Photoshop: Altering our Perception of Beauty

As images of women are being photoshopped, so are our perceptions of normal, healthy and attainable beauty. The media’s representation of women is abnormally thin, much thinner than the actual population. They consistently use models and actresses that are underweight, or by making models and actresses their “average” idea of beauty with the use of digital alteration. Essentially, even the most beautiful model could be digitally tanned, slimmed down to an unreasonable size, with no unsightly bumps or cellulite. Digital manipulation has become an “industry standard.”

The most recent Photoshop controversy appeared in an issue of Vogue, who displayed Lena Dunham from her hit HBO series, “Girls.” Critics are attacking the magazine for photoshopping the actress. Original photos show the magazine did minor changes, such as raising her waistline and narrowing her jaw. The media criticizes her non-model body, but she clearly has no worries about her body because she portrays a “real” girl in her series and has a body confidence most people would envy. Vogue’s unrealistic idea of women has transformed her from a “real” girl to just another model.