Greta Van Susteren Reflects On Plastic Surgery, Move From CNN To Fox

by Steve Krakauer | 3:59 pm, January 4th, 2010

» 13 comments

Fox News host Greta Van Susteren reflects on her 2002 move from CNN to Fox News in a blog post on Gretawire.

The point of the post, titled “Strangest Thing,” is to highlight how strange Van Susteren felt the over-coverage of the network switch was at the time – when it was mainly focused on her plastic surgery in between.

Van Susteren left CNN in early 2002 and began anchoring her FNC show On The Record in February. But before she joined Fox, she got an eyelift. Here’s how she characterized it:

I switched jobs – from CNN to Fox (that is not strange, people change jobs all the time.) I unexpectedly had a month between jobs and so I had plastic surgery on the area around my eyes (that is not strange – thousands and thousands have it done every year.) I suddenly had a month to kill – so I just decided to do it because I had a doctor who could do it. I made no secret of it (I suppose that is strange since, for reasons I still can’t understand, most people hide it….my thought: if you spent money on changing something, would you not want it to be noticeable? why the big secret? you are not paying for it to be the same!

The reaction was huge and, including a People magazine cover story (which we’ve been told was part of an extensive PR strategy for the show’s launch). The article took on the television news business as a whole, but also focused on Greta specifically, like this quote from veteran TV writer Michele Greppi: “FOX hired a tomboy, and they got a babe.”

Van Susteren has a theory why it became such a big story. “In the 4 months leading up to January, the media had been consumed with the most devastating, frightening and tragic news – 9/11, anthrax and war – that my insignificant plastic surgery was a nice news oasis for everyone…a topic where no one died and it exposed the secret: yes, lots in the media have plastic surgery,” she writes.

So did 9/11 make Greta’s eyelids a bigger story? Maybe. But looking back now, as the show continues to have enjoy enormous ratings success at the end of FNC’s prime time line-up, the plastic surgery seems more of a moot point. What made it the biggest story is actually how open Van Susteren was, and continues to be, about it. In that way, she has continued the same level of transparency on Gretawire.

(h/t Johnny Dollar)

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fnc, fox news, Greta, Greta Van Susteren, Greta Van Susteren before and after, On the Record

The Real Royal King

Now, really. The comments about Greta’s plastic surgery simply reflected the extreme nature of the procedure. I’m sure long time friends didn’t even recognize her. Did she and Jerry Jones go to the same surgeon?
SuperSmart

How nice that Greta is an open book on the subject of her plastic surgery… yet she never discusses her religious beliefs. Usually the opposite is true — you can’t get people to shut-up about their religion yet they’ll take the plastic surgery secrets to their grave.

But here is Greta, who is so against discussing her Scientology practices that she has banned to word from her website’s discussion forum.
ImNotBlue

SuperSmart says:
January 4, 2010 at 6:03 pm

Who cares about Greta’s religion?
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

@ImNotBlue: Really. I have to agree. She has the good taste to keep her religion out of her program (unlike most who can’t seem to shut up about it) and the honesty to pony up on the eye lift. It is refreshing to say the least. I am generally not a fan of hers, but I respect her blunt honesty about most things.

I have to wonder why this is a story again 6 years later.

@SuperSmart: I also don’t discuss my religious beliefs. They are mine. Thus the phrase, “my religious beliefs.” Also, it is her show and her forum. She determines the content. When you get your own show and forum, then you get to determine the content. See how that works?
SuperSmart

I just find it odd to see someone completely unwilling to discuss their faith. I wasn’t condemning her… simply pointing it out… as many folks (see Brit Hume) are ready to to foist their personal relationship with their god on any/everyone.

And Keeva, don’t worry, I don’t care about your religious beliefs. See how that works?
ImNotBlue

SuperSmart says:
January 4, 2010 at 8:29 pm

I just find it odd to see someone completely unwilling to discuss their faith.

So… you’re annoyed that Hume brought up religion, and annoyed that Greta doesn’t. Hmmm.

Perhaps you should just save yourself the trouble and say, “I don’t like people associated with FNC,” that way you wouldn’t have to manufacture bogus and inconsistent reasons.
The Real Royal King

The plastic surgery/religion issue underscores the motivation for almost everything Greta does in her job. She is an emotional wreck and desperately seeks praise and affirmation. Among the Teabagging rightists who make up the bulk of her website devotees, the value of plastic surgery is a deeply held principle. In validating this principle, Greta gives them a carrot. However, these same Teabagging rightists uphold a virulent type of bedrock Christian fundamentalism. As long as the Xenu story is not set before them, they are happy in their denial. If Greta were to lay before them cultic mythology, they would turn from her in droves. So, this says much about Greta and her fans. I applaud refraining from mentioning religion and the quasi-religion of Scientology, but I would equally applaud not dredging up an ancient story about botched plastic surgery simply because it gives hope to a dowdy and bloated audience.
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ImNotBlue

The Real Royal King says:
January 5, 2010 at 7:50 am

What in the hell are you talking about?

That made NO sense.
Nachi

And Greta would certainly know a great deal about – plastic!
Media Me

Really, this is such a non-story. Why bother? Leave dreck like this where it belongs – over at Johnny Dollar’s.
JohnnyDollarLoveChild

Wow. Greta had plastic surgery. Who knew!
CAPlastic Surgeon

Her plastic surgeon did even do that much. Not even news really. The move was big news though. That’s like switching enemy camps.