I would argue the latter. Photoshop, a computer program that is able to alter photos in incredible ways, has been showing up more and more in magazines than most individuals probably realize. When I used to look at a photo of someone in a magazine, I expected the minor touch-ups: get rid of pimples, smooth out some areas, etc. But could photos be far more "photoshopped" than expected?
Here is a video that shows just how easily a photo can be altered without looking altered.
The ease of photoshop shown in this video brings up the concern: how do we know if photos are real or not? Could every photo just be fake? How does that affect, then, a reader? My main concern is that there are people looking at these photos and comparing themselves to those images. If photos of individuals in the majority of magazines are photoshopped to be flawless, what is that telling readers about self-image and about what is socially accepted? That beauty is having flawless skin, perfect teeth and makeup? Hmm...
To understand the prevalence of photoshop in mainstream media, this article from The New York Times does a great job of explaining it. One thing from it that I want to highlight is the idea that photoshopping is not always the editors initiative.
The article mentioned, for example, that "Chris Buck, a celebrity photographer who describes his shots as more natural, tells his assistant during photo shoots not to let a publicist or celebrity look at his work. He said his approach has cost him some business, especially with older actresses" (Haughney 1).
Yikes. It seems like celebrities aren't so offended to see themselves brushed up a little. But what implications does that have on magazines that, well, preach about "being yourself" and being "natural" like Seventeen Magazine? Did they not expect that someone would eventually think it's hypocritical to preach to girls that they should be natural but still publish magazine with photoshopped and overly edited photos? Well, here's what happened. Julia Bluhm, a 14 year old girl, called the magazine out on it and got the editor-in-chief Ann Shoket to pledge not to alter the photographs in the magazine. As skeptical as I am that Shoket will actually never alter photos, it's promising that people are beginning to call magazines out on this issue. Even better, Bluhm's petition on photoshopped photos in Seventeen caught a lot of attention and young girls are now looking to get Teen Vogue, another magazine, to make the pledge.
Will it catch on? Or will photoshopped, flawless, and deceiving images be here to stay? Are we ready to reject the ideals magazines paint for us? I guess time will tell.
