Photoshop.
Whatever- right?
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| done with app: Plump & Slim Booth |
Celebrities aren't perfect, they look that way, magazines endorse this falsehood, we all whine about it. We move on.
Because we have to. That's a different world from ours-- another life, a full new set of standards and a ruthless industry with which to contend. Sure, it's unfair & misleading, but ..
...I'd want my zits & cellulite edited before appearing before billions too, right?
Big deal.
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| done with app: Perfect365 |
And sure, to be fair, it's more than that. It's arm fat, stomach rolls, cankles - human traits we've been made to think are inhuman.
But, in all honesty, we've also been made to think that celebrities are inhuman - so somehow, the surreality of the pair go hand in hand.
Of course Cameron Diaz has Barbie legs.
Obviously Miranda Kerr is flawless.
It's second nature to assume so.
But bloggers?
Instagram personalities?
Real women?
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| done with app: FaceTune |
I'll be the first to admit that my own naivety and wishful thinking have clouded my judgement. That is, until I received an e-mail from a concerned individual alerting me to just how severe this seemingly innocuous phenomenon has become.
Body image doubts, perpetual envy, uncomfortable comparisons - they're all now an inherent part of social media.
For those of you who have managed to rise above it, teach me.
For the rest of you, I feel you.
And you know what doesn't make it easier?
Photo editing.
Not Vogue/Marie Claire/Seventeen photo editing,
I'm talking Jo(anna) Blow editing her arms to be 3 inches thinner on her style blog,
or Susie Q squeezing a small gap in between her thighs on Instagram (it's being done, folks, and frequently too).
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| done with Photoshop |
It's one thing to blur over a pimple,
it's another to reinvent your body for online publication while operating under the pretense that it is your own. Especially when you're running something as "every woman" as a grassroots fashion blog.
Aspirational avatars are one thing,
blatantly manipulating the minds of others to believe that they're not worthy while you are, is...
unfortunate.
And so easy.
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| done with app: SkinneePix |
And with such a low barrier to entry,
it has a disproportionately high cost.
I don't know when all of this will end- or if it ever will. I don't know when false standards and unattainable physical ideals will fade away.
I kind of thought bloggers would do it,
but maybe it's built into human nature. Maybe there will always be a glass slipper into which we cannot fit. But if so, I hope to continually be part of the movement of people combatting what may be one of humanity's most destructive traits.
Not finding ways to perpetuate it.
(save for the illustrative photographic purposes of this post, of course)
Thoughts?
Cheers.
I think that a tiny bit of photoshop can be an okay thing... For an upcoming post I wear a flower crown and there was a stem on my forehead, I was able to remove it without loosing the integrity of the photo. But to go as far as to slim myself down? Way too far. I've been living off of potatoes and carbs for 9 months now while living in England and I certainly would be more comfortable putting skinny-mini photos up on my blog, but the truth is... It's just not the truth. I want my readers to like me for who I am and my honesty. I can't expect them to do that if I'm giving them fake content. I find it so refreshing reading fashion blogs of women who aren't stick thin, and don't try to hide it. I'll stick with natural photos for now. :)
ReplyDeleteNice post girl. I couldn't agree more with everything you said. It appalls me that bloggers feel that much pressure to look perfect. Wasn't the entire concept of blogging to showcase what is real?! Thanks for keeping it real. You're a gem :)
ReplyDeleteOh man. You don't even know how much I love this. As a curvy style blogger, it really bothers me to see women of *any* size doing this. It looks unnatural, and if you viewa a photo full size, you can often see where the edits were done, especially if they were done poorly. As bloggers, we represent the majority, the normal woman, and it's so important to keep it real. One of the things I love about your blog, and your writing, is that you aren't afraid to call out some of the craziness in the fashion industry. You do it with humor and class, and I admire you for that.
ReplyDeleteholy shit, mind blown. i am a fan of photoshop for removing questionable bruises and scrapes that might distract from an outfit and just assumed most people were limited by their abilities or their photographer's abilities to slim without bending space and time around them, I had absolutely no idea that regular people could do this with just an app. i feel like blogger illusion veil has been pulled from my eyes -_-
ReplyDeleteyea- it's kind of disturbing.
