Even Child Aliens are not Spared from Photoshopping Monster

Wow. After posting my manifesto on airbrushing mere moments ago, a Google ad popped up on my site - directly below the post - for PageantPhotoRetouching.com. It's a photoshopping service for tiny pageant participants.

As terrifying as this concept is, the pictures are even scarier.

Airbrush Rebellion: Could We Be Closer to the Real Thing?

Last September, Ralph Lauren Photoshopped a model's body so severely in an ad, that both a virtual and literal lynch mob sprung up to combat the bang-up job. The blogosphere went into a whirlwind of criticizing articles and general outrage, while NOW protested outside the New York flagship store and called for an apology not only to the public, but to the model - who was subsequently fired for not being able to squeeze her obese size 4 body into the designer’s clothes.

Everyday we are bombarded with falsities. Nearly every public image we lay eyes on has been digitally altered to some degree. And this becomes particularly dangerous when the images become unrealistic, unattainable versions of women’s bodies.

The reckless art(?) of photoshopping has been front and center in the news lately thanks to - brace yourself - celebrities. Britney Spears released un-retouched images from her latest Candies ad, which are eye-opening when compared to the official campaign photos, while both Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson appeared in mag spreads sans airbrush. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a movement that will help young girls to understand that in the world of media, nothing is as it seems.