# Photoshopping Gone Too Far???



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

Although photoshopping does exist for both genders, it is probably most prevalent with females, so I thought I would post here. Do you feel the media/companies have gone too far with photoshopping, giving completely unrealistic ideas of what a body image should look like? There was a lot of pushback at Victoria's Secret over the photo they posted on Facebook below. My first thought is sympathy for the model being born with only one as$ cheek ... Some of the other photoshoppinig jobs I have seen are even worse, and I don't see anything positive from them.

I guess for the guys, do the images you see alter your view in any way of what a female's body should look like? Is this setting up unrealistic expectations for you?


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## TeddieG (Sep 9, 2015)

The unrealistic images sure do create hell for my nieces.


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## Bridge (Dec 27, 2013)

I met the boyfriend years ago in an illustration class. It was called "rendering" and for one fruit assignment I painted an orange from life, giving it imperfections and using some really unfortunate paint choices. The teacher panned it, declared to the whole class "nobody would eat this orange!!!" and gave me a C+.

That's when I learned that sometimes, things need to look better than real. I was not painting an orange. I was supposed to be painting the idea of an orange. My orange, faithfully and earnestly rendered, was not something that would inspire masses to buy oranges. I had been unnecessarily honest.

so what I'm saying is, I know the images are fake. I know I am being sold something too perfect. I know that woman modeling a bra does not exist on earth. Do I appreciate *real* looking women are used to sell undergarments? Heck yeah, but it's just a company trying to sell all the product they can, I don't expect much.

I've seen my boyfriend photoshop professional swim models to be skinnier - at the end of the day, he can't wait to be with me, cellulite and all


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## Givernor (Oct 3, 2014)

Good or bad I think it's a logical step in the desire for humans to appear to be something we aren't.
I mean let's just think about all the things women do to "enhance" their image in every day life. This is amplified if you are in the business of stage and screen by many times.

I think if scientist could invent a convincing way to project a hologram that would hide a person totally, with only the image being visible, people would be be lined up around the block to get it.. But I digress.

My personal view is that VS, for instance has the ability to employ all of the scouts, make up artists, stylists, photographers, trainers, lighting crews, tailors, nutritionists, hair dressers and on and on...And really it doesn't make a hill of beans because these girls are DROP DEAD GORGEOUS with or without any of it...It's hard to improve on god's work in this instance.


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## samyeagar (May 14, 2012)

The half naked hot cowboy pictures have had the abs cut and sharpened, airbrushed tan, sweaty and oiled skin, with a few smudges of dirt thrown in too. We are all surrounded by a photoshopped reality, be it photo's, script writers, celebrity worship, reality tv, selective social media posts, female, male, everywhere we turn we are faced with an altered world. Surrounded by special effects. Societaly, it's decried by one hand, and ravenously consumed by the other.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

I don't think this is a big deal.
I know I am saying this crudely, but it is usually the fat people who complain about thin women in commercials. Yes, most of us like thin women or more accurately, healthy women who take care of themselves. The PC nazis have turned this into requiring everyone like overweight and obese images just because someone or the other will be offended.

None of us are perfect.. deal with it. We cannot change the world. we can change how we deal with it.


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## perol (Oct 6, 2015)

I see no bad photoshop here. I see two ass cheeks, one more rounded, the other flexed and less rounded because the left leg is lifted slightly so the muscle is tighter.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

Phoroshopping has been around for years and has gotten to the point where it's laughable.

The ones I feel the most for are models who eat a piece of cheese a day and shoot heroin to stay emaciated and still aren't good enough so they have to be photoshopped. They are sent the message that their real value is their looks and after they turn 28 and get replaced by 16 year olds they're done. 

Sad way to live. 

Anyone who thinks this is healthy should take a look at an unphotoshopped pic of most of these women to see how emaciated they are.

I think what I find the most laughable is the way they photoshop in breasts. Because a woman who's 5'11, weighs 115 pounds and has her ribs sticking out is really going to have breasts, which are mainly fat tissue. Sometimes they'll screw up and plump up one more than the other. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

nirvana said:


> I don't think this is a big deal.
> I know I am saying this crudely, but it is usually the fat people who complain about thin women in commercials. Yes, most of us like thin women or more accurately, healthy women who take care of themselves. The PC nazis have turned this into requiring everyone like overweight and obese images just because someone or the other will be offended.
> 
> None of us are perfect.. deal with it. We cannot change the world. we can change how we deal with it.


