Chimp Lady Face Continues to Shock, Inspire People

The 'chimp lady' face is still the most buzzed about TV moment of the week, days after the chimp lady's face was revealed on Oprah. Chimp lady Charla Nash finally showed her disfigured face to the world on Wednesday, after it barely survived the attack of Travis the Chimp. The extensive damage to the chimp lady's face has inspired the expected horror, revulsion and Internet fodder, as people likely look at her face as a freak show. However, the face of the chimp lady is secondary to others, as they reflect on how she has managed to rebuild her life anyway.

Oprah Winfrey's viewers were the first wide audience to see the chimp lady face, though Charla Nash had her face covered by veils for much of the interview. But Nash took the veil off at one point, and those who didn't see it could easily find it online later. The details of Travis the Chimp's attack on Charla Nash in February was gruesome enough, but was nothing compared to actually seeing the results.

The chimp lady's face was even more disfigured and swollen than anyone could have imagined, as her eyes are mostly gone, her lips are gone, and her nose takes up half of her face. Of course, many who saw the Charla Nash pictures were only interested in the shock value, and the gore that was left behind by Travis the Chimp.

But for others, the chimp lady face isn't the real important story of Charla Nash. They focused on Nash's attitude for the rest of the interview, as she showed Oprah how she has readjusted to life. The fact that Charla Nash is even alive and still has a face to begin with is stunning enough, but her efforts to go on living are another thing altogether.

When the story first broke, the chimp lady and her face were secondary, as most focused on Travis the Chimp, her possibly irresponsible owner, and how the scandal inspired controversial political cartoons. Now Charla Nash is at the center of the story and its aftermath - though of course, the exploitation and sideshow elements of her story go hand-in-hand with the inspirational parts.

If Nash's $50 million lawsuit against Travis the Chimp's owner goes forward, then the coverage towards her and her face will stretch on further. The Charla Nash pictures still have a lot of staying power online, though if Nash is photographed again, she probably would not unveil herself once more. Yet as the chimp lady's face inspires so many different reactions, it may be naive to assume that she can recover in peace quite yet.

Sources

Prime Writer News Network- "Charla Nash reveals face on Oprah (photos, video)"

Flick Filosopher- "question of the day: Is chimp-attack victim Charla Nash being exploited by Oprah and other news organizations?"