Photoshop madness!

Hey y'all!

As most of you know, I've written a lot of posts on photoshop in the past, namely because I feel it's essentially the scourge of modern society and the empowerment of women in general.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so this week I have something that should be worth a million: a video!!

This video has been making the rounds on social media, but in case you haven't seen it yet, here it is! 

You guys know I love talking about "real" women, and this is a perfect example!  First of all, the amount of change we are now able to digitally accomplish is ridiculous.   But what's even more amazing to me in watching this video is the fact that by the time you reach the end of the video, you have lost any grasp on the reality of what this woman actually looks like!  The woman at the beginning of this clip is someone you can identify with: she's normal.  She's someone you might see on the street, she's someone you can imagine yourself having coffee with.  The end product, however (and note the use of the word product), is entirely superficial.  The image produced is fake; it's a creation of computer imaging, and the danger in this retouching is the fact that ad companies allow you to believe the woman they've created is somehow real.  

This leaves women feeling that there's no way they can possibly live up to the standards of this real-life Barbie.  Importantly, they can't; she's a figment of the imaginations of social branding specialists and in no way does she represent reality or any sort of attainable ideal.  And neither does any other picture you'll find in advertising!

So!  The take-away message is as such: never should you ever compare yourself to any kind of advertising, commercial publication, or the like.  Those representations of women are not real.  Not even the women used in the construction of these ads look anything like the final product!  So stop flipping through Cosmo wishing for smooth, cellulite-free legs or a gap between your thighs. You are real (and you are beautiful) and that is more than a computer image can ever be!

Enjoy your slice!

Sonja