December 18, 2025
The Dark Side of the Beauty Industry
Why are Hollywood stars like Kris Jenner, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lawrence, and Lindsay Lohan suddenly looking decades younger? From Ozempic weight loss to subtle anti-aging treatments, celebrity transformations are everywhere, raising questions about modern plastic surgery, Botox, fillers, and the pressure to stay forever young.
In this video, we discuss aging in a social media-obsessed world, the booming $86 billion cosmetic industry, the history of anti-aging (from Cleopatra’s donkey milk baths to WWI reconstructive surgery), and the risks of chasing physical perfection.
Sources:
How American Beauty Regulations Are Pushing Customers Overseas
BU Study Shows a Correlation between Social Media Use and Desire for Cosmetic Procedures
https://jcadonline.com/covid-19-social-media-cosmetic-procedures/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2023/01/18/cosmetic-surgery-is-on-the-rise-with-technology-and-hollywood-is-at-the-centre-of-it/
The Impact of Social Media on the Popularity of Plastic Surgery
https://www.beverlyhillsplasticsurgerygroup.com/the-plastic-surgery-procedures-celebrities-are-doing-to-look-younger/amp/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/carleysuthers/celeb-women-who-wont-get-plastic-surgery
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/a69020552/deep-plane-face-lift/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/06/04/kris-jenner-lindsay-lohan-celebrities-surgery-rumors/83942816007/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39103642/
https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/aesthetic-procedures-are-all-time-high-people-are-getting-left-behind
https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/anti-aging-products-market.asp
Anti-Aging Statistics 2025 By Nutrition, Popularity, Surgery
http://awaylands.com/story/the-7-newest-and-most-innovative-cosmetic-procedures-and-treatments-transforming-aesthetics/
https://cdn.theaestheticsociety.org/media/statistics/2023-TheAestheticSocietyStatistics.pdf
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/news/statistics/2024/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2024.pdf
https://carolinacosmeticsurgery.org/blog/cosmetic-procedure-cost-statistics-2025-complete-data-guide
https://theconversation.com/how-20th-century-rejuvenation-techniques-gave-rise-to-the-modern-anti-ageing-industry-133569
http://intothegloss.com/2015/03/history-of-anti-aging
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=history+of+the+plastic+surgery+industry&mid=6E9EA154EFE653EDBFE36E9EA154EFE653EDBFE3&FORM=VIRE
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/birth-plastic-surgery
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c773n331055o
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December 11, 2025
The Myth of Scandinavian Socialism
Is the Nordic Model really socialism?
Today we’ll dive into why Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Norway aren’t socialist – they’re capitalist success stories with generous welfare states.
In this video, we’ll discover the truth behind democratic socialism, the Scandinavian economic miracle built on free markets, failed socialist experiments in the 1970s-80s, and market reforms that fueled growth (Spotify, IKEA, Volvo). We’ll also debunk myths pushed by U.S. politicians.
Sources:
The Welfare State Has Slowly but Surely Eroded Nordic Character
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/mirage-of-swedish-socialism-economic-history-of-welfare-state.pdf
https://www.realitiesofsocialism.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/free-enterprise-welfare-state-history-of-denmarks-unique-economic-model.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272707001041
https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Sanandajinima-interactive.pdf
https://www.heritage.org/index/pages/about
https://www.ekonomifakta.se/sakomraden/arbetsmarknad/en-aldrande-befolkning-staller-krav-pa-arbetsmarknaden_1241111.html
https://cepr.org/publications/dp8229
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/the-myth-scandinavian-socialism
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1356735/labor-unions-most-unionized-countries-worldwide/
Learn more at: https://fee.org/ and https://thefreemanmag.substack.com/
December 18, 2025
Surgery Has Gotten Too Good
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/HiKoQPy-mkg
About the Host
Maggie Anders
Writer and Host
Maggie Anders is a writer and host at the Foundation for Economic Education.
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