That's a pretty big assumption to make. I'm genuinely sorry you think women who eat very little and shoot heroin to stay skinny and get photoshopped because they're still not good enough are healthy. 

I actually don't care what these guys publish, it has little to do with what I purchase and I'm past the point life where I give a sh!t anyway, so these are simply my observations. 

If they're that great because they take such good care of themselves why photoshop? 


Signed, a woman who is most definitely not fat.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## samyeagar (May 14, 2012)

lifeistooshort said:


> nirvana said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think this is a big deal.
> ...


There are a lot of unhealthy models for sure, but many are very healthy and take great care of themselves. The photoshopping comes in for making the skin uniform, adding tan, removing stretch marks, smoothing cellulite, highlighting definition, accenting curves. Most of it is very subtle, and I think that is where the true danger is.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

EllisRedding said:


> Do you feel the media/companies have gone too far with photoshopping, giving completely unrealistic ideas of what a body image should look like?


Absolutely. And I'm speaking as someone who lost a family member to anorexia. 

Photos are not just retouched to make models skinnier than they really are, but also to smooth over protruding ribs, clavicles and other signs of emaciation/malnutrition.

One of the most egregious examples of the former was when a photo of model Filippa Hamilton was tweaked until her hips were smaller than her head, which is grotesque. (Ralph Lauren actually apologized for that.)


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## sixty-eight (Oct 2, 2015)

i think it can be very harmful to those with body image issues. 

That said, fake is used to sell everything. When you see a cheeseburger commercial, at least half of it isn't food, but other things made to stand in and make it look awesome for hours under hot lights. Toothpaste doesn't come out in a sideways S. When i spray febreeze on my couch, the smell doesn't come off of it in pastel cloudy wisps with flowers. 

Being able to separate fantasy from reality is worthy life skill. On that note, i think they should have to put a disclaimer on the image if it's altered.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

sixty-eight said:


> i think it can be very harmful to those with body image issues.
> 
> That said, fake is used to sell everything. When you see a cheeseburger commercial, at least half of it isn't food, but other things made to stand in and make it look awesome for hours under hot lights. Toothpaste doesn't come out in a sideways S. When i spray febreeze on my couch, the smell doesn't come off of it in pastel cloudy wisps with flowers.
> 
> Being able to separate fantasy from reality is worthy life skill. On that note, i think they should have to put a disclaimer on the image if it's altered.


That's a very good point..... food is photoshopped all the time.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

samyeagar said:


> There are a lot of unhealthy models for sure, but many are very healthy and take great care of themselves. The photoshopping comes in for making the skin uniform, adding tan, removing stretch marks, smoothing cellulite, highlighting definition, accenting curves. Most of it is very subtle, and I think that is where the true danger is.


Hey, more power to the ones that take good care of themselves. The VS models all look the same to me and all have that sunken eyes heroin addict look, but there are others outside of VS that look good. But many of them you wouldn't recognize in the flesh and I kind of feel bad for them. People develop an expectation of them and they have to live up to the photoshopped versions of themselves. Have you seen articles that take shots at celebrities when they're seen in the grocery store without makeup? How dare they not look photoshopped all the time! Tough way to live. 

I showed my hb a pic snapped at the beach of a well known swimsuit model and he didn't recognize her. She was generally in good shape but had a little midsection, breasts that sagged a little, and flabby thighs like everyone else. 

I remember reading an article by a guy who talked about dating a very well known model. He didn't name her for privacy reasons but he said she was one of the must insecure women he'd ever known. She felt constant pressure to be perfect and knew she'd be old in her industry by the time she was 30. He couldn't tell her she was pretty enough because she was so needy. They ended up splitting up over it. I'll see if I can find the link.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

Plus-Size Model Ashl-y Graham: "Things That Jiggle Are Okay!"

I agree w/ her.


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## larry.gray (Feb 21, 2011)

It certainly doesn't affect me. Photoshop just looks so fake unless it is very subtle. About 70% of the women out there look good to me... I guess I'm a man ****. 

I do worry about the influence on my daughters. I try as much as possible to give them positive body image. For the other two I think it has been quite successful.


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## Rowan (Apr 3, 2012)

ocotillo said:


> .....Filippa Hamilton was tweaked until her hips were smaller than her head, which is grotesque. (Ralph Lauren actually apologized for that.)


