

The status value of a beautiful, sexy woman cannot be overstated. Many women count on this and play to the demand. The current season of Landman states this explicitly when a young woman describes a room full of very wealthy men as “the Serengeti” in which she and her friend are going to hunt. She warns, “this is a young woman’s game.”

When Mar-a-Lago Face is Over

Whether Mar-a-Lago Face has been acquired voluntarily or through pressure, I feel sorry for what these women will face once the current administration has been voted out of office. Then they will no longer fit in with a new milieu, one that, I hope, will change for the better. In a return to diplomacy, grace, education, and professionalism, they will stand out in the wrong way.

They will have to retreat and plot a new career: Fox News host, the speaker circuit, the Real Housewives of Mar-a-Lago, or Dancing With the Stars. When the boobs start to sag and cheekbones droop, though, I doubt they will be making many public appearances.