Free Magazine: Britney Spears, Digital Beauty and Kids on Diets

It is through a person's outward appearance that people now judge her worth, attractiveness and potential. As long as you can smile at the cameras, are willing to show more skin than the next person, and fit the media's mold, no questions asked. In almost all cases, a person's achievements and intelligence are almost invisible to the public eye. Being smart is never a requirement. If anything, too much brain can hinder a career--for fear of making everyone else in the industry look bad or speaking from the mind, or heart, rather than from a publicist's script. The values that should be used to measure an individual's distinction are instead cast aside. To be blunt, the media has formed an army of Stepford Wives, with hardly any room for the diversity that characterizes the real world.

We, the audience of mass media, are rapidly absorbing this warped projection--and its aggressive emphasis on appearance. The pressure to be thin, tanned and Barbie-esque is the message sent--and received. Loud and clear.

We all know that pop-stars, supermodels and actresses adorn magazine covers. They are revered for their 'natural' beauty--their look. What is not shown on these covers are the many hours of effort that go into achieving their flawlessness. In fact, their beauty isn't natural at all! It's manufactured by an army of makeup and lighting experts, stylists, photo editors, and often surgeons. Go behind the scenes and beauty amounts to highly controlled lighting, perfect positioning, stylists who find the perfectly flattering designer outfit and then stuff, tape and pin it, and make-up--lots of make-up.

Once the photos have been shot and developed, they are then digitally enhanced. Blemishes, scars, wrinkles, discolorations are all erased. It doesn't end there. It is also during this process that breasts are lifted and enlarged. Skin is enhanced with a glow, cheeks are blushed, stomach muscles are added and fat is cropped out--anything is possible. And this is the norm. This is done not only on every magazine cover, but every printed page, every billboard or advertisement, even every music video and movie star film close-up (yes, they do all this to film as well).

But is this what people are asking for? What drives this? Perhaps Maxim magazine, the kings of heavily airbrushed models, said it best, while describing themselves in a recent press release: "The secret to [Maxim magazine's] popularity? Pictures of scantily clad models. A hefty dose of bathroom humor... In short: amusing drivel that's heavy on silliness, service, and attitude, light (or, perhaps more accurately, 'lite') on everything else."