The singer, Faith Hill, was on the cover of Redbook a few years ago. When the cover came out, they'd not only elongated and thinned her arm, they'd also removed her _elbow_. Her arm swooped in one uniform twig-like line from shoulder to wrist - like a too-skinny wooden dowel. It was just so bizarre.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

Rowan said:


> The singer, Faith Hill, was on the cover of Redbook a few years ago. When the cover came out, they'd not only elongated and thinned her arm, they'd also removed her _elbow_. Her arm swooped in one uniform twig-like line from shoulder to wrist - like a too-skinny wooden dowel. It was just so bizarre.


Remember the Kelly Clarkson Self cover where they photoshopped a bunch of weight off of her? The editor gave some bullsh!t excuse about wanting her to be as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside. They had to have taken 20 or 30 pounds off of her. The best part was that they advertised an article about body confidence right next to her extremely altered picture.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## always_alone (Dec 11, 2012)

lifeistooshort said:


> I remember reading an article by a guy who talked about dating a very well known model. He didn't name her for privacy reasons but he said she was one of the must insecure women he'd ever known. She felt constant pressure to be perfect and knew she'd be old in her industry by the time she was 30. He couldn't tell her she was pretty enough because she was so needy. They ended up splitting up over it. I'll see if I can find the link.


The stereotype is always that fat, ugly women just can't bear the sight of these beautiful models, but the reality is that models, these beautiful, beautiful women suffer from huge body image issues, often have bulimia, anorexia or drug addictions because they are required to maintain an unhealthy body weight, and spend their lives scrutinizing every single pore for flaws that need to be photoshopped out.

It's a glamorous lifestyle, if you manage to be successful, but it is also a wretched lifestyle of self-loathing and insecurity. There is nothing quite like listening to models deconstruct themselves to drive home the point that all of this idealization does nothing but damage. Reality may be less "perfect", but it's a whole lot better.


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## richardsharpe (Jul 8, 2014)

Good evening
tricky question. "photoshopping" can be anything from color correction to blemish removal to major reshaping. The first is needed for any good quality photo -the last???

I think we have to accept that pictures (and soon video) are not reality. "photographic proof" isn't proof anymore. 

In some ways if modifying bodies becomes extreme enough in photoshop, maybe people will realize that it doesn't make sense to compare them to real people anymore - that might actually reduce the stress on people to conform to some ideal. The "ideal" will just become something like a cartoon.


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

As a red blooded male, that pic inspires nothing in me. If that is what they're selling...I'm not buying.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

always_alone said:


> The stereotype is always that fat, ugly women just can't bear the sight of these beautiful models, but the reality is that models, these beautiful, beautiful women suffer from huge body image issues, often have bulimia, anorexia or drug addictions because they are required to maintain an unhealthy body weight, and spend their lives scrutinizing every single pore for flaws that need to be photoshopped out.
> 
> It's a glamorous lifestyle, if you manage to be successful, but it is also a wretched lifestyle of self-loathing and insecurity. There is nothing quite like listening to models deconstruct themselves to drive home the point that all of this idealization does nothing but damage. Reality may be less "perfect", but it's a whole lot better.


One of my hb's nieces did a lot of beauty pageants during her teens and it was made very clear to her that she was beautiful and that was her value. It's a proper southern family (hb's ex wife) where as a woman it's sweet if you want to go to school or play sports but your real job is to be a beauty queen and find a man to do for you. Niece gained some weight into her 20's and had terrible body image issues because she was supposed to remain a beauty queen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

MountainRunner said:


> As a red blooded male, that pic inspires nothing in me. If that is what they're selling...I'm not buying.


I'd like to get her address so that I can send her a cheeseburger.


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

GusPolinski said:


> I'd like to get her address so that I can send her a cheeseburger.


Indeed...I mean, will you look at her? Where's the "cushion for the pushin'", yeah?  *grin*


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

MountainRunner said:


> Indeed...I mean, will you look at her? Where's the "cushion for the pushin'", yeah?  *grin*


I require a _sturdy_ lass.


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## dignityhonorpride (Jan 2, 2014)

The problem is saturation. We see these images everywhere, constantly, every day, and they slowly shift our perceptions of what's normal. 

