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Women are often jealous of the incredible good looks of the models in magazines.
Would you still be jealous if you knew that every single image you’re seeing is an illusion?
The unreal standards and body images being portrayed in your favorite magazines and ads are nothing more than a fraud, each and every photo has been retouched before it is seen on the pages of these magazines. While everyone in the fashion and magazine industries seems to be aware of it and absolutely no one is even trying to deny it, there are a lot of people out there complaining about how unrealistic it is to show those kinds of altered images at all.
PhotoShop
Excessive photo-shopping and retouching makes it virtually unimaginable for women to feel beautiful or good about the way they look when they’re comparing themselves to these models who don’t even really look like the same species as what we’re comparing ourselves with!
We, as women, are constantly encouraged to look our best, be healthy, and to buy all of the products that these magazines promise will make us that way.
These images feature the perfect skin, tiny waists, and long legs. But here’s your wakeup call ladies! It is all a sham!
But are the makeup, advertising, or magazine industries scared? Nope.
Women who find out the truth usually try to tell themselves it is impossible to compete with these fake airbrushed images. Right on, ladies.
But instead of changing, the marketers are laughing all the way to the bank as these same women rush right out to the store to buy whatever they’re selling, because let’s be honest– we all still actually DO want to strive to be that beautiful.
An anonymous photo retoucher, who professionally tweaks these images for a living, says that every man and woman needs to know that last single image you see has been retouched. There are just absolutely no images left that feature the real skin, curves, or hair of a woman that hasn’t been significantly altered. This retoucher wants people to realize that even these ‘perfect’ actresses and models are far from perfect, but the industry has gone so off course that it doesn’t even matter anymore. They just redefine their looks and create the image with their own version of perfection.
Major Image Adjustments
Everything from billboards to commercials to magazine images, it is all retouched. And not just a little nip or a tiny tuck there. It isn’t just covering up a pimple or a stray hair. The insiders report that it is significant- they move an actresses face and actually paste it on to a thinner body.
Seriously! Like they weren’t hot enough already!? Or they swap out a model’s legs onto a different actress’s photo. In some cases, very thin models have been altered to look less bony. Some heavier models are ‘adjusted’ to look thinner. Models with skin problems are simply altered to have a different skin tone. If they don’t like the color of your hair? They just change it. Any problems whatsoever are adjusted before the image hits the streets.
The silliest ads of all, according to retouching artists, are the mascara ads. You guessed it- they are of course wearing fake eyelashes, and then tons and tons of makeup to make their eyelashes stand out, like it is even possible to make your eyes really look like that. Then, after the shoot, the real artists come in, drawing even more eyelashes onto the images in a way that makes it look real enough for a consumer to want to run out, but that mascara, and see the results. Naturally, they are going to be disappointed! How is this even legal? It’s simply lies- all of it! All you need is a computer and a paint brush and these retouchers can do whatever they’d like. Entirely fake women. What is this world coming to?
Should Women Be Informed?
Insiders laugh at the suggestion that advertisers should come out with acknowledgments that photos have been retouched, saying that every single photo would have that disclaimer, so it is basically pointless.
Make up ads are typically entirely altered, the skin tone, complexion and color is often entirely painted over to give it the effect that the director wants. This can add color, shine, or cover up imperfections.
It’s a Full Time Job
Insiders also report another reason that women shouldn’t be so darn hard on themselves is that models actually make a living on looking beautiful, and really have nothing else to do besides focusing on that.Not that being a model is easy, but let’s be realistic, their work is in preparation to look their best for the camera, to try out the best new skin care regimens or makeup, and to stay thin. While the rest of us are working and taking care of a family, with just a spare few minutes per day to try to focus on a beauty ritual, these models make a living off of beauty tips and tricks and looking their best. Real women would be up 24 hours a day if they tried to balance their lives with the kinds of beauty routines like the models take part in. It just isn’t possible and we shouldn’t fathom that we should compare ourselves to these models, but alas, we do.
Models have been groomed to only eat certain things, to go to the spa, to work out, and to spend hours on their hair and makeup. So “real” women shouldn’t feel the need to even try. While it is easier said than done, we women out there need to stand strong and reject the idea that we’re supposed to look like the models and actresses we see in magazines. Average women do not have the time, the money, or the ability to do what models do day in and day out.
On Set Benefits to Looking Good
There are also the on the set issues that make it difficult to compare yourselves to magazine photographs. Imagine if you had a professional makeup artist to do your makeup every day! Or a professional lighting crew to light you in the perfect way so that your best side was always showing?
These women have staff to make them look perfect. And the fancy clothing! Obviously, regular people can’t afford skirts, dresses, and blouses that cost thousands of dollars. Not only is it the expensive clothes, but they are also individually tailored to fit those teeny tiny bodies. And even the clothes they’re wearing are often retouched to fall perfectly or conceal the smallest of imperfect details.
So we can’t blame retouching for the unrealistic standard of beauty displayed in women’s magazines! It is a combination of natural beauty, time on their hands to look amazing, perfectly tailored and very expensive clothing, professional makeup artists and lighting, and anything leftover that might not look perfect can be fixed using Photoshop! You do not have a chance to look that good!
