Just want to mention that touching up or cleaning up of photographic images is nothing new. It used to be called photo retouching and was done by artists with tempera paints or other water-bases media/paints like inks and dyes and airbrushes before digitized images and Photoshop came along in the early 90s. And before airbrushes was done with paintbrush techniques. And airbrushes were around since the late 1800s…so there have been many years of image manipulation.

I still have my airbrushes. I never did much as far as touching up human images, but all that nice electronic equipment and products that crossed my desk when I was younger got some glitches removed, or that scratch or an extra highlight or two. Photoshop sure makes it easier and you don’t have to start all over if you screw up like you had to with analog material. Not with the ‘history’ function, or layers with progressive changes, or images saved in steps.

And I sure understand the complaints about women’s issue concerns and how the ‘ideal’ look is fantasy.

But, body image issues are also is in the male realm too. There are ideal male body images and I wouldn’t trust an image of a male model or movie/rock star either.

As a matter of fact…anorxeia nervosa is also seen in young males more and more now too. It is historically higher in females, but as long as we push ideals and there are careers built around it and young people and even adults are pushed and bullied for their body type/size, etc. it is always going to be a problem.

Face it, ladies have their David Beckhams and Adam Levins to look at too. And I would bet anyone some of those images have been photoshopped too. And there are young guys looking at those images and trying to reach that look too, no matter the fact their body types will never get that look.

And when did Playgirl hit the racks at the magazine stands? Whoa…1973…right at the height of the women’s movement and before Photoshop.

Yeah…it is all a mess.

I hope the ladies understand my comments. It is not an “oh yeah, women do it too” thing. Just that we all have issues with image and as long as so much emphasis is on image, it is not going away.