Advertising VS Reality

We asked four women to participate in a Photoshop experiment. Their reactions to the results will surprise you. Post to Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1iSHhzd Like BuzzFeed on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18yCF0b Post to Twitter: http://bit.ly/1mdCMnJ Huge thanks to Andronica Marquis, Sierra Santana, Kate Reynolds, and Ella Mielniczenko.

I love the idea of showing the general public, especially young women, how much photoshop is done to the "Flawless" magazine and fashion models. I am a Photographer, and I do some level of the retouching shown in my fashion work. But that's advertising. We need to be reminded that the people selling beauty, hair, weight loss, etc... are selling a product. They are selling an idea, or an emotion of their product. So they make the women look flawless. The same way that Big Macs and Whoppers look amazing on the commercials and billboards, we all know that when that paper wrapped sandwich is passed over the counter it will look nothing like the billboard. (Most of the time they look nothing like a Burger!).

So, to my daughters, and grand-daughters, remember that advertising is a fantasy. They are selling the idea of perfection. But the same way that Baconator is advertised as perfection, and served as a sloppy mess, it is absolutely what is on the inside that makes it delicious/beautiful.

I know it's a strange metaphor, but it hold true. (Hey, I could have gone with the "Buns" analogy. But, ending with "What's on the inside counts" line would have been a little nasty sounding.)