Take My Nose...Please

A documentary about an odd couple – comedy & plastic surgery. The film is a seriously funny and wickedly subversive look at the role comedy has played in exposing the pressures on women to be attractive and society’s desire/shame relationship with plastic surgery. More than 15 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2014 – 90 percent of them on women. Yet, for those who elect to tinker with Mother Nature, especially for high-profile women, plastic surgery is still a dark secret. Funny women are the exception. From Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers to Roseanne Barr and Kathy Griffin, comedians have been unashamed to talk about their perceived flaws – and the steps taken to remedy them. For these dames, cosmetic surgery isn’t vanity, it’s affirmative action – compensation for the unfair distribution of youthfulness and beauty. By admitting what their sisters in drama deny, comic performers speak to women who feel the same pressures, giving them permission to pursue change (or not to) while entertaining us.

The Arc

The film follows two comedians as they deliberate about going under the knife. Emily Askin, an up-and-coming improv performer, has always wanted her nose refined. Jackie Hoffman, a seasoned headliner on Broadway and on TV, considers herself ugly and regrets not having the nose job offered in her teens. And maybe she’d like a face-lift, as well. As we follow their surprisingly emotional stories, we meet others who have taken the leap – or held out. Putting it all in perspective are psychologists, sociologists, and cultural critics. And for comic relief and the profundity only comedians can supply – there are cameos by, among others, Judy Gold, Julie Halston, Lisa Lampanelli, Giulia Rozzi, Bill Scheft, and Adrianne Tolsch.