When we had a special book group about Scott Westerfeld's book So Yesterday over the summer, we had a really interesting discussion about digitally altered photographs of models and celebrities. At the time, the normal-sized Kelly Clarkson had been obviously whittled down to look a lot skinner on the cover Self magazine. ("Slim Down Your Way" and "Total Body Confidence" screamed the cover type...)
Because of this discussion, an online article from last week really caught my attention: Was the Photoshopped Ralph Lauren Model Fired for Being Overweight? The original ad shows an abnormally thin person modeling Ralph Lauren clothing and caused quite a stir among bloggers. Ralph Lauren's company actually released an apology for altering the picture in such an obviously distorted fashion. But the story went on further when the model, the gorgeous Filippa Hamilton, went public with accusations that they fired her for being too fat to fit in their clothes, yet continued to use her image with digital changes. And, for the record, this girl is not fat: 120 pounds is actually considered underweight for her height of 5' 10".
Basically, every picture you see in magazines of both men and women has been digitally retouched. Pores are removed, thighs whittled, arms reshaped. But, how much do you think is too much? Should companies be required to say what changes they have made to the pictures? Should more celebrities and models speak out about digital alterations? Are all digitally retouched pictures a form of free speech? It's something to think about every time you flip through a magazine.
PS--Want to read more? Check out this article about some major digital alteration scandals, including a recent incident when Iran added an extra missile to a publicity shot to cover up one that apparently didn't launch. It's not just people who get Photoshopped!
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