blame the botox
March 4, 2010 No. Way.
Did you guys see this study on this Botox side-effect? Here's what it said in The Week magazine (Feb 26):
Botox injections that eliminate frown lines may interfere with people's ability to perceive sadness and anger, a new study says. University of Wisconsin researchers studied 40 people who had received Botox treatments that paralyzed muscles that produce frowns. Both before the injections and afterward, the subjects were asked to read statements designed to evoke strong feelings ("the pushy telemarketer won't let you return to your dinner""), and then to push a button to indicate whether they understood them. After the Botox injections, patients had trouble processing and understanding sentences about anger, irritation, and sadness. This phenomenon apparently relates to the "facial feedback" effect, in which the muscles used in smiling, frowning and other emotional expressions send signals back to the brain, strengthening and making us aware of these emotions.
Good gravy!
Everybody is talking about writing for this new fangled, plugged-in generation, but what about the Botoxed? What kind of books are people going to write for them? Apparently, they can't read sad sentences and understand them . . .
SO. Whew. I guess I've strengthened my resolve to let my face go Georgia O'Keefe one-hundred percent. (I can't find the photo online of her weathered face, but it is something to behold.)