Re-touching reaction

Thanks so much to all of you who commented -- and emailed me privately -- with your questions about mothers, daughters and body image. We had a wonderful discussion after my presentation last night.

We spent part of the time talking about re-touching and the effect that media images have on women and young girls. I showed some examples of re-touching and those who attended seemed shocked at the level of manipulation that's done to most magazine photographs.

Taking the time to talk with our daughters about how pictures are changed is really important. Rationally, we all know that photos are re-touched: blemishes are erased, thighs are made smaller and skin is made smooth. But when you see those changes with your own eyes? Well, it opens the door to a whole new way of thinking about the very images to which we compare ourselves.

Some of you have seen these links before, but they're worth a second glance. There's the Dove film called "Evolution," which offers a start-to-finish (although fast) look at how a model goes from fresh-faced to (truly unreal) billboard glamour. And there's a look at beautiful country singer Faith Hill on the cover of Redbook magazine (courtesy of Jezebel). You can also check out photographer Greg Apodaca's Web site, which lets you roll your mouse over the images to see the re-touching he's done. 

Amazing, isn't it?

Re-touching isn't a secret, but seeing it with your own eyes is enlightening. It's OK to look at pretty pictures in magazines, but remember to look at them just like you'd look at any other artist's work -- as merely a representation of that one artist's (or magazine's) vision of beauty.

And don't ever let your daughter -- or yourself -- make the mistake of thinking that's what we're supposed to look like.

Comments

[Man Hands Lizzie]

I've seen the Dove Commercial a few months back. But on film, that model's real face looked flawless to me so, although I was aghast at the result of hours of make-up and photoshopping, that doesn't compare to the before and after pictures of Greg Apodaca's website. Whoa! When I was growing up, looking at the actresses and models in the magazines, I thought I was the only person who had facial pores and dark circles under my eyes. Or that little flabby fold on my back. Or all those other things that made them look so perfect, and me so... ordinary and feeling like an old shoe. I'm grateful for these revelations because I don't want girls to grow up having a terrible body-image like I did. I'm only starting to appreciate my self now that I'm older and I'm happy that I'm getting to that place. But I know some people who never outgrow these insecurities.

Great blog! It's great to know more and more women are encouraged to love the body they are in because of you and others like you who write about body image. Keep it up!