How lucky is Jessica Alba? Or Madonna? Or the countless others who have been retouched to mannequin-like perfection? These retouched images have millions believing that all celebrities just roll out of bed every day looking that gorgeous. Those of us in the industry know just how much Photoshopping is done to help sell magazines, movies, and Manolos, yet somehow we still fall victim to the beauty of the images before us. Is it art? Yes. Marketing? Of course. Unethical? Hmmm. That's where the debate becomes heated.
On one side is the groundswell of self-esteem advocates and parents of young daughters outraged by the deception. On the other side is the legion of astute marketers who know that idealized beauty sells a dream, and everyone wants to be part of a dream.
The UK is considering a Photoshop ban in magazines targeted to children under 16. Member of Parliament Jo Swinson says, "Today's unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means that young girls are under more pressure now than they were even five years ago. Airbrushing means that adverts contain completely unattainable perfect images no one can live up to in real life. We need to help protect children from these pressures and we need to make a start by banning airbrushing in adverts aimed at them."
Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, counters that Photoshop just makes the camera as forgiving as the eye. He says, "If you met Faith Hill in person, you would think she's absolutely beautiful. And when you take her picture, you will see every flaw that you never saw in person. Those flaws not only become visible, but magnified. . . . If I were talking to someone, I'd look at their eyes, not at the blemish on the side of their face. But as soon as you open up that photo on a 30-inch monitor, you'd say, 'Oh my gosh, where did that come from?' "
What do you think?
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