BY BONNIE ROSENSTOCK | On Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Botox Cosmetic celebrated its 20th anniversary of needling people into looking younger (and also treating migraines) with a free art installation and photo moment.
The white, slatted structure is topped by a huge round purple object, which looks like it’s trying to contact aliens. After signing up and entering the two-sided open construction, you have to choose just one adjective out of dozens to describe yourself, look at yourself from all angles in the surrounding mirrors, get two pictures taken, choose one and leave.
E-mail follow-up with your chosen attribute and photo and get $20 off your next treatment. As for the Botox lunar landing module, it’s on to Chicago. In and out. Which is about how long the effects last.
My neighborhood is crowded enough with local, national and international “tourists.” And there is constant construction, mostly of corporate hotels, luxury high-rises, etc. like the one going up where the Bowery Bar used to be. Streets are already obstructed with sidewalk dining sheds etc.
The last thing we need is ridiculous obstructions like the one at Astor Place. It doesn’t matter whether Botox is for medical or cosmetic use; the question is whether needed pedestrian space can be cluttered up with installations. What is happening to our city?
I want to know if any of the money the city gets renting public spaces to corporations for swill like this actually goes to the communities who have to put up with such nonsense.
Botox is also used to treat movement disorders, like spasmodic dysphonia, blepharospasm, dystonia and writer’s and musician’s cramp. The cosmetic use is sad, but there are medical uses.