French Magazines Say No To Photoshop Labeling!
posted by Maggie's Nest at
9/25/2009 
In France, around 50 politicians are backing a proposed law that requires glossy magazines and other image businesses to label retouched photos of models and celebrities. This action hopes to fight eating disorders and body-image issues especially among young women.
If passed, the law would affect wide range of image businesses including advertising, press photographs, political campaigns, art photography, and images on packaging.
Naturally, people in the image industry are opposing the proposed photoshop regulations. They argue that retouching is always part of the artistic interpretation.
According to Tony Chambers, editor-in-chief of Wallpaper and former art director of British GQ magazine, "The camera has always lied and always will. These things should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Fantasy and artistic interpretation are core ingredients in fashion, advertising and art photography."
Marc Ascoli, art director for various high-fashion campaigns, believes that manipulation of images cannot be avoided in any commercial presentation:
"It's so arbitrary. It's clear that there have been abuses. Sometimes heads are completely transformed. They'll change the model's eye color and hair. Sometimes I have the impression I'm looking at a window dummy. But there is such a global commercial pressure for perfection."
With or without photoshop, body-image issues prevail among humans, not just young women. True that a retouched image of a model on a magazine cover may influence a young girl's way of presenting herself, but it is not the core culprit for eating disorder. Girls are not stupid to just stare at a retouched model and believe it as the real thing. Just because one is young does not follow that one is naive.
If there's a phenomenon for eating disorder, don't you think leaders and authorities should work more on education and social awareness campaigns, not on labeling obvious photoshop images as "retouched?"
If passed, the law would affect wide range of image businesses including advertising, press photographs, political campaigns, art photography, and images on packaging.
Naturally, people in the image industry are opposing the proposed photoshop regulations. They argue that retouching is always part of the artistic interpretation.
According to Tony Chambers, editor-in-chief of Wallpaper and former art director of British GQ magazine, "The camera has always lied and always will. These things should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Fantasy and artistic interpretation are core ingredients in fashion, advertising and art photography."
Marc Ascoli, art director for various high-fashion campaigns, believes that manipulation of images cannot be avoided in any commercial presentation:
"It's so arbitrary. It's clear that there have been abuses. Sometimes heads are completely transformed. They'll change the model's eye color and hair. Sometimes I have the impression I'm looking at a window dummy. But there is such a global commercial pressure for perfection."
With or without photoshop, body-image issues prevail among humans, not just young women. True that a retouched image of a model on a magazine cover may influence a young girl's way of presenting herself, but it is not the core culprit for eating disorder. Girls are not stupid to just stare at a retouched model and believe it as the real thing. Just because one is young does not follow that one is naive.
If there's a phenomenon for eating disorder, don't you think leaders and authorities should work more on education and social awareness campaigns, not on labeling obvious photoshop images as "retouched?"
Labels: France ban skinny models, Glamour magazine, skinny models, teenage model
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