Can We Legislate Photoshop Use?

To those who aren't aware: EVERYTHING is photoshopped. Every image you see on a magazine cover is not real.

"I don't think there's a single photograph in those (magazines) that's not retouched. They're all manipulated to hell." Hany Farid, Dartmouth College

A number of countries are beginning to discuss how they might legislate against the practice.

Can we really ask governments to stop what we as consumers (apparently) desire?

UK organizations are beginning to talk about what initiatives could be introduced to curb the practice of digital manipulation.

The magazines defend the practice: "Sometimes readers want hyper-reality in a way - they want to be taken out of their own situation." - Jill Wanless, an associate editor at Look Magazine.

Gabourey Sidibe on Elle - complete with wig and lightened skin.
Image from movie Precious on right.

Australia have recently introduced voluntary guidelines for fashion and media industries. The code of conduct requires:

Disclosing when images have been retouched and refraining from enhancing photographs in a way that changes a person's body shape by, for example, lengthening their legs or trimming their waist or by removing freckles, lines and other distinguishing marks.

Photographers will not be putting their hands up to 'volunteer'

"Do politicians really so underestimate the populace that they think a warning ought to go on a fashion image?

"Maybe every woman who uses makeup ought to have a warning tattooed on her neck.

"The entertainment media, in general, traffic in fantasy. In that respect, the manipulation of images is a legitimate part of the job of entertainment producers." (source)

Can we really rely on 'voluntary' codes? Or even legislation? Do we as the consumer have a part to play here? Research (and anyone with eyes to see) shows that the size and shape of our bodies are increasingly at odds with media images.

See our exposé on Female Body Shape in the 20th Century if you need more convincing. Or even Wired's infographic on the decreasing size of playmate models.

Does anyone really know how 'hyper-reality' affects us?

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