As a young woman I was so affected by body dysmorphia that I "dieted" from a healthy 130lb to 83lb (at 5'3). I still struggle periodically with anorexia; I've been below 90lb 3x in adulthood. Photoshopping is certainly not the only source of my personal struggles but these images and their prevalence certainly contribute.


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## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

nirvana said:


> I don't think this is a big deal.
> I know I am saying this crudely, but it is usually the fat people who complain about thin women in commercials. Yes, most of us like thin women or more accurately, healthy women who take care of themselves. The PC nazis have turned this into requiring everyone like overweight and obese images just because someone or the other will be offended.
> 
> None of us are perfect.. deal with it. We cannot change the world. we can change how we deal with it.


You have dumbed this down to the extreme. Looking at it from an intellectual POV then yes it is a big deal. It is not about fat people complaining about thin women in ads, it is about real people stating that having PS / unnatural people in advertising is damaging to society. Both genders are damaged by this type of extreme fakeness. As a parent to both genders it is concerning that people are being sold computerised images that can never be realised not even by the beautiful because even they are having the natural and real them PS out.


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## always_alone (Dec 11, 2012)

lifeistooshort said:


> One of my hb's nieces did a lot of beauty pageants during her teens and it was made very clear to her that she was beautiful and that was her value. It's a proper southern family (hb's ex wife) where as a woman it's sweet if you want to go to school or play sports but your real job is to be a beauty queen and find a man to do for you. Niece gained some weight into her 20's and had terrible body image issues because she was supposed to remain a beauty queen.


Sad! I wish we could move past this idea that women's value is in our bodies, and not for the sake of our own health, but because the only thing that seems to matter is being judged fvckable by some dude.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> You have dumbed this down to the extreme. Looking at it from an intellectual POV then yes it is a big deal. It is not about fat people complaining about thin women in ads, it is about real people stating that having PS / unnatural people in advertising is damaging to society. Both genders are damaged by this type of extreme fakeness. As a parent to both genders it is concerning that people are being sold computerised images that can never be realised not even by the beautiful because even they are having the natural and real them PS out.



Well we all suffer from issues like that. Growing up, I was skinny and never seemed to put on any weight. I didn't really care about it, but my uncle (dad's brother) used to tease me about it because his son (my cousin) who was my age was plump and was considered better looking. They lived in the big city which was more liberal when it came to girlfriends so he had a few and I had none living in a smaller more conservative town in India so that became another issue to tease me relentlessly.

Did it scar me? Absolutely. I became very tentative amid girls and didn't know how to relate especially since I had no sisters. The point I am making is this happens to everybody and we need to deal with it and not look to blame everyone else. American culture is turning into avoiding personal responsibility and blaming others for our problems. Parents don't want to parent anymore, they just prefer to let the school do it. 

The world is a bad place. Luckily in the areas we live in, no body forces us to do anything, and we are responsible for our own actions. If people are sold these ideas, where are the parents?


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## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

What percentage of women looks like models in natural way? 5 ? less? And the rest of 95% is taught that this is the way to look..

They are using models who are skinnier than 95% of women and still narrow their wastes, slim the tights, etc. Why? And who is making those decisions? And based on what?


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## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

nirvana said:


> The world is a bad place. Luckily in the areas we live in, no body forces us to do anything, and we are responsible for our own actions. *If people are sold these ideas, where are the parents?*


Unfortunately, there are limits what parents can achieve. We try and hope it will work, but it is uphill battle. Our kids are exposed to this all the time.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

WandaJ said:


> What percentage of women looks like models in natural way? 5 ? less? And the rest of 95% is taught that this is the way to look..
> 
> They are using models who are skinnier than 95% of women and still narrow their wastes, slim the tights, etc. Why? And who is making those decisions? And based on what?


That's what models are supposed to do. Take you into a fantasy world where everything is awesome. That's what movies do as well. It gives a momentary escape from life. 

Yeah, so when I walk around, I see a buff guy with huge muscles. No one around me or in my circle is like him. Should I blame him?

The world is full of falsehoods. We need to develop a sense of what is good and what is bad.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

WandaJ said:


> Unfortunately, there are limits what parents can achieve. We try and hope it will work, but it is uphill battle. Our kids are exposed to this all the time.


