Heidi Montag Photo Gallery Plays to Mixed Reviews

The human body is a remarkable thing. Heidi Montag's pre and post-op is no exception. Imagine for a moment that the name Heidi Montag was unknown. Instead, this shapely blond in a bikini is walking down the beach on a sunny, breezy Sunday afternoon.

From the men, there would be very little criticism. In fact, most would be drawn to her. How could we not be? She is ticking all our boxes. Every visual cue is heightened and men are visual creatures. Specifically, the visual parts of our brain would be drawn to covet every inch of her form. Blame it on the amygdala, that part of the brain responsible for controlling emotions and motivation. We would be drawn to her. Curious to find out more about her and possible even fantasize about and evening in bed with her. If not, at least a few frames of bowling. Sure some men may claim she is not their type, but many, many more would not refuse her offer to be held tight when the big bad boogey man might be in the next closet over.

The women would be a bit different. Some indeed may be drawn to her. Women are different that way. Many are curious about the admirable physical traits of other women and don't shy away from complimenting them. Other women however may harbor resentment. They would verbalize such things as "those can't be real" or "I wonder if she can smile?" If she could smile, that would only make them angrier. These would arguably be the reactions to this unknown blond who just happens to be Heidi Montag. Anyone who feels otherwise is probably not being entirely honest with themselves.

However, we do know her name. It is Heidi Montag. She has appeared on television. What she does exactly, still seems debatable. One thing is certain, she is the by-product of an exaggerated form of entertainment that has taken us for ride now for some time. The criticism seems endless. She is said to be a poor example for the many young girls who watch her on television and look up to her. Some mention the potential for mental illness. Why else would somebody entertain ten different procedures in a single visit to a plastic surgeon? There must be something wrong. Are we to believe that this is the first time somebody in the entertainment business has tried to improve themselves physically in hopes of bettering their career? Ridiculous. Many have done the same before Heidi Montag and many will after.

There is a fundamental difference. It is not the nature of the business that has changed. It is not even a problem that is unique to Ms. Montag. The entertainment is different. What gets the ratings now has completely changed from several years ago. It used to be you would tune into a television program, film or concert and see a talented performer well... performing. What happened in their private lives or after the cameras turned off remained private. If something unfortunate or tragic occurred, that was kept beyond the public purview. Occasionally, a story or headline would squeak out but for the most part it remained unchartered territory. Now, everything has changed.

No longer is the talent of a performer, foremost on the radar. Of equal intrigue is the private life of not only talented entertainers but of just about anybody. As evidenced by the traffic slowing down to watch the accident on a freeway, so goes the public's eye towards the entertainment dollar. The accident is now the entertainment. What Heidi Montag has done and the reaction to it is all part of the show. It doesn't matter if she ever engages in a scripted performance. Her life and the things she does away from the camera are the feature presentation. Were she not in the public eye, those who scorn her, would otherwise fall all over her under the right circumstances. Why do we even care? Because we chose her. We put her where she is for our own amusement. Our dialog about Heidi Montag makes us part of the show. It's just entertainment. Tomorrow, it will be something even less entertaining. If that is even imaginable.