Today I want to talk about a subject that has bothered me for a good while now and that is fake images in the media. I’m sure most of you have picked up a fashion mag of some kind and right front and center there is a perfect model on the front page.
What’s wrong with that?
Well, my problem with it is because the image is fake. Did you know that? Nearly all images that appear in popular magazines have been retouched using a program know as photoshop. In case you are not familiar with photoshop, it is a image editing program that you can remove all blemishes and imperfections. You can remove anything that harms your appearance, even excess weight. That’s right, you can lose untold amounts of weight with just a few clicks of a mouse.
The main reason I have a problem with this form of image retouching us because it gives a false image of perfection. Is this the new standard of beauty? A retouched, manipulated image of a model that does not even look that way in real life?
How Many Have Been Retouched?
Expert photographer Tim Lynch says that 99.9% of images that appear in all of today’s magazines have been retouched in some way because it has become the “industry standard.” Celebrities and models alike do not want any images of them released until they are run through and edited to perfection. Some of the only true images left anymore are the paparazzi shots.
What They Are Doing Is Wrong!
The publishers of these magazines do not feel that the are misleading the public because they feel it is widely known that the images have been altered before publication. Just because everyone is doing it does not mean that it is right. I know many times I have looked at a magazine and said “I wish I could look like that.”
It gives many a false impression of what is acceptable in today’s society and, for some, sets them up for fail even before the begin their weight loss programs. It is important to set realistic goals to be successful when losing weight but getting slammed in the face with unnatural images of what is considered “beauty” sure doesn’t help anyone’s feelings.
What are your those and opinions on this? Post them in the comments below!