The Center for Eating Disorders’ most recent blog, Our Photoshop Culture, was posted on the brink of even more pressing Photoshop news.  Blogs and national morning shows spent the day debating a recent Self Magazine cover shot of Kelly Clarkson which was heavily retouched and altered. Despite the singer’s own testament within the magazine that she feels comfortable with her body and doesn’t worry about her weight, it appears the magazine editors felt differently and are defending their choice to alter Clarkson’s appearance on the cover.  What message is this sending to the magazine’s readers? Even if you love your body, we don’t!?

On the otherhand, magazine editors and advertising execs in the U.K. might not have the option to use Photoshop for much longer!  Recently, members of the British Parliament submitted a proposal that would ban the use of Photoshopping techniques on advertisements that target those under the age of 16.  The proposal also requests mandatory disclosures on all Photoshopped images which would require advertisers to divulge each digital alteration that is performed on a photo – whitened teeth, shrunken waist, tanned skin, airbrushed wrinkles, etc.

This proposal came in the wake of a controversy similar to the Kelly Clarkson malady but involved a British advertisement featuring former runway model, Twiggy.  When the ad appeared, it was clear that Twiggy had been sculpted, smoothed and perfected, not by the face cream she was promoting but by the Photoshop master in front of the computer screen.

Each of these Photoshop media storms (and the many that will surely follow) serves to highlight the lengths the media will go to in order to preserve the myth of the perfect  body and a goal that they know none of us can reach.  It is the maintenance of this goal by advertisers and media that ensures the masses will continue to spend billions of dollars on diet products, gym memberships, make-up, and plastic surgery.

However, as evidenced by the political movement in England, there is increasing public awareness and outrage over the media’s continued misrepresentation of real beauty.   People are learning that they no longer need to remain silent – that things CAN change. The Center for Eating Disorders encourages you to use this as a challenge and a teachable moment.  Consider this the perfect chance to talk to friends, neighbors, children and parents, young and old, about the reality behind these media images.  Start the conversation today and let us know how it goes!  Join in the discussion on our Facebook Page.

photos courtesy of people.com and bellasugar.com