Surrogates

I watched a movie today called Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis and a bunch of other people. The movie depicts the world...in the future of course, when humans have the ability to operate their daily lives as their ideal versions of themselves by using robot-like "surrogates". Surrogates operate in the real world while the actual human is at home attached to a machine using their minds to control the robot, and live their daily lives. The movie itself was kind of hokey, but the concept behind it made me think a little. What if you could design every aspect of your physical appearance to your liking? If you wanted an ass like Beyonce, you could have it. Boobs like Halle Berry, sure. Whatever you want, your surrogate can have, and people never have to see the real you, or any of the flaws you wish to conceal. The surrogate operates in the world as you, while you lay back in the comfort of your own home. Hmmm...

At first I was like no way would I do that...its ridiculous and incredibly shallow. But as I watched more, I started...thinking. What if I could program my surrogate to have hair that doesn't kink up in the rain? Then I would only need it for bad hair days. Nothing else. But...what if I could also get a six pack so I could finally wear that sexy bikini I bought? Then I would only need the surrogate during the summer months. Oh, and I hate going out when I'm PMS'ing...so I would only need the surrogate every month for approximately 7 days. Before I knew it, I had the whole calendar covered.

In the movie, no one went outside as themselves. There were surrogates in every city and country in the world. Seeing a "meatbag" on the outside was a rarity, as there were 35 million active surrogates in the world.

It was obviously a metaphor for our obsession with plastic surgery, and our refusal to accept our God-given attributes. Although having a surrogate body is a little more extreme than plastic surgery, I quickly learned that you’re on a slippery slope when you can pick and choose how you want yourself to look. Once you get that first nose job, you’re eventually gonna need a face lift. A boob job is nothing without a tummy tuck to compliment it…heck, why not just get a surrogate and design your body like a quilt! See what I mean? I wonder what the Big Guy thinks about it.

With all its vanity, the prevailing message of the film ended up being that we should all be happy being ourselves. I won't spoil the ending but the movie opened my eyes to some of my own insecurities that I need to address. So what if my hair turns to an afro in the humidity...that's what ponytails and headbands are for. Who cares if your ass is flat and your boobs are saggy, a few trips to the gym could help with that. The important question is: What's your heart like? Are you kind to others, and giving of yourself and your time? That's what really matters. Whatever improvements you want to make, make them to please yourself, not the outside world. Be yourself and not a robot.