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wildcard451

Female body image distortion

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This reminds me of one time I stumbled on some old SI Swimsuit Issue photos of Christie Brinkley, so we're talking photos from the 80s. I found a couple of them again today (attached for reference ... SFW unless your work is really uptight).

Christie Brinkley has a pretty amazing figure, but what struck me about the photos was that her figure looked real. Her limbs attached to each other in a normal way, and the small folds where a limb bends were not 'shopped out. Her body parts exist in proportion to each other.

In today's photoshop world, the fold at her waist that naturally occurs (in both photos) because her leg's bent up would be 'shopped out. In the one where she's in the surf, I'm sure her waist would be whittled down to the width of her head.

Her body may be unattainable for a lot of people, but at least it's attainable for some. The fact that we feel the need to photoshop already excellent bodies is sad.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I just love it when a chick posts pics of hot chicks.:)



B|:D
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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Thanks for sharing this.

While many of us know that most magazine images have been photoshopped and are unrealistic, I still believe that there is a disconnect between what we see and what we know - and that this disconnect often leads to unhealthy thoughts and/or behavior.

Very sad, indeed.

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On the flip side and just giving some alternate perspective . . . I don't think this is a "modern" problem specific with the advent of PhotoShop, but rather a historic one with art in general.

Throughout the entirety of history, percentagewise, how often has the female form been realistically and accurately portrayed?

Isn't it more often than not portrayed as an idealized form?

Now, I realize that most people aren't going to think that the average woman's magazine is "art", but isn't it? Where does it say, ever, that it's an accurate portrayal of how things "really are"? Isn't that part of the appeal of all of them; not the reality, but the fantasy? An idealized hyper-reality?
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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On the flip side and just giving some alternate perspective . . . I don't think this is a "modern" problem specific with the advent of PhotoShop, but rather a historic one with art in general.

Throughout the entirety of history, percentagewise, how often has the female form been realistically and accurately portrayed?

Isn't more often than not portrayed as an idealized form?



If we viewed it as art, then enhancing/idolizing the female form is perfectly acceptable. What I think is dangerous, is that many people see these photoshopped images (which are *everywhere* around us) as something they would like to achieve.

When one looks at a painting, it's clear that the subject is not "real." A picture, however, *seems* real, and many don't realise the extent to which it has been manipulated. It's one thing to muse at the beauty of a painting - it's another to feel bad about yourself because you believe there are perfect people out there that look like the pictures in the magazines...

Mind you, the Kings/Princes who selected their future Queens/Princesses based on their (painted) portraits sometimes were bitterly disappointed when they met said queen/princess in the flesh... (ie: they looked NOTHING like their painting!!! Ha ha ha!!) So it's not *really* a new concept, no.
"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

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Mind you, the Kings/Princes who selected their future Queens/Princesses based on their (painted) portraits sometimes were bitterly disappointed when they met said queen/princess in the flesh... (ie: they looked NOTHING like their painting!!! Ha ha ha!!) So it's not *really* a new concept, no.



So it was just like online dating sites.[:/]
"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

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This crosses over into just about everything these days that portrays women and yes, apparently , it does have an effect. A good many of todays surgeries are provoked by this idea or ideal that is seen in magazines/photos. Case in point, the attached link/news piece.

WARNING: The news piece is NSFW and is graphic as it shows some portions of surgery and the female body.WARNING
http://jezebel.com/#!5535356/the-labiaplasty-you-never-knew-you-wanted-[nsfw]
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

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Hu....so the key to female empowerment is....hardcore amateur porn?
I think I can live with that.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Chick in the Vid is HOT!!! :o What were you guys talking about again?


Edit to add some other retouching: :ph34r:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3U2u1IC78U&feature=related
Oh man, so many extreme examples! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd1VV9caAYk&feature=related

Or do we even need women anymore? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JooN-5yFors&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Well yeah I guess we do, someone's gotta make me a sammich and my hand does get tired. [:/]



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art.

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Hum....you know after further thought and a few cups of coffee?

(not aimed at any one just a general thought so don't get too pissed off)

Ladies...why work out? Why dress to impress and why be civil or professional let alone shower or hold back your flatulence?
It's all about aggregate supply and aggregate demand.
Sure right now you are thinking...SHAH I HATE YOU...but hear me out.
Instead of spending time and money on trying to be healthy or professional why not transfer to an industry where the aggregate supply of women is low and the aggregate demand is high...and so is the potential pay.

Engineering, Comp Sci or oil well drilling.

