I have come to believe that Photoshop is an evil empire, sent to destroy humanity's good common sense. How did we get to this place of inviting outright deception into our homes with open arms? Now, I am the first to admit that a Photo-shopped image- if done right- looks fantastic. If I could magically Photoshop myself, I would in a hot second. But that's because I have been brainwashed by the minions that work at Cosmo, E!, and Victoria's Secret. I let some strange little man in a cubicle, with a computer and a mouse, decide the definition of beauty for me (I picture a little man in a cubicle... it may or may not be true). And I'm a sucker for beautiful things. You could wrap hairy warts in a pretty pink bow and I'd buy it (kidding! But you get the point). And obviously I'm not the only one who drank the Kool-Aid; EVERYTHING is Photo-shopped for a reason, after all.
Honestly, I only really started raising my hackles when I decided to join a particular photography site. Amateurs like myself get a chance to enter our photos for prizes and critique, which sounded fun. Until I read the fine print- basically ANY photo could be submitted. That meant my plain-jane photos would go up against the glossy, sleek, stylized PHOTOSHOP competitors. Granted, those pictures are cool and interesting. Like the one of a woman digitally manipulated to walk on water. But it's fake! How is that Photography? Shouldn't that fall under the Creative Editing category?! Any yahoo with Photoshop or GIMP (poor man's Photoshop) can play God and erase or create at will. That's the scary thought right there- how do we know that what we see is real anymore?
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just wanted to release some steam. It is unlikely society will reverse this trend of desecrating body image for profit. But it's a shame. Who are we to say God's handiwork is soo sub-par, we need airbrushing to fix His "mistakes?" It made me stop and reflect on my ancestors; Thousands of people who lived and breathed, sweated and survived, loved and were loved in turn. These people passed down precious DNA that determined my blue eyes and full hips. To sneer at that is to insult every unique molecule that only a human can reproduce. So there Photoshop! You may mock me, but you can never be me!
Let's unplug Photoshop and accept REAL for a change!
Pictures courtesy of http://www.psdisasters.com/
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