True, but that is life. 
If they are not white, they are exposed to racism in the workplace. How will you shield them from that? I have faced it all my career. No one's called me bad names, but I (and other non-whites) have been passed over for promotions, given lower raises, given less opportunities to show what we can do etc etc. With no guidance, it took me years to realize that the problem was not me, it was in the system. I had to beat it by making myself so valuable that they have no other option. And I make my own promotions by switching jobs. 

There are many things that parents cannot protect their kids from. We can only teach them general good concepts and hope that they apply them when needed.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

nirvana said:


> Well we all suffer from issues like that. Growing up, I was skinny and never seemed to put on any weight. I didn't really care about it, but my uncle (dad's brother) used to tease me about it because his son (my cousin) who was my age was plump and was considered better looking. They lived in the big city which was more liberal when it came to girlfriends so he had a few and I had none living in a smaller more conservative town in India so that became another issue to tease me relentlessly.
> 
> Did it scar me? Absolutely. I became very tentative amid girls and didn't know how to relate especially since I had no sisters. The point I am making is this happens to everybody and we need to deal with it and not look to blame everyone else. American culture is turning into avoiding personal responsibility and blaming others for our problems. Parents don't want to parent anymore, they just prefer to let the school do it.
> 
> The world is a bad place. Luckily in the areas we live in, no body forces us to do anything, and we are responsible for our own actions. If people are sold these ideas, where are the parents?



If you move your kids to the ghetto and they are surrounded by drugs and violence, should I ask what kind of parent you were if they turn to drugs and violence? The point is that your reach as a parent is limited, kids will be influenced by their surroundings. 

Even if you're a great parent your kid will be influenced by their surroundings. 

Of course you can't control everything but too shrug off everything is irresponsible.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

lifeistooshort said:


> If you move your kids to the ghetto and they are surrounded by drugs and violence, should I ask what kind of parent you were if they turn to drugs and violence? The point is that your reach as a parent is limited, kids will be influenced by their surroundings.
> 
> Even if you're a great parent your kid will be influenced by their surroundings.
> 
> ...


That's why I said "that is life". Companies do what they need to do to make money. That is their job. Their job isn't to care about our kids. That is for us to do. 

Yes, kids will be affected by surroundings and friends and all that. There are no guarantees but if we teach them how to manage them, they are in the best situation to succeed.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

nirvana said:


> If people are sold these ideas, where are the parents?


Never raised a daughter I take it (?)


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## phillybeffandswiss (Jan 20, 2013)

nirvana said:


> I (and other non-whites) have been passed over for promotions, given lower raises, given less opportunities to show what we can do etc etc. With no guidance, it took me years to realize that the problem was not me, it was in the system. I had to beat it by making myself so valuable that they have no other option. And I make my own promotions by switching jobs.


Really? Do you really believe, minus the word racism, these things haven't happened to white people? I mean there was a stupid phrase created because they felt discrimination. It is called, idiotically, reverse racism. 

Anyway, what happened that you weren't educated on these matters? Teaching and protecting can be intertwined, but they are separate issues. I can teach my children how to survive in the world, but they know I can't always protect them.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

ocotillo said:


> Never raised a daughter I take it (?)


My daughter is 7, so you are both right and wrong. 
I know she'll be a challenge when she gets older...


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## samyeagar (May 14, 2012)

I think this is just one symptom of a much broader issue, and is one of the drawbacks to readily available, over saturation and consumption of media and entertainment. Humanity as a whole has never faced such rapid change and expansion, all within the space of a single generation. With the complete erosion of physical barriers of time and distance, people can literally see anything, anywhere, at any time, and the only thing standing in their way is self control. New social norms, behavioral expectations need to be created, and are in the process of forming, but they are changing humanity as a whole...some in good ways, some not.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

nirvana said:


> My daughter is 7, so you are both right and wrong.
> I know she'll be a challenge when she gets older...


Almost certainly. 

Breaking free from parental authority is a normal, healthy part of growing up and becoming your own person, but it's tough on everybody.

The theory in psychology is that boys tend to base their challenge to parental authority primarily on physical size. Even if they don't physically resist their parents, they understand that they could.

Girls tend to base their challenge to parental authority more on strength of ego. From the standpoint of a parent, this sometimes feels like arguing over whether or not the sky is blue.

Coincidentally, this happens right around the point when a daughter wants more and more to look, act and dress less like a little girl and more like a grown woman, which makes them especially vulnerable. Anorexia is actually fairly rare in boys.