Yeah, nothing like engineering or comp sci where "If her eyebrows are not connected and she's not wearing sweat pants she's FRACKING HOT!"
Photoshop shmoto shop! Hell we are talking pure economic forces here!
A girl....well at least she has to have the genetic makeup of a woman...to 10 guys. Hell she can have 2.5 tits, a gimp, lazy eyes, bombastic gas and only speak in shrieking screams (Asian engineering girls...no inside voice)...and odds are she will have a date this Friday night! And odds are the guy will be well spoken, well educated, well dressed and making rather good money and stable.

Now I know what you are thinking....and I'll be surprised if you made it this far without screaming at the computer, sticking some more pins in you Dr. Shah voodoo doll and doing your little angry dance and posting some BS quick reply...how dare he be so rude! Well I'm not. I'm just being honest.

The reason why photo shop is a major issue is again due to economics and some very basic biology. Economics in that on any newspaper stand there are at least a dozen very attractive women depicted....there is a total lack of the "token fat chick" thus competition is high for your attention.

As such drastic measures need to be taken to get your attention. And it's a well known fact, babies like to look at pretty faces more than not so pretty faces. And well I hate to tell you that part of your brain is not dead and is very alive and very active.

Now you can scream women's lib and being evolved and "the unattainable" body all you want till you are blue in the face. But you really can't fight with economics and biology. I'm sure if there were more men on the covers of these magazines the percentage of dudes getting photo shopped would be equally as high. But sadly like it or not women buy more magazines than us guys.

So it's all about aggregate supply and demand. And if it truly bothers you, and I'm sure it would bother me, consider a career move to where you are of higher aggregate demand. This allows you to forgo a significant level of stress associated with trying to keep up with what is on those magazine covers. Or, with 1-10 girls-guys...just hang out at DZ's and randomly accuse guys of stalking them when it's their on AFF-1. That's always fun to watch.

Till then help some of us brothers out. What career is there for a dude where he can just let himself go and still be catnip to the ladies. I have a funny feeling that answer has to do more with wealth than job.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Thanks for sharing this.

While many of us know that most magazine images have been photoshopped and are unrealistic, I still believe that there is a disconnect between what we see and what we know - and that this disconnect often leads to unhealthy thoughts and/or behavior.

Very sad, indeed.



How dare someone mow the lawn!!! that's not how nature intended that landscape to look.

I think it's a crock - pictures aren't necessarily real and intelligent people recognize this and just don't care other than for the product produced. People can enjoy pictures for what they are, photoshopped or not.

If someone finds some deep societal meaning in 'pictures', then I suspect they have too much free time and a poor grasp on reality.

Unhealthy thoughts or behavior come from deeper things than just looking at pictures. mixing up symptoms with causal factors is just silly.


Guy 1 - "hey, that's a HOT woman"
Guy 2 - "maybe, but that's a HOT picture anyway"

Guy 1 is just allowing his imagination to appreciate the picture more viscerally

But Guy 2 understands reality and is a bit more honest about it.

I suspect there's a lot more people with a chunk of the Guy 2 attitude than it appears this crowd is giving the human race credit for. I also suspect, that anyone with a large amount of outrage has personal issues or simply a "guy 1" mentality (with issues).

Any of the Guy 3's out there we're worried about is likely messed up anyway with or without photoshop or the equivalent.


makeup, jewelry, hair styling, working out, tanning, dressing nice - how are these things any worse or better than photoshopping pictures - at least pictures are indirect

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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Now I know what you are thinking....and I'll be surprised if you made it this far without screaming at the computer, sticking some more pins in you Dr. Shah voodoo doll and doing your little angry dance and posting some BS quick reply...how dare he be so rude! Well I'm not. I'm just being honest.



:o:o How did you know??!!! :D:D:D:D
"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

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Probably won't help, but the enormous juice-heads in my gym give me body image issues (honestly). I refuse to shrink my testicles to walnuts so I don't take that stuff, but it def sucks to be on "that" end of the weight rack while they are over there slinging volkswagens around.

I guess the point is it exists for men, too... but not nearly as much as for woman I would guess.

Oh and HI, I'm Dominic and I'm new here and about to start T-AFF in a few weeks. YAY! :)

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I refuse to shrink my testicles to walnuts



you might want to see a doctor

unless you swoop and have a Go-Pro. Then that's about right. :ph34r:

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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Delete after reading, no forwarding, no printing no reciting or adaptation into poetry, opera or white boy rap.



Let's set the stage shall we.

