So as it turns out, we here in the US aren’t the only ones who are starting to take notice of how misleading these manipulations are.
Since last month, there have been talks of banning digital manipulations in the UK. But, all manipulations have not stopped. Some magazines are actually altering the photos to make the models look a little…healthier.
I have to say that I am a bit amazed by this. I’ve interviewed some design/photo editors of fashion magazines and they all say that there can be no ban whatsoever. Because, according to them, this is an industry that deals with “fantasy,” and how do you regulate fantasy? Also, they say that real is boring and nobody wants to see it. People don’t want to see “plain Jane.”
Isn’t there something wrong here? Is reality really that terrible that it is unpublishable in the magazine industry? I don’t look at these magazines as a medium for providing me with an escape from reality. In beauty and style magazines, I look to find advice or something interesting to read to relax and pass time. I do expect them to be truthful though. I do expect them to tell me what is real and what is not. Why are the journalistic values not applied to the art and photos of these magazines?
