Well, they’re at it again. Retailers editing real women into oblivion, creating an impossible standard that women are supposed to live up to – but never can. Victoria’s Secret photoshop fail is nothing new. It’s merely the latest in a long line of magazines and retailers to create fake women with photo-editing software. And they’re being called to the carpet for their most recent forgery, artificially whittling down a models arms to nothing. If you look closely, it actually looks pretty gross. And totally, obviously fake.
If they did this to her arms, you know her boobs are fake. And her eyes. And her skin tone. And her lips. I could go on. They’ll call it “digitally enhanced.” I call it a lie.
Flat-out, in-your-face lying to women everywhere.
The problem with this Victoria’s Secret photoshop fail
In fact, the problem with most of the editing done in advertising these days, is the sheer power and magnitude of it all. It’s everywhere.
And it’s done very intentionally. Retailers deliberately play on women’s insecurities to sell their crap.
Think about it. Have you ever compared yourself to a model in a magazine and criticized yourself for all the ways you just don’t measure up?
Ever called yourself a big, fat, stupid ugly cow because of your back fat and double chin?
Of course you have. It’s what we women do.
And retailers know it.
They bank on it. Literally.
They take your insecurities and throw them in your face to intentionally make you feel bad about yourself. They reason that if you feel crappy enough about yourself, you’ll buy any damn thing they can sell you to make you feel better.
Hate your saggy boobs? Buy our push-up bra and you’ll look like these D-cup supermodels (NOT!)
Tired of feeling tired and out of shape? Buy our magazine and you’ll be thin and perfect in no time. (As if…)
The truth is, most “real” women have cellulite and wrinkles and muffin tops. Yet we’re subjected to “perfect” women everywhere we look. That, in itself, is enough to make us feel inferior. But when the icons we’re supposed to imitate aren’t even real – it’s downright insulting.
And dangerous.
Studies show that women’s self-esteem actually decreases with their exposure to advertising for items such as beauty products. And when you add in body-image lies like the latest Victoria’s Secret photoshop fail, the results are even more damaging. Other studies show that pre-teen and adolescent girls
, especially, are susceptible to body-image dysmorphia due to repeated exposure to fake, unattainable standards of perfection. But women are no less immune to these lies.
Unfortunately, I don’t expect retailers to stop these deceitful practices anytime soon. So how can you protect yourself? How can you maintain your self-worth in the face of constant messages that you’re not enough?
- Remember that these images are fake. Don’t compare yourself to a perfection that doesn’t exist. After all, even those women don’t really look that way.
- Call out retailers on their deceitful practices. Share posts like this on social media to spread the word about their lies.
- Love yourself for who you are. You are worthy. You are enough. Just as you are. Period.
- Remember that true beauty has little to do with your appearance. You are not your waist size, your bra size, or your dress size. You are strong and capable and amazing. THAT’s what makes you beautiful.
So what do you think about Victoria’s Secret photoshop fail? Should we expect more integrity from retailers? More truth in advertising? Or does anything go in the quest for the almighty dollar?
When I was 18, I had the privileged of training with “novice” divers – these were girls 8-12 who were learning the basics of springboard diving. Three times a week I slipped into their world…
And it wasn’t of body image, who was fat or skinny, who was beautiful or clumsy. (Okay, so we were ALL a bit clumsy!)
But it WAS a world of discipline and fun, hard work and giggles, and cheering for each other for our accomplishments. Even though I was an adult off the pool deck, at practice, I was just another diver.
I hope that those girls carried the REAL lessons through to adulthood – everybody has a body and it’s up to you to make it work.
Kim, I love that! That’s one of my favorite things about sports for girls. It teaches them that their body is an instrument, not a decoration. And to focus on skill, effort, discipline and hard work as worthy of merit, not dress size. It burns me up that when Gabby Douglas became the first African American woman to win the all-around gymnastics title at the 2012 Olympics, all some people could talk about was her hair. Hello – amazing tumbling! Who cares about her hair! Women have to be taught to hate their bodies, and the media is largely to blame for it – especially when they manufacture fake perfection that none of us can ever attain.