Health warning in France: Retouching!

Hi Jennifer: (and all who read the friends blog) A recent discussion has come to light about the cost of looking beautiful in Europe and if what you see in the magazines is really what you're looking at. What I mean is the cause and affect of retouching images in advertising so the model looks flawless and all the problems that are associated with doing this and what appears to be some sort of false advertising and health risk.

Let me expalin again! In France there is pending legislation that will require a disclaimer on any photograph appearing in advertising, shown in the media or product-wrapping, where the photograph of a man or a woman has been "retouched" by a computer program such as Photoshop and failure to do so would result in a fine. What this law is trying to do is stop the perceived image of perfection that can drive women (and some men) into despair and anorexia, etc. What? Please! Think about this for a minute. If this law was passed in America would it affect J. LaMore and jlamore.com?

I was surprised to read and hear this because as much as I agree with trying to stop anorexia and other related health problems, I'm not sure it actually requires a law and disclaimers. I wonder how many young girls who see an ad of a beautiful woman selling makeup become depressed. I'm not a doctor but it seems to me that they probably have other issues as well but this is an easy target to put their finger on.

I also wonder what the fashion world has to say about this, or even the celebrity world! OMG! Celebrities expect computer/electronic flattery whenever they sit for a picture. Elle Macpherson is said to travel with her own retouch artist! What happens when retouching makes you look worse then you are? There are so many variables to this topic that it's almost impossible to mention every possibility. What about serious news where photographers have actually been fired for tweaking a catastrophe picture. How do you handle that?

I have to say that I'm not really worried about all of this nonesense and it seems that we have much bigger problems to worry about then covering up a pimple on a super model and letting the world know about it ot taking a bad picture of Britney or Lindsey coming out or going into rehab. C'mon lets be serious here!

Watch this video and you will be amazed at what an expert retouch artist can do.

Lynn
Los Angeles, CA