So there was the dude on travel meeting with officials from HQ so as to secure my office as the focal point of funds distribution for all of the organization. Nothing major just a $25mill a year program, in the industry that's chump change.



So Dude gets a call, "Dude I hired a hot chick I hired a hot chick..."

Dude "ok boss...what?"



Boss "I hired a hot chick I hired a hot engineering chick! She looks like J-lo"



Dude (knows better and is not at all turned on by Tankass McGee AKA Mis Lopez) "Looks like J-lo you say?"



Boss "yeah and she's an engineer! And understands business contracting!"



Dude (Thinking, hum...looks like Megga Ass and is an engineer....so think thighed and bitchy....why does the lord hate me) "OK....you have a picture?" (knowing full well the Dude will regret this)



Boss "Yeah we just took the yearly group photo while you were out I'll send it to you right away! I'm telling you SHE IS HOT!"



Dude (wondering where to find enough bleach to clean off his eyes after he sees this one) "Ok send me the picture"



Boss "OK! You are going to think she is hot!"



Dude (Maybe I'll just buy a bucket and pour bleach in and just stick my head in open my eyes and that will help?) "OK well send it"



Boss sends photo.....Dude looks at his black berry.



Seldom in the Dudes life has the Dude ever been glad that; 1) The screen size of a black berry is small such that you can't really "enjoy" an image and 2)That due to the software there is great pixilation of some images.

But right away two things were evident, this was not Titanicas Assagus but something much much worse and that the Dudes boss needs to have his eyes checked....



Flash forward to Monday. Dude walks in the office and quickly realizes he forgot to stop over at Costco for bucket and mental bleach.....

Dude gets introduce to aforementioned "Hot Chick"...boss looks as if he has just landed Carmen Electra......Dude is thinking...."Aaahhh no."



So here is Dude standing in front of what is....well...hum....OK take Bichy McTankass AKA Ms. Lopez who has no real discernable talent. If the ugly tree was one of those large red wood trees in California and had thorns for leaves and razor wire for branches...throw her off face first after she landed she was promptly run over by the ugly buss express twice and then the ugly tree was cut down such that it landed on her twice....you know ugly trees bounce when they land....and here we have it boys!



An early 30 something heinous engineering girl who due to the astronomical aggregate demand caused by the engineering world being 90% dudes and 10% chicks that look like dudes is seen (and the dudes shits you not) as "A HOT CATCH" strutting her stuff around the office in a flowered combo that would make blind gay men gouge out their eyes showing off legs that should not see sunlight, moon light or Israelite. While the Dude is thinking.....this is some sort of joke right? I mean there is busted and then there is she did 4 rounds with Tyson and he wasn't wearing any gloves...which explains the lisp! How the hell is this girl getting any action? And when she goes to bars does she have to pay double just to get a drink? And even then the bartender looks away when full filling her order?



It is not a good day to be the Dude in the engineering world.

So yeah how we view others is based on the surrounding environment we find our slef in.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Thanks for the links. I'm going to show them to my almost 16yo daughter. She already struggles with body image issues...not the least of which are brought on by her mother and step-father. You'd shit if you heard the things they've said to her.
Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

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You'd shit if you heard the things they've said to her.


Man that is bad Karma. Not right. What is the matter with people! Really! She's a kid! Good god! And her own mother....oh brother
[:/]
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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You know men can do that too. When I was younger and studied French, I was the only guy in the class. The only real problem was getting people to believe that you're not gay. After that, success B|

Your rights end where my feelings begin.

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Hey, my oldest daughter is an engineer.:P

Photoshop, airbrush, artistic license, it's nothing new. Technology just makes it easier. I agree with Krisanne. I like women to look like women, not some airbrushed blow up doll.



I think we all know it happens... Maybe we don't all appreciate just how much, though...
"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

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Hey, my oldest daughter is an engineer.:P

Photoshop, airbrush, artistic license, it's nothing new. Technology just makes it easier. I agree with Krisanne. I like women to look like women, not some airbrushed blow up doll.



B|

You go back to the photos I posted of Christie ... you know she had world-class photographers, hairstylists, makeup artists, lighting, etc. - every advantage to enhance her natural beauty. But her body still looks like a real body. I'm cool with that image (even if I know I'll never have her body, at least I'm pretty confident it's an image of her body as it actually existed at the time under those conditions).
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I refuse to shrink my testicles to walnuts



you might want to see a doctor

unless you swoop and have a Go-Pro. Then that's about right. :ph34r:


You are going to make me walk to the pantry and get some walnuts aren't you...? :P

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