How Photoshop is Contributing to Women’s Low Self-Esteem
As we have discussed over and over again here at Beauty and the Breast, the media plays a HUGE role in women’s self-esteem, body image issues, and feelings of not being ”pretty” or “good enough.”
Women and teenagers are continuously inundated with flawless looking women all over in the media, whether it be magazines, catalogs, the Internet, the images are everywhere.
But, perhaps it is time that we really start taking some a closer look at these images that we are constantly trying and failing to live up. First, I think everyone needs to take a good look at these before and after shots of celebrities:
As one female blogger points out here
What’s been hard for me is just getting older.. not being in my twenties anymore…and when I turned 35 whoa I really started to feel old. I want to see the beauty in myself but its not always easy because I do notice those little smile lines and imperfections that come with natural aging..I see them everyday and it does get me depressed.
If the media were to ban Photoshop retouches..could you just imagine? Women might actually start to feel better about themselves when we all begin to realize that our favorite stars have the same smile lines that we do..would we admire them ore or less?
Maybe we would all feel better about ourselves if we weren’t constantly bombarded with unrealistic images.
Photos courtesy of hemmy.net
I really truley feel better about myself, WOW!!! The lady in the black dress is made to have more curves…the eyes on alot of these faces….there like mine on the before pictures…and i feel its ok, thank you for sharing these, this is way more realistic!
Comment by kerry silicone2000 — July 7, 2008 @ 6:26 am
Indeed. And just imagine the next generation of girls, growing up with mothers who feel good about the way they look. Powerful role models of positive body feelings!
But, alas, if women felt good about themselves and their bodies, imagine the plummeting profits of the cosmetics, advertising and cosmetic surgery industries. These re-touched images simply spur us on to buy more of that face cream, this magazine with the “secret” to looking beautiful or that surgery that promises to finally rid us of our low self-esteem.
Sigh.
Comment by Dara Chadwick — July 7, 2008 @ 7:42 am
I know I feel better about myself after seeing the pre-post touchups!
Comment by Kacey — July 7, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
Whether it’s good or bad, I’ve often mimicked certain celebrities in terms of style, hair, make up etc. However, I can honestly say that looking at movie stars and looking at pictures in magazines have never made me feel bad about myself. I’ve always known about touch ups, and beyond that, these celebrities spend HOURS with personal trainers, massage therapists, make-up artists and more. Their lives are spent maintaining their looks. If we had endless amounts of cash and limited responsibilities, I’m sure we’d all look like them too.
Comment by Jennifer F — July 8, 2008 @ 8:44 am
Has anyone noticed that when you watch French and British movies people actually look like real people? Especially in the French movies somewhat normal and often older women are objects of sexual desire, frankly ugly men like Gerard Depardieu can be heroes. It always strikes me — “Wow! Why are these people the focus of the film?” But then I get into it and it reminds me how pernicious this need for physical perfection is.
I wonder sometimes how women like Scarlett Johansen (who appears to have her own breast, lips and beauty) must feel about other starlets who are buying these attributes. Johansen would have been Marilyn Monroe in an earlier era when it was harder to ‘get the look.’
Comment by Suzanne — July 9, 2008 @ 9:22 am
I meant to leave a comment here days ago but I guess it’s better late then never..I wanted to say thank you for the trackback and also for mentioning me in your post. We do think alike. Looking older will probably never be fun but I’d like to think eventually I’ll feel more comfortable with that and enjoy the wisdom I gain as I get older. With years has come my ability to relate to other people and not to have a closed mind that seems to come with being young and dumb and my ability to find the positive in even bad situations and I’m not as self centered as I was in my twenties and how good it feels to love someone like I do my children..unconditionally and how I’ve learned to give without strings and learning that it’s rewarding to do it. So, yeah not being twenty sucks but being 35 ain’t so bad either.
*wink*
Thanx again! ~ Barbara ~ ibdreamy.com
Comment by Ibdreamy — August 4, 2008 @ 4:28 am