One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Plastic Surgeon's Big Mouth Gets Him Cut from Prince William's SoCal Polo Match
Playing polo (Photo by kidsire via Flickr)
Things are pretty cut-and-dried when it comes to the impending "Royal Visit" by Prince William and his new bride Catherine Middleton. With a spate of events on the docket for the newlyweds' Californian weekend, those who have been awarded a special spot on the Royal agenda need to mind their p's and q's.
Now the plastic surgeon who touted himself as the one selected to stand by on the sidelines of the Santa Barbara Polo Club in case His Highness needed some emergency reconstruction aid to his chiseled features has learned he is not going to be at the game after all.
Toby Mayer, the Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon "who has helped stitch up cuts at Santa Barbara Polo Club matches for years," has been notified he has been "deselected" as the surgical standby for Saturday's match.
Why? The Royal entourage wish to control the media when it comes to the big visit, and his talking to the press this week about his involvement in the match was a no-no. Here's what Mayer said, in a statement he issued himself:
“As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are embarking on a new life, keeping Prince William healthy and looking Hollywood, camera-ready, is of the utmost importance. I am honored to be selected by Buckingham Palace to be the Beverly Hills surgeon given such an esteemed privilege to keeping his royal highness looking good.” “Most people do not realize that playing polo is actually a dangerous sport. By all appearances it is a gentleman’s sport, however, to be competitive the player has to be not only fit and agile, but able to control a 1000-pound animal that is running at speeds of 35 mph, all while dodging other players, and avoiding being hit by the plastic ball and mallet which can cause serious injury.”
Oops. Dr. Mayer, you know what they say happens when you assume, right?
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