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

ocotillo said:


> Anorexia is actually fairly rare in boys.


Could this be more b/c of the physical image boys gravitate or exposed to? Obviously a 6 pack is on the physical attributes typically pushed out there, but moreso are bulging arms and chests of which don't exactly go hand in hand with anorexia. With females the images are all about controlling their weight so they have 0 waists, thigh gaps, and whatever gaps are left ... a perfect breeding ground for anorexia.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

My son is 11 and I can control him very easily. Just raise my voice and be imposing and he falls in line. Males are simple.
So when my daughter was born and when she got to the age where I had to control her, I used the same technique.

What a failure! :laugh::laugh:

She would just get angrier and more rebellious instead of obeying. My wife then told me that I was dealing with a girl so had to use different means. So then I had to cajole and coax and hug and her kiss her into doing what I wanted her to do. Like learning her math tables this morning. Strong arming a female never works like it works for males. You need to use emotional means with them.

Yesterday, I picked her up from school and scooped her up in my arms to take her to the car. She wanted to walk, not be carried.  My baby is growing up.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

EllisRedding said:


> Could this be more b/c of the physical image boys gravitate or exposed to? Obviously a 6 pack is on the physical attributes typically pushed out there, but moreso are bulging arms and chests of which don't exactly go hand in hand with anorexia. With females the images are all about controlling their weight so they have 0 waists, thigh gaps, and whatever gaps are left ... a perfect breeding ground for anorexia.


I think depression for love-reasons is more in boys. I saw this in college, most of the love-suicides were males. Some imposing bullies too who were psychologically weak inside because a female rejected them.


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## phillybeffandswiss (Jan 20, 2013)

EllisRedding said:


> Could this be more b/c of the physical image boys gravitate or exposed to? Obviously a 6 pack is on the physical attributes typically pushed out there, but moreso are bulging arms and chests of which don't exactly go hand in hand with anorexia. With females the images are all about controlling their weight so they have 0 waists, thigh gaps, and whatever gaps are left ... a perfect breeding ground for anorexia.


Actually, it is deeper than you think.

One of the more interesting things came from Lane Bryant and their Plus size ads. There were editorials and female writers complaining that the "imnoangel" ads were bullying towards skinny women. Seriously, so you poke a hole in body image, but now you are bullying skinny women?

That's when I knew bullying had become the most over and easily used word.


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## samyeagar (May 14, 2012)

ocotillo said:


> Almost certainly.
> 
> Breaking free from parental authority is a normal, healthy part of growing up and becoming your own person, but it's tough on everybody.
> 
> ...


While eating disorders in males are reported and diagnosed at a much lower rate than in women, the numbers are hardly rare or insignificant. Taken as a whole, men and women are dissatisfied with their appearances at a very similar rate, it just manifests itself in different but equally damaging ways.

As a starting point, and many other sources are available...

Males and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association


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## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

nirvana said:


> That's why I said "that is life". Companies do what they need to do to make money. That is their job. Their job isn't to care about our kids. That is for us to do.
> 
> Yes, kids will be affected by surroundings and friends and all that. There are no guarantees but if we teach them how to manage them, they are in the best situation to succeed.


yes, their job is to make money. And our job, as parents and society, is to make sure they are doing it responsibly. So we should complain and be loud about it if we want things changed. That's grass root movement. And companies do change their behavior when enough people stand up to them. 
And I think that's what is happening slowly with those crazy photoshopped bodies of the women, who were already beautiful.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

EllisRedding said:


> Could this be more b/c of the physical image boys gravitate or exposed to? Obviously a 6 pack is on the physical attributes typically pushed out there, but moreso are bulging arms and chests of which don't exactly go hand in hand with anorexia. With females the images are all about controlling their weight so they have 0 waists, thigh gaps, and whatever gaps are left ... a perfect breeding ground for anorexia.


That (IMO) is certainly part of it, but another is control and a person's perceptions of how they may control their own life.


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## EnjoliWoman (Jul 2, 2012)

I understand needing to smooth out a wrinkly skirt or adjust the coloring of a photo so the article of clothing is better represented. Better should mean accurate (is the dress gold/white or black/blue?) BUT I think people should really not be altered. I've seen the photos and it's pretty rediculous. Giving Beyonce a thigh gap - WTF that girl is HOT. Noone needs to make her thighs thinner to make her more beautiful! Arms made into twigs, waists made unrealistic, faces airbrushed into Barbie plastic-perfect. 

