Question time. Are women in media (some men as well) forced to wear too much ‘Photoshop’, and, yes, I used the word ‘Photoshop’ and not ‘make-up’. In today’s digital age we just can’t imagine the media whether it be print, audio visual or social exist without Photoshop, which is understandable to some extent, but the obsession with extremely unrealistic ‘perfect’ human bodies cannot be justified on a moral or ethical stance. I am in no way saying that thin is bad or fat is in but even the so called ‘size zero’ models are not spared and are airbrushed beyond recognition to the point where in ads their waists and hips are ‘digitally’ chopped off to achieve the ideal body.
I do understand that Photoshop is not the core of the problem but just a means to an end. But these unrealistic images play a huge role in perpetuating body insecurities issues especially among young girls. For example there is a disturbing young trend among young girls around the world to achieve ‘Thigh Gap’ –the desire to not have one’s thighs touch (or come close) to touching one another all thanks to digital alterations. All women love to look good but there is a clear difference between simplistic vanity and unhealthy obsession over ones appearance. And what is the message conveyed by the mass media to the average woman, essentially that for her to be beautiful she has to follow these unachievable and bizarre trends and be generally unhealthy potentially leading to depression and eating disorders. There has been a plethora of research to indicate that women are negatively affected by constant exposure to models that fulfill the unrealistic media ideal of beauty. It’s also unfortunate that most media is geared towards women professing them to get thin and suggesting ways to do so. You could ask yourself to look away from these doctored pictures but then again it only normalises and justifies an unrealistic body type. Again coming to the bigger issue can a solution really exist and my answer is yes, it is essentially in the form of the critical eye telling yourself that these mind altering images should not define who or what you are. Just as using steroids is illegal for athletes its high time Photoshop be made illegal for models or else please carry a clear and bold disclaimer.
-Reader is an Indian business development manager based in Ajman
