Founded in 1974, the Women’s Center was established to:
Dismantle, from a feminist perspective, all forms of oppression, including but not limited to those based on ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Advocate for an equitable environment free from violence and harassment based on gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Create an anti-racist, non-sexist, queer-affirmative space where all people can feel valued and safe.
Facilitate and strengthen connections among people across lines of difference through programming and educational campaigns.
Integrate an appreciation of Women's Gender and Multicultural Studies across the disciplines.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Let's Be Real.

Have you ever seen an ad featuring a model that has obviously been photoshopped? I don't know about you, but that always strikes me as false advertising.


See what I mean? Is that really necessary?

Granted, the product itself may be represented accurately, but there is still that undeniable feeling that the company is lying to us. If the point of the ad is to feature the product, then why does the model need to be tweaked at all? This question goes into some deep issues about body image and the "ideals" presented by the media. I won't address this topic here and now, but rather the fact that governments across the world are finally taking notice of this ill effects photoshopped models are having on the young populations of all nations.

Just recently in Norway, it was proposed that all photoshopped advertisements must have a disclaimer printed at the bottom. The goal is to make it evident to the audience that the model in the photograph is not necessarily an accurate representation of the model in real life. A similar law was proposed in France, where the penalty would be up to half of the cost of the campaign. If there is anything that will make businesses obey laws, it's a hefty fine like that! The United Kingdom has had success with their slightly different version of this idea. There, photoshopping is BANNED from all ads with a target audience of people sixteen years or younger. All other ads must feature a disclaimer. Thus far, two companies have had their ads banned due to failure to adhere to these new regulations. It is too soon to say whether or not these policies are effective in regards to young people's ideas of body image, but I believe the simple recognition that photoshopping pictures of models is a negative thing is a step in the right direction. Let's keep on making steps like this!

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, a more detailed article can be found here.

2 comments:

  1. When I see that Photoshopped picture, I want to send that woman a large submarine sandwich! She looks as though she's starving – kind of like Demi Moore at the moment who has gone through so many procedures in order to look younger for someone who left her anyway.

    I have an actress friend and she tells me that in real life, models and actresses don't look
    anything like their best shots on film or magazines.

    The end result is that it makes 99% of the rest of the female population insecure about not being beautiful enough. And I think even the most beautiful women feel insecure too because they're always afraid of losing that beauty, and they know that much of their value is placed on being gorgeous. Looks fade and then what are they left with?

    Great article.

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  2. My husband thinks that photoshopping is done only because companies have found that sales are increased as a result, therefore the blame lies with consumers. I think that the advertising companies are basically in competition with each other and the comsumers are caught in the middle. I would rather buy a top from a model who looks more like me so that I could judge how it might fit me.
    Love your blog!

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