Deleteand I agree- I think there's a line for editing a photo to almost reveal more of the truth, and editing a photo to conceal the truth
Such a tough topic. There is such much hate out there for bloggers and social media personalities as it is, that showing your imperfections seems just too vulnerable. You know as you're posting it that it's going to be an invitation for haters to make their nasty comments, and that's a tough place to be. But I do think you are spot on with bloggers having to not give in to that. We often run our whole blog and philosophy on the idea that we are "real people" but if we start making ourself into something that isn't real and inhuman, we really are doing a terrible injustice to our loyal readers. But if someone ever gets a handle on that "don't give a $^^#" attitude, let me know ASAP
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I totally empathize. I've edited out zits before - I've also not edited out zits before. So..we live either way ;)
DeleteBut to me- it's really the idea that so many of us (myself included) SO STRONGLY believe in the realness of bloggers that it's incredibly dangerous. I feel as if it's even more severe than celebrities, because they're CELEBRITIES. They're also usually famous for some sort of talent (reality tv skews this, obviously, but...) - but bloggers are usually only famous for their appearance.
I don't quite know what I'm saying- only that I think the age of fashion blogging as we know it is coming to an end. If this type of thing is common, wherein lies the original appeal of the personal style blog? would we enjoy seeing photos of barbies in expensive clothes day in and day out?
These apps exist?! And here I was working out and watching what I eat, all I needed to do is download some apps?!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea bloggers were doing this, I feel so naive and tricked. It's really sad to me that bloggers, whose initial appeal was how relatable they were, are now turning to these apps to create a facade with smoke and mirrors. That Skinneepix app is beyond disturbing.
holy shenanigans……… i have to say at first this kind of shocked me but then thinking back i have met several girls in real life after meeting them on the internet and the look entirely different. Why would you do that??? What is the world coming to when girls i legit changing their body image all for the sake of a picture on their blog or social media……makes me want to give it all up actually. Thanks for pointing this out pretty!
ReplyDeletebrooke @ tigers don't lose sleep
www.monikabrooke.blogspot.com
Wow. That's honestly crazy. I wasn't really informed that bloggers went to that extreme. Was it ever that serious?! The first thing that came to mind was Beyonce's Instagram PhotoShop fail. I don't know if it was she who posted it or an assistant but she photoshopped her legs and it was poorly done. One leg was skinnier than the other. What I don't understand is how the beautiful woman who is KNOWN for her curves trying to electronically nip and tuck...esp for Instagram. So it completely bewilders me that "real life" women are doing so on their blogs and whatnot.
ReplyDeletehttp://adornedinarmor.com
This is a good post. And an important subject. I don't want to get all academic here, but it all comes back to the idea of the male gaze and perpetrating western ideals of beauty - ideals we consistently fall for. While it's a shame that (some) bloggers, who were the self styled antithesis to the mainstream media and it's fascination with the perfect woman, are resorting to photoshop and those (quite terrifying) apps to adhere to the aforementioned ideals, is it really so surprising?
ReplyDeleteBlogging has become as mainstream as the media it purported to subvert. Bloggers are now models and spokespersons and ambassadors and frequently feature editorial-esque shoots on their blogs that wouldn't feel out of place in an issue of Vogue. Bloggers are the new celebrities. Yes, the use of photoshop to nip here and tuck there and create a whole lot of fake is so fucked up and ridiculous it pains me to ponder it, but I have to wonder (and hope) if the tipping point is edging closer. There has to be a stopping point, otherwise we'll be photoshopping ourselves out of existence.
I, like you, hope I'm combatting it; hope I'm pushing back against what society tells me to look like and expects me to be. But shit, it's tough sometimes.
Great post, Gab.
kb xx
Even greater comment, Kirb.
DeleteYou're right. When I got the email, initially I was like - OK. So what? Obviously she edits herself to look better.