Everyone is aware that magazines have used super skinny models that suffer from eating disorders or at least look like it, and then on top of that, they Photoshopped them to look even tinier. Surprisingly, nowadays, magazines are actually using the same size models but they are Photoshopping them to look larger! While this may seem like a step in the right direction, it should be just as troublesome to readers.
This new trend might be due to the new appreciation for curves. Fabulous women like Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé Knowles are making their curves look fabulous and flaunting them left and right. This newly observed pride in their bodies is making other women redefine what is sexy.
So how about this- these magazines actually find real women and put them on the pages, instead of hiring these tiny models and adding pounds on to their legs, arms and stomachs? Whether they’re adding weight or removing it, all of it is wrong. Everything we’re looking at is fake, and the sooner we all figure that out, the better. We might as well be looking at cartoon images for as real as these photos are. At least, if we were looking at the newest fall fashions on Jessica Rabbit, we’d put things into perspective!
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I’m supportive of teaching people not to be naive about advertising. It’s easier than convincing magazines to employ ugly broads posed awkwardly in poor lighting so that the woman reading can feel superior about themselves. Before you write me off as being cheeky and insensitive, please consider that if we don’t teach our children consistent messages about where their worth comes from, we are just handing them, in all their innocence, to the mass media machine. That’s an outrage. As for photoshopping–once you know it’s fantasy–you can get back to the regularly scheduled entertainment (which is also fantasy). As if Youtube is real life and facebook friends has anything to do with relationships. Btw, all the men you see are photoshopped too–thank goodness for photoshop!
We all know the pictures we see are touched up to some degree but the problem with today’s society is is that we don’t get a choice in whether we want to see it or not it’s just in our faces wherever we go. They say we need to get on top of suicide, eating disorders, bullying and crime against women but all they do is let companies escalate these issues because of the sake of turning a profit.
You can’t even bring your children into a servo without seeing boobs and perfect bodies plastered on the front covers or even worse showing girls getting it on with each other. My girls are only young and all of that is not what i want my kids seeing at such a young age and even worse these magazines like zoo and penthouse are plastered at our local supermarkets as well some near the kids toys of all places! We can’t even shop in a family supermarket for crying out loud! Our tv shows and movies have ratings for a reason so we have a choice whether we want to watch so why is it we don’t have a choice when it comes to magazines whether we want to see it or not.They should be in a sealed bag just showing the heading so if you want to see all that you know where it is and can see it for yourself by choice.
Some friends I knew from New Zealand said they have theirs sep and were disgusted that ours aren’t. It’s like Pornos the covers show all sorts of pictures but they are up high and out of the way and you know where to go if you want to rent it. Out of the way of everyone elses view.
Back when i was a kid young people dressed age appropriate, not now they have everything hanging out. It’s great to be confident and want to feel and look great but there should be limits especially for what examples society sets for our children. Also being in a relationships these days is hard enough without having all these mags shoved in your faces making you feel like crap. It’s not about self esteem or jealousy it’s just about choice and wanting to live the life you want and not the one that has been chosen for you that sex sells and all that matters is what we look like and what we do with our bodies.
These days it’s just all about making a profit instead of showing honest family values. Once upon a time we did. Being in a relationship to me means respect and that to me means you shouldn’t be enjoying looking at other people half naked otherwise why are you in the relationship in the first place, these days you can’t avoid it even if you tried which can just cause problems on so many levels but thats just my opinion.
Let me get this straight: I believe you said women “shouldn’t even try” to look good because we will never measure up to unrealistic media images! What a crock. A women should always attempt to at least look presentable, my God. And although I DO agree that we need not compare ourselves to fabricated media images, we also need to be able to deal with the fact that there will be people in real life who are way more attractive than us. Can’t blame that on the media. Bottom line is we as women need to stop comparing ourselves to anyone or anything else, in real life or media.
I am or was, one of those girls who refused to believe the photos were all retouched one recently in a newspaper article of a very young model who was all oiled up and VERY skinny indeed~ that made me feel really rubbish about myself as ppl were calling her beautiful especially men. I actually cried yes I admit it, and because I am curvy, size 10 with hips and boobs I felt like I was fat no matter how much I exercise, I can’t change my body shape / make my hips smaller.. thank you for this article it has opened my eyes and now i won’t be feeling like rubbish any more!
Believe it or not, magazines are not the only problem, it’s the consumers. Consumers dictate what the companies give to them. If “average” women were actually OPEN to seeing REAL women on magazine covers, unretouched photos of beauty ads, it would have been done a long time ago or at a faster rate. Fact is as of right now, people want what they can’t have…. they want to see something better than themselves. I am not saying these photos are BETTER than the real thing, it’s just very unrealistic to the point where ppl can’t achieve it but still feel they should strive for it instead of speaking up against it as False.
This is just my opinion.
