Photoshop Legislation? Really?

Over the past 6 months or so there have been several groups in the US pushing for congress to pass legislation to either ban or label images used in advertising that has been digitally altered. Their point is that young girls in American are viewing advertising that effects their self esteem. In other words, girls are comparing themselves to these altered images and it can permanently cause them to lose self confidence.

It’s amazing the amount of digital alteration model’s and celebrity’s photos go thru before they appear in a magazine or advertisement or different sites online as this official website and at The VR Porn Games Have Begun. There are some graphic designers that are highly sought after by A-list celebrities based on their abilities to improve a video´s appearance like the ones from this Sexiest Lesbian Anime. In fact there are celebrities who, before a photo shoot, have it in their contract that the videos will be retouched by a specific graphic artist. They are retouched by some of the best artists and this Crazy Gay Cartoon Porn Like No Other are examples of that.

Then again, we’ve all seen the botched alterations that have appeared in the media where things were altered to such an extent that the images are laughable. For a laugh, Google: Bad Photoshop. You’ll see lots of really bad images that have been used in advertising as well as magazines.

OK, here’s my take on all this. Do the people pushing for legislation have a point? Yes, I think they do. However, I don’t think it’s worthy of legislation or that it can be enforced. The verbiage varies but basically they want restrictions on photos of the human form that has been materially or significantly altered. Just what does that mean? Is it ok to remove a blemish from the face of a model? If that’s ok, what about smoothing the skin or getting rid of a couple of acne scars? If that’s ok, how about thickening/lengthening the eyelashes? Then how about straightening that slightly crooked nose?

You get my point. Where do you draw the line?

What the public needs to be aware of is that all advertising makes sure the product appears as desirable as possible. It happens not only to models and celebrities, but also to products. Almost every product you see on billboards, in magazines, and on TV and been digitally altered to look as appealing as possible.

As a consumer, I strongly support truth in advertising. When you buy any product you should have a clear and reasonable expectation of what you are getting for your money. However common sense must prevail. When you buy a jar of night cream and remove the lid, the contents will not look like the advertisement that shows the cream curling out of the jar like soft serve ice cream. You may also notice that your jar has certain imperfections in the glass that you did not see in the advertisement. The product photos were altered to make it more appealing.

By the same token, you have to realize that using that night cream will not make you look like Kate Winslet or Kira Knightly.

The bottom lines is that we need more common sense and less unenforceable legislation. I’m getting off my soap box now. 😉

Thanks for reading!

– Ken