The third mutation is that we are moving from a society of striving, painful and trying in the 18^th century, oppressive in the 19^th century, still very distressing in the 20^th century, to a society of selfishness.
So it is at the same time a world of me and I, and of emotion.
For we are plunged in a society of passion, compassion, reaction, and only the emotional dimension makes communication advance.
Take TV channels: we're saturated with them. Take films, anyone: if the “Ch'tis” has performed so well, it's for having sparked an emotion. There is nothing else in this movie.

Before, cars played that role, and well, it's still better than a roll of plastic. It's astonishing to take stock of what we've accomplished. This also demonstrates that the objects to which we formerly clung to, precisely to show off, are now completely outdated by the most beautiful object that be, which is ourselves, and there is no shame to have about that.

I read an extraordinary American study, which was made on several thousand individuals, with all the science that leads to these things, and which has proved that beauty contributes to an increase in wages by 10%. It's amazing, they took people I do not know how they are classified. They found that the most beautiful people earned 10% more on average; normal, when I interview a pretty creative, I am more inclined to hire her than an ugly person.
Of course, talent plays its role, but no matter what we say, we are still seduced by beauty.
Furthermore, we're changing into a society of elderly. Every 50 seconds, a Frenchperson turns 50 years. Do you realize!
I was in China a few weeks ago. My Chinese boss tells me: “Do you know that the population under 30 years in China is equal to the whole population from Russia, America, and Australia?”
On my way back, I stopped in India to visit our branches, and my Indian boss said: “But you're must be kidding. Here, the population under 30 is twice that of China, for they are limited to one, maximum two children, whilst there's no limit for us.”
Faced to that, we're growing a population of older, more and more envious people, envious of what? Youth! I know it because I'm its very illustration.
So we're obsessed with the idea of aging young.
Young people begin to nurture this obsession from the age of 20 years. Do you know that people begin to worry about their pension as soon as 21 years? It's to bang one's head against walls! You can see you've got a future ahead of you. Nevertheless, at 21, we've already started thinking about retiring, and we're already thinking about physical withdrawals. Therefore we are beginning to want to gloss over imperfections before it's too late, even before our kids can perceive them, and more than anything, we want to project ourselves into a new lifestyle, that is to say the aging know-how.

I am pleased to participate in this launch of Paris Capital of Beauty, ambitious as it is, because it is about the only things that we're left with in France. We have ideas, the beauty, luxury, lifestyle. That sets our battlefield. As for the rest, we are a small country which in any case will be eaten up by bigger ones. But we embody the universe of beauty, and it is precisely what you're fighting for with your project.
Furthermore, I think that we, rather you are destroying a taboo, and this is the most important.
When a woman is having a cosmetic surgery, she dare not say it, sometimes not even to her husband, that's the limit! I have known women who went on a trip with my wife for 15 days in hiding, and at their return, the husband would not even notice that they'd had a cosmetic surgery. But such was the case.
So there is a real underlying communication problem. I'm not talking about an advertising problem, which is prohibited, and after all this is perhaps not a bad thing even if we're the last country to ban medical advertising, though much need there is, but we must manage to overcome this fear.
If I were 40 years younger and if I'd known you 40 years ago, I would have 35 years later the hair of George Clooney, as I had my first surgery at age 40. I was growing bald, so I thought “that will not work with chicks” - sorry, I had not yet met the woman of my life, and so I've been in the hands of a top class surgeon.
But 40 years ago, you can not imagine what it was like. It was as though my liver, eyes, ears got ripped off. I spent 15 days with a bandage around the head. 3 sessions were planned, but I've never been to the 2 others.
Firstly because the change wasn't significant enough, and secondly because I was ashamed to be told “so you're losing your hair, and you're having a few grafts...” etc.
Until the day Berlusconi went before the camera with his bandage on his head and said: “Leave me alone, I got hair implant”.
That's the evolution we are going through. Normal: since we are entering a world of Image, we must sacrifice to Image.
And what I like in your project is the democratization of plastic surgery. There is no reason for only those who know, those who are rich, the so-called elite or gentry are the only ones to benefit from it. Everyone is entitled to cosmetic surgery. I hope one day it will be covered by Social Security. It already is sometimes the case, but not enough.

There's then no reason not to treat the “disease”, and you have the capacity to heal it.

I believe we are entering an era of professionalism. What do you embody? The only thing one expects to find: skill, safety and efficacy. Bravo Marcel in any case to have achieved this. Although the apprehension of the public shall be overcome.

To conclude, I picked a sentence from Yvo Pitangui since you are now, Marcel, the new Pitangui who, as you may know, is listed in the book of the millennium as one of the key men and women of the 20^th century alongside Freud, Fleming, Einstein and Marie Curie, and I wish you the same, Marcel, in a few years.
He said: “Despite this great honor, I am at peace with my image because I have an condescending ego”. As is your case, my dear Marcel.
In addition it must be said that the beauty industry is a French industry. Remember that the greatest mark of beauty, L'Oreal, is a French brand. 40% of luxury worldwide is a French output, whether Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, you name it. It is part of the essence of France to stand up for Beauty, as it is to set standard for wine, food, or hostelry.
And we also have the most beautiful hotels in the world. That's why people love us.
If we are the most visited country in the world, it is due to our worshiping of beauty.
Since you can give it to everybody, what are we waiting for?
Of course, technology is required, you must be ethical. Of course, it is professionalism first.
That's what you did, Marcel, by getting together the greatest surgeons in the world. Well now, we need the press to help us make it known.
Admittedly advertising is not allowed, but I think it's a crime not to inform, not to liberate people.

I remind you that yes, it's true, I could have the hair of Brad Pitt. But 40 years ago it was not possible. It was so creepy, you were so ridiculous, that you would not go back.