It was only after thinking about it for a solid day that the impact really weighed on me. I struggle with body image like anybody else, and honestly - it's not b.c of celebrities. It's bc of bloggers. Which adheres to your statement that they are the new mainstream.
Which is all the more reason to INVENT THE NEXT BIG THING IN FASHION
who's with me?
This really resonated with me...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQucWXWXp3k&feature=kp
Agree with you so so much! This is such a real issue, but I don't know a way to prevent it from happening! Women will always be conscious about the way they look. I love myself. Of course, there are some things I would like to change but at a young age of 22 I'v learnt to LOVE MYSELF, because who else will if you don't???
ReplyDeleteGreat post, well done!
http://thisissimplymee.blogspot.co.uk/
holy shit... I had no idea there were apps where you can LOSE weight in your photos!
ReplyDeletethat said, I do indulge in old-fashioned-photoshop. sometimes photos don't capture "reality" like your eyes don't see things that cameras pick up. even thin people sometimes get that arm fat bump when they are at a certain angle. or if the wind blows your hair in a way that looks awkward in a photo, you wouldn't really notice that in reality, but in a photo...
but i hear you on the 'everywoman' thing. it's easy to get carried away. i realized there are some bloggers who photoshop the HELL out of their skin so it looks like it stepped out of the mannequin factory. but i'm not going to judge. everyone has their own insecurities.
Personally, I don't care when celebs get photoshopped. In fact, it drives me bananas every time I see a "so and so was photoshopped so much!" because it's part of their job, their image and the industry as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, you bring up a good point about "real people" doing it too. I photoshop things like a stray eyelash in my face, weird shadows or maybe smooth out a razor bump a bit but never, ever photoshop myself thinner. I mean, that's just WAY too much effort! Lol. Playing with lighting and knowing your best side is one thing, but slimming yourself does seem a bit extensive.
Wow the things you can do. I hardy ever use photoshop on my images, unless really needed. And when I mean really, I mean where I have the perfect picture - composition, pose, etc, but, my eyes are closed, and if I really want to use that image, I do a little photoshop to make it usable. However I've never tried to alter a part of my body ever. Sure I've worked on a few stray threads here and there, and removed an odd spot from the wall, but never tried to make myself appear smaller than I am. While I might not be perfectly slim or trim, I try to work with the angles I have instead.
ReplyDeleteI really wish bloggers did not use so much photoshop. The main point of blogging is to connect with people and share styles, and if you look like a runway model, I don't think everyone's going to want to relate to that as well.
xox
www.head2heels.co
It's crazy that people actually edit their photos that much! I occasionally edit out a noticeable breakout or a showing bra strap but thats as far as i would ever go! I had no idea some bloggers went that far! Or that was even apps to make you look light you lost 15lbs! Insane! Great post!
ReplyDeletehttp://breakfastatvogue111.blogspot.com/
Great post, Gabrielle. I admit I am not above editing my photos, but only to adjust brightness, color, etc. as well as to wipe out (is that the proper word?) a blemish or two. One thing I will never, ever do is edit my photos for the sake of making myself look like I have less weight than I actually do. Yes, my thighs are thick and I'm a little bit round in the middle, and I do make efforts to work out and tone up those areas, but making myself look like a bag of bones is where I draw the line. Good on your for pointing out how it's not the greatest idea in the world to "augment" one's photos into society's ideal image.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I know I'm supposed to be angry. And if I'm not angry I'm supposed to be jealous, right? Nope. I'm disappointed. REALLY disappointed. I've never used Photoshop and seeing the pictures of what all you could do with kind of shocked me. I would love to take a few pounds of my pictures to make look thinner. And it would be sooo much more convenient to virtually add makeup than apply it myself. But I'm honest and I don't let my insecurities get the best of me. I live with myself and I love myself and my readers should too. If they don't... Please make your way to the bright red X at the top right of the page :) Come on fashion bloggers, do the world a favor and BE YOURSELF!
ReplyDeleteMunachi
GlamorousRevelation.blogspot.com