Why we shouldn't care about Bristol Palin's face

The reality show star and abstinence spokesperson has a new look -- and the media is asking unfortunate questions

Published May 5, 2011 8:06PM (EDT)

In this July 25, 2009, photo, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol Palin holds her and Levi Johnston's son Tripp Johnston at the governor's picnic in Anchorage, Alaska. Tax documents show unwed mother Bristol Palin earned more than $262,000 for her role helping raise awareness for teen pregnancy prevention in 2009. The most recent data for The Candieís Foundation thatís posted online by research firm GuideStar shows compensation at $262,500 for the now-20-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.  (AP Photo/Al Grillo)  (Al Grillo)
In this July 25, 2009, photo, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol Palin holds her and Levi Johnston's son Tripp Johnston at the governor's picnic in Anchorage, Alaska. Tax documents show unwed mother Bristol Palin earned more than $262,000 for her role helping raise awareness for teen pregnancy prevention in 2009. The most recent data for The Candieís Foundation thatís posted online by research firm GuideStar shows compensation at $262,500 for the now-20-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. (AP Photo/Al Grillo) (Al Grillo)

Today, a slide show comparison of Bristol Palin and her new face emerged on Gawker.  Yes, the daughter of reality show star and former V.P. candidate Sarah Palin has either dropped some weight, had a quick face transplant, or both. Though if we're being reasonable, let's sit down and consider whom it's helping when we spend our day dissecting the features of a 20-year-old girl.

See, I have no problem with tearing apart Bristol about her role as an abstinence-only spokesperson when it's rife with hypocrisy; after all, didn't Bristol say after she had Tripp that she thought not having sex was unrealistic? But as far as I know, Bristol has never said anything about opposing plastic surgery. She isn't running for office or preparing to do any more TV shows, making her especially undeserving of the intense, mean-spirited media firestorm that envelops actresses when we start to wonder if their nose is looking a little more button-y.

Sure, it's hard to look away from the noticeable differences in Bristol's face. But as a Gawker commenter pointed out, the same outlets that called her fat eight months ago, when she was on "Dancing With the Stars," are now accusing her of having surgery. Go figure: During the week we kill bin Laden, it only takes four days until the Palins' minutiae starts dominating the news cycle again.


By Drew Grant

Drew Grant is a staff writer for Salon. Follow her on Twitter at @videodrew.

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