Is the controversy over airbrushing good for magazines?
Lately, there has been a lot of controversy over the widely used practice of airbrushing models and actors in magazines. What makes the uproar interesting this time around though, is the fact that airbrushing is nothing new.
Photo manipulation was first documented all the way back to a President Lincoln photo from the 1860′s. Stalin made a habit out of it for propaganda purposes during his reign. The uses for photo retouching evolved quickly throughout the 20th century inevitably landing upon the world of glamorous movie stars whose perfect images were crafted by studios in the 1950′s and beyond.
So why are people in such a rage about the practice now? While it may be that a percentage of people truly were naive about the magazine industry, it may also be something else. The advances in technology and consumption of media in the form of reality television has given people more of an inside look into their favorite’s stars lives than they ever had access to before. While in the 1950′s, they may have thought the starlets were as perfect as their pictures portrayed, now we know better.
Is this what enrages us? Maybe. But could it also be that the magazines have been pushing the limits on the amount of airbrushing done? It’s certainly easier to enhance beautiful qualities and diminish imperfections on a model’s face or body with Photoshop than it was to do by hand 40 years ago.
Is it possible that the reason many are becoming more outraged at the seemingly increasing number and length of these touch-ups is due to the magazines purposely riling us up?
In an age of what is said to be the demise of newspapers and magazines as we now know them, what helps sell copies? Controversy. Controversy gets all kinds of eyeballs – the curious and the outraged. Magazines need eyeballs to make money. It is as simple as that.
So, when they see that going too far with say, the extreme slimming of American Idol star, Kelly Clarkson’s legs pisses enough people off that the magazine cover gets posted around the internet and reaches more people than it would sitting on the stands, why wouldn’t they do something like that again?
Maybe, the best way to get magazines to stop these obnoxious practices is simply not to get upset over it. Roll our eyes and swallow our words. Instead of blogging all over the internet with outcries of injustice over young girls’ diminishing self-esteem, how about just not buying anymore of their magazines? Stop giving them free advertising. If their sales plummet, maybe they’ll rethink their strategy, if they’re still around that is. Just a suggestion. I know – easier said than done.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: airbrushing, American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, Lizzie Miller, magazine industry, photo retouching
Spotting Problem Skin Care Products?
Science and technology have come very far in skin care products. Cosmetic and beauty research is an interesting arena because so much folkloric knowledge is relevant. As a result, it can be difficult to determine just what works and does not work. The best skin care products use science, technology, testing and conventional wisdom to make effective products. Nevertheless, many unscrupulous skin care creators simply take advantage of people’s willingness to believe that a product should work because it has a good name or says that it is “natural” on the label. Usually, many “natural” skin care products are anything but. In fact, some of these skin care products may actually cause chronic skin problems. Here are some things to look for that may cause a rather large problem when it comes to your skin care routine:
* Check for concentrates - Some products may contain very high concentrations of natural compounds that are not particularly good for you. For instance, high concentrations of bismuth are not good in any type of makeup. Bismuth is a mineral and is arguably natural. But, it must undergo lots of chemical processing to achieve a cosmetic form. This processing will cause allergic reactions in many people.
* Look out for artificial colors - Heavily dyed products will often contain lots of artificial colors. Plus they may need extra chemicals to maintain the color and the freshness of the skin care products. Many will group artificial colors and fragrances together. But, in reality, artificial fragrances are much less of an issue because they often are derived from natural extracts and then chemically processed. They come in such low concentrations that they are often not major allergens. (There are always exceptions to this.) However, Bright blues and yellows usually indicate serious levels of preservatives and chemical dyes.
* What is the size of your mineral makeup powder - If your mineral skin product boasts microscopic particles, back off. Mineral makeup may be great for your skin, but it is not necessarily ideal inside. Microscopic particles (nanoparticles) might be absorbed by your skin. Which may result in unpleasant allergic reactions. Additionally, mineral makeup is not tested for the effects of absorption into the skin. Because of this there is not a lot of information about the long term effects of this type of unintended absorption. Mineral makeup with conventionally sized particles cannot be absorbed in this fashion.
Skin care products come in many shapes and fashions. Everyone has their own personal favorites. But don’t let this cloud your judgment about the quality of your skin care products. Always watch out for the imitations and make sure that your skin care product regimen is truly the best for you.
