Image manipulation is nothing new. Photographers have been touching up and airbrushing photographs since the 1800s. These fascinating photographs of the real-life models for Gil Elvgren’s iconic 1950s pin-up paintings prove that we started tucking in waists and thinning necks long before Kardashian came up with the idea.
You’d never guess that from reading these websites. “Old Navy’s Thigh Gap Sets A Dangerous Standard For Women,” reads this ominous HuffPo headline, as though no woman ever went on a diet before the digital age. You might think we were in the darkest era of image manipulation in the history of mankind.
In fact, it’s just the opposite. At no other time in history have women, especially young women, been so thoroughly acquainted with the power of editing and deceptive photography. Most 14-year-old girls know exactly the angle at which to take a selfie, so that their arms look skinny and their forehead isn’t emphasized. They will then edit that photo on Instagram, choosing the filter that makes them look tanner, and the exposure that plays down their skin defects.
And if that isn’t enough to make them suspect that Kim Kardashian’s photos are as fake as their own, the paparazzi can help lead them solidly to that conclusion. Back in the day, there weren’t any unattractive tabloid shots of Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn. But anyone who has stood in line at a grocery store knows that Britney Spears has cellulite. Candid, unflattering photographs of celebrities have never been more ubiquitous, thanks to TMZ and cellphone cameras. So why do we continue to act as if Photoshop is a shocking secret that must be revealed to the public?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member