I DO think (having a 16y/o who sees every imperfection as hideous) girls internalize this need to be perfect. I see it and I overhear it and it's sad. Many super models are super hot and fit - no need to alter, airbrush or change them in any way. As someone older I am FINE with those imperfections - I'd be HAPPY to have such few body issues!  They are still worthy of admiration. Makeup can hide plenty without needing to alter images.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

samyeagar said:


> Taken as a whole, men and women are dissatisfied with their appearances at a very similar rate, it just manifests itself in different but equally damaging ways.


Yes. There are plenty of other eating disorders besides AN and I'm not unsympathetic to that at all.


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## phillybeffandswiss (Jan 20, 2013)

EnjoliWoman said:


> Giving Beyonce a thigh gap - WTF that girl is HOT.


Uhmmm no. That isn't photoshop. Youtube showed me Beyonce is a reptilian alien shapeshifter.


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## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

nirvana said:


> My son is 11 and I can control him very easily. Just raise my voice and be imposing and he falls in line. Males are simple.
> So when my daughter was born and when she got to the age where I had to control her, I used the same technique.
> 
> What a failure! :laugh::laugh:
> ...


Getting OT but just wanted to say that as a parent I treat my kids (3 of) as individuals and don't use such gender stereotypes. One thing my Mum taught me well was that all people are different, she had 4 completely different kids and that was not based on gender.

My experience with my lot is the opposite to yours, my oldest DD I do have to "strong arm", my boy is far more likely to respond to "emotional means".


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## Spotthedeaddog (Sep 27, 2015)

Bridge said:


> I met the boyfriend years ago in an illustration class. It was called "rendering" and for one fruit assignment I painted an orange from life, giving it imperfections and using some really unfortunate paint choices. The teacher panned it, declared to the whole class "nobody would eat this orange!!!" and gave me a C+.
> 
> That's when I learned that sometimes, things need to look better than real. I was not painting an orange. I was supposed to be painting the idea of an orange. My orange, faithfully and earnestly rendered, was not something that would inspire masses to buy oranges. I had been unnecessarily honest.
> 
> ...


People like your art teacher are "the problem".

I'd rather see something with proper dimensions, right shape.
Otherwise it gets like the serialised TV shows where what happened doesn't really matter because the ending is totally predictable, the cast resets, next week is more mindless pap.
If your art-teacher wants Tropes tell them to go to Tropes.com.
the rest of us would rather see the right form and fit - except those already sick individuals who need to live the image to ignore the realities of life they create around them.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

spotthedeaddog said:


> People like your art teacher are "the problem".
> 
> I'd rather see something with proper dimensions, right shape.
> Otherwise it gets like the serialised TV shows where what happened doesn't really matter because the ending is totally predictable, the cast resets, next week is more mindless pap.
> ...


I was having dinner with a group of friends and one of the ladies was there with her mother. And we're in our 40's so mama was in her 60's..... they were both in the fashion industry and the topic turned to emaciated models. The mother commented that clothes look better on such models. I told her that this was her opinion and not all agree..... she just stared at me like I'd challenged one of God's laws. She'd been so brainwashed by the industry that it hadn't occurred to her that some might not see it that way. 

I wasn't even challenging her opinion, it was her opinion and she was entitled to it. I was just pointing out that not everyone agrees and the idea shocked her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

lifeistooshort said:


> I was having dinner with a group of friends and one of the ladies was there with her mother. And we're in our 40's so mama was in her 60's..... they were both in the fashion industry and the topic turned to emaciated models. *The mother commented that clothes look better on such models.* I told her that this was her opinion and not all agree..... she just stared at me like I'd challenged one of God's laws. She'd been so brainwashed by the industry that it hadn't occurred to her that assume might but see it that way.
> 
> I wasn't even challenging her opinion, it was her opinion and she was entitled to it. I was just pointing out that not everyone agrees and the idea shocked her.


I can't stand watching shows on HGTV, DIY, etc that feature homes well north of 500K, not to mention the homes that go for 1M or more. Don't get me wrong... between Mrs. Gus and I, we're doing better than most folks, but still... the vast majority of folks watching these programs can't afford these homes. That said, I do understand that there are plenty of folks out there that can, but come on...

