February 26, 2010

Photoshop with Warning Labels?

There was an article in the Gothamist today called "Should Photoshopped Images Come with a Warning Label?" Such ideas like this and tax on "sugary drinks" (aka Soda) makes my blood boil. It's a viscous cycle that we have gotten ourselves into. We always blame someone else or something else for our problems. Instead of stopping you're self from eating McDonald's every day you blame them for the reason you're fat. Instead of saying I really don't love who I am or love myself that's why I have a eating disorder you blame photoshopped images that you see in magazines for your problems.

I grew up reading fashion magazine like Vogue and W with my mom. She would always have a monthly copy of it and I remember sitting with her reading it and picking out clothes that we both liked. She use to tear out pictures of clothing and accessories that she really liked and hang them on her wall. Of course, then I use to do the same thing I would cut out pictures from magazines that I bought and paste them into a journal that I had. I guess I always some how knew these models weren't "real woman." I never had a eating disorder or had self image problems from looking at these models. I never picked myself apart because of these images. I believe that girls should learn at a young age that they are beautiful that and there is no "perfect beauty" or "perfect woman." This of course should be taught at home. Perfection is in the eye of beholder. I truly believe that. All of us have flaws, even the most beautiful model I'm sure will tell you something they don't like about themselves. We all have something we don't like about ourselves but no one is perfect. Even money can't buy you perfection.

I understand that photoshopping images is like lieing but everyone has to realize that these are advertisements. That in order to sell their clothing they have to distort the truth, make the clothes look as enticing as they can. They want people to buy their clothes. Whether you buy your clothes from the same advertisement you saw or not you buy your clothes from something you saw because you remembered it. You knew it's in fashion. There are often times where I think "I remember seeing something like this is in an ad for ____." Whether or not we realize it or not what we buy is because of what is around us. What we saw. Some people will argue and say it isn't true. That they don't buy things off of what they see in ads they buy what they like. But what they like is based off of popular culture. Forever 21 and H&M take whatever is in or some designers fashion trends and change it a bit to make it more afford able but it's the same thing. I remember seeing the same dress from a brand line in Urban Outfitters that I bought in Forever 21 no it wasn't the same brand since it was from Forever 21 and it was cheaper but it was based off the same design which I'm sure is then based of another design. I'm just saying that everything comes in full circle and our choices in buying these are based off of what we see in advertisements whether we realize it or not.

Photoshopped images are just as much as a lie as woman wearing make up. Make up covers our imperfections. Some woman don't look the same as they do when they wear make up. If they give warning labels about photoshop then whats next? Warning labels about make-up, fake tans, fake eye lashes, etc. There are plenty of things that woman use to cover their imperfections up, to hide what they really look like.

I do however believe that models should be healthy. Yes some woman are naturally skin, god bless their little skinny bodies, and we have to remember that too. And how about the ones that starve themselves? Then there is something that needs to be done about that. You shouldn't have to starve yourself. Health should always be first. I know that I'll never be a size 0 but I exercise because I want to be healthy. I just think we need to realize the difference between healthy and not healthy, what is real and what is not real. Woman to get real with themselves. They shouldn't pick apart their bodies because of photoshop images.

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