Purpose: Patients are commonly confused about whom to turn to in a competitive market of physicians offering cosmetic surgery. In light of the recent explosion in television shows depicting plastic surgery, it is not clear what impact this has on the public. Methods: In order to determine the effects of this media coverage, we designed an internet-based survey of University of Wisconsin residents, medical and nursing students, as well as the lay public consisting of undergraduate and graduate students. 2675 participants responded to questions about their television viewing habits and opinions of plastic surgery. 75% of the respondents were female, and 95% were under 35 years of age. Results: A majority of respondents believe that media coverage of plastic surgery has not helped explain the risks and benefits of plastic surgery, and reality TV shows have decreased respect for plastic surgery. The most commonly viewed reality show for each group was “Extreme Makeover”. Twice as many respondents would be less likely (compared to more likely) to go to a plastic surgeon based on what they have learned from these television shows. When asked to describe plastic surgeons, the most common adjectives reported were words such as money-hungry, greedy and superficial.