The adults are one thing but what really worries me are the children who grow up watching these fake images and thinking that is the ultimate body they must strive for. Not only is it unhealthy to look like that in real life, but we’re enforcing the idea that looks are what matters the most. What’s wrong with having little bit of curves on our body? Fat isn’t sexy and fat is unhealthy, but unhealthily skinny or manufactured images to look such way aren’t any better. It really worries me how our next generation will turn out.
WOW that is messed up. The photo of the woman with her ribs showing and then the photo shop a little more meat on her bones. Why make her loose so much weight when they have to add more to her weight.
I knew it, I told my wife but no, when it comes to fashion magazines, my wife is the boss, and she is convinced the models pictures are real. I going to show her this and it just might change her mind. Wish me luck!
That is just beyond wrong that they do this. This is a danger to young girls everywhere. They are so vulnerable and it is very upsetting that their minds are brainwashed like this. This is how Hollywood can be lethal.
It is time that they stop using photoshop for touching and start using REAL women with REAL curves as models in magazines.
I wish every girl and women knew this. Maybe they would be proud of their bodies if they did. Hollywood is dangerous when it comes to this.
I have always known this but so many girls and even women don’t. This is damaging to a lot of them and thanks for putting this out there.
Real women are more beautiful than any manmade portrayal can ever be. Why? Because we’re human beings with fascinating quirks and irresistible flaws, whereas a lot of the images of women we see in the media are about as human as plastic Barbie dolls. Airbrushing and digital altering is now everywhere.- but did you know the women you see in many music videos, television shows and films are also being airbrushed?
I strive to look my best, partly because of my own personal interest in being part of the production industry. I realize there is a certain danger to certain younger persons who may not be well informed, but for those who realize that photos are always enhanced, it shouldn’t harm their self esteem as long as they realize that everyone has flaws and we all look pretty normal in person and without makeup.
We live in a sophisticated digital age where the media coverage is a 24 hour cycle. I think most people are very aware that all publications use digital editing software to correct images one way or another. That is why I am quite taken aback that some of the readers have responded with such disdain for what is essentially a reality of magazine publishing.
That is a great point, Travis. I am glad you brought a refreshing, non-judgemental view to the conversation. Reading most of the comments, I was getting a sense that most people are condemning publishers or even the models for wanting to look good. If you got married and had your wedding photos shot by a pro, would you not want to have that blemish or pimple airbrushed out of your wedding album? Of course you would!
Thank you for writing this, because this is a scary fact! These are not real women!
I really do not see what the big deal is with this subject. Everyone should know that every photo in fashion and glamour magazines are retouched. In fact, the examples in this video are color correction edits. Every photo need color balancing or an increase in contrast or both. I have been shooting photography for over 10 years and I use Photoshop to enhance all of my pictures.
Unbelievable. I also wish that more people realized that models don’t actually look like that. Also the fact that they go to the gym or spas and eat a certain diet doesn’t mean anything. I do all that too and it’s not going to make me look like that.
This is so true! I wish more guys realized this instead of drooling over girls who don’t actually look that way! Just tweet this to my boyfriend lol.
It’s almost comical seeing how distorted the proportions on these models are. I’ve seen a lot of photoshop mistakes on magazine covers; people don’t look like this. Yet, we’re still buying these magazines and consider their advice..
It’s such a shame how our society values these false images. Real beauty comes from flaws and knowing that none of us are perfect. Eventually we will get wise and appreciate our bodies as God intended- I still have hope
If you take a close look at the skin complexion of Megan Fox, you will find that she has plenty of imperfections that we all have, such as enlarged pours and tiny acne scars. In this age of media and publications, it should come as no surprise that most, if not all publications use post production editing to enhance the photos.
This is very sad because so many girls and women feel worthless while looking at these magazines and many end up resorting to eating disorders. The message about this needs to be spread as far as it can go so women and girls realize that the girls in these magazines are indeed fake. Or their bodies are anyway.
It amazes me that they think they have to do this in order to sell a product or get people to buy a magazine. Why not create something like a weight loss product that actually works and use untouched people that actually have before and after results? Could it be because there is no such thing? This is very frustrating and makes me want to boycott the magazines.
Lots of people are paying for a service like this now just for their Facebook pages and such. Even using photos from years ago as well for people they haven’t seen in a while.
I don’t understand why they do this if everyone knows that it’s fake and photo shopped. What is the purpose behind having people in and on the magazines that look like this? Is it simply to make men think their wives and girlfriends should look like that or is it just a sales ploy to get the women to buy the products that these fake models are selling? Which means the product is fake too.
I was educated from a young age by my mom that the appearance of a person was the least important quality I should look for when making friends. I grew not caring much about how people look and I consider myself lucky for having such a great mother. What I worry are the millions of children that will be raised by mothers who have grown up in this generation. Their illogical expectations about looks and their hopefulness to become something that isn’t real. Seriously, what’s this world turning into?
This is always the worst part about these magazines. I stare at them daily dying to look like these women, when in reality, the women themselves don’t look like that.
I’m always worried about what this is going to do to my daughter when she gets older. I hope she doesn’t think that she’s not perfect because of these photoshopped images.