Similar thought process, right? After all, while most women enjoy fashion, want to dress nicely, etc, they'd probably prefer to see models in clothing that would actually fit THEM. Right?

And as for guys? LOL. We ain't lookin' at the clothing, and most of us would take Christina Hendricks over Kate Moss any day of the week.

And twice on Sunday.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

Here's the article I mentioned earlier:

What Is It Like to Date or Marry a Fashion Model?


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## Catherine602 (Oct 14, 2010)

How can you tell it's photoshopped? It looks real to me. There are women who look like that.

It's not always doom and gloom for people who are near flawless. It depends on how lucky they are to escape users, jealous people and to find love.


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

Catherine602 said:


> How can you tell it's photoshopped? It looks real to me. There are woman who look like that.


Look at the left butt cheek...

Notice anything missing?


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## gouge_away (Apr 7, 2015)

I likes em big.

Butts too small.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

GusPolinski said:


> I can't stand watching shows on HGTV, DIY, etc that feature homes well north of 500K, not to mention the homes that go for 1M or more. Don't get me wrong... between Mrs. Gus and I, we're doing better than most folks, but still... the vast majority of folks watching these programs can't afford these homes. That said, I do understand that there are plenty of folks out there that can, but come on...
> 
> Similar thought process, right? After all, while most women enjoy fashion, want to dress nicely, etc, they'd probably prefer to see models in clothing that would actually fit THEM. Right?
> 
> ...


I know I'm more likely to be interested in clothes that I see on someone who is built similar to me because I know very well they're not going to sit on me like they do on a ridiculous mannequin. And when I do try I'm disappointed precisely because it doesn't work for me.....just because it fits doesn't mean it flatters.

Clothes on models that look like 15 year old boys with long hair and photoshopped breasts don't appeal to me because I have no desire to look like that and I don't look like that.

I'm 5'4 with what you'd call an hourglass figure, and the things I see modeled on women like me appeal to me the most because it gives me a decent idea of what it will look like on me.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Catherine602 said:


> How can you tell it's photoshopped?


It looks like the poor girl had a chainsaw taken to the inside of her left thigh at some point in the past. 

I know that people get involved in horrible car and motorcycle accidents; have reconstructive surgery and sometimes look funny. 

My money is on photo editing though.


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## gouge_away (Apr 7, 2015)

ocotillo said:


> It looks like the poor girl had a chainsaw taken to the inside of her left thigh at some point in the past.
> 
> I know that people get involved in horrible car and motorcycle accidents; have reconstructive surgery and sometimes look funny.
> 
> My money is on photo editing though.


My guess is it was a razorblade, and they used shadows to cover up her hash marks. But what do I know about cutters?


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## Catherine602 (Oct 14, 2010)

ok yes I see it. The the left cheek is missing and the left leg looks unnatural. I wonder why they let such a poor edition get published.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> Getting OT but just wanted to say that as a parent I treat my kids (3 of) as individuals and don't use such gender stereotypes. One thing my Mum taught me well was that all people are different, she had 4 completely different kids and that was not based on gender.
> 
> My experience with my lot is the opposite to yours, my oldest DD I do have to "strong arm", my boy is far more likely to respond to "emotional means".


Life is full of stereotypes. Either we make use of it and get ahead of the curve or close our eyes and miss the bus.

It's well known that women are more emotional than men. Yes, some men cry at the drop of a hat, but I have seen more women do it at work, at home, at parties etc. Exceptions don't make the rule. 

When there is a terrorist attack, I am sure we all the know the first thing we think about as for the group of people who might be responsible. Why? Because we see that in 95% of the cases, so we see a trend. Anyway, that was OT, so back to the topic.


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## Bridge (Dec 27, 2013)

spotthedeaddog said:


> People like your art teacher are "the problem".
> 
> I'd rather see something with proper dimensions, right shape.
> Otherwise it gets like the serialised TV shows where what happened doesn't really matter because the ending is totally predictable, the cast resets, next week is more mindless pap.
> ...


If you're ready to fight against perfectly symmetrical fruit that's the "right" color, next time you're in the produce section you can pick out lopsided and pitted fruits. Then you can write a furious e-mail to Tropicana that the orange on their packaging does not match the majority of oranges you've met. In fact, knock over the stupid apple stand and start screaming "real apples are BITTER!!!"


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