Amber Tamblyn has revealed that she underwent plastic surgery at the age of 12, a decision influenced by bullying she experienced in Southern California. In a candid piece for The New York Times, the actress, known for her role in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, shared her experience of having her ears pinned back to fit societal beauty standards.
Tamblyn described herself as a “fiery young feminist” who was conflicted about her decision to alter her appearance. Despite her feminist ideals, she faced criticism for her looks, which led her to question her own choices. “As a little girl, I had ears that stuck out like big butterfly wings,” she recalled. “Some kids at my school in Los Angeles would make fun of them, and I’d often stare at myself in the mirror wishing my ears would lay flat against my head.”
It was during her first significant acting role on General Hospital that Tamblyn made the choice to undergo ear-pinning surgery. “I opted to undergo ear-pinning surgery, a decision I’ve never made public until now,” she stated, reflecting on her time on the show from 1995 to 2001.
In her essay, Tamblyn expressed her awareness of the pressures women face to conform to certain beauty ideals. She previously wrote a poem about the lengths to which women go to maintain their youth and desirability, noting that post-surgery, many women end up with “noses like dead poodles.”
Tamblyn’s reflections resonated with the themes explored in Demi Moore’s new film, The Substance, where Moore’s character takes an experimental drug in pursuit of youth. “Would I be less happy if I had fought against the desire to get my ears pinned back?” Tamblyn pondered. “I don’t know—but I do think about it often.”
She emphasized that her experiences, alongside those depicted in The Substance, are not limited to Hollywood. “These are universal realities for any woman, no matter her background or profession,” she wrote. “The subtle messages of sexism are passed down to us as generational wisdom, almost from birth.”
Tamblyn expressed hope for a future version of The Substance in which Moore’s character learns to embrace aging rather than pursue youth. “That version of the story may feel too radical for the world just yet; a reminder of how much further we still need to go in centering self-acceptance and imperfection at any age in our storytelling,” she said.
In closing, Tamblyn affirmed her evolving relationship with her body. “I don’t apologize for what I’ve done, or for what I haven’t,” she wrote. “The message in The Substance, for women everywhere, is clear: sometimes, if we’re not careful, our commitment becomes the consequence. And there can be an untapped, collective power in not giving up on not giving in.”
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