Comments on: Unretouched Photos: Empowering or Just More ‘Empower-tainment’?

By: Jessica K

Jessica K — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:37:43 +0000

It’s more empower-tainment for sure. These unaltered images simply show up once in a while. Hence, the positive change is momentary. As you write in the article, yes unadulterated images matter, but they’re diluted by all the adulterated ones. These undermine the reality of how much more altered images we are being exposed to. The adulterated images are a stable set of images. We’re constantly being put through the process of cultivation.

By: Alexandria Scott

Alexandria Scott — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:44:03 +0000

As time passes, more and more people become aware of the unrealistic alterations magazines portray to our society. More than half of the photos in magazines portray the image of unnatural women. Those magazines that do contain photos of normal sized, over-sized, and non photo shopped images imply a more realistic view of what most of our society is like. Some magazines make fun of these women while others are just conveying the message that super models don’t display the image for a typical woman’s body. I think un retouched photos of women should be in more magazines which will decrease the percentage of women who are insecure because of all super models.

By: Lam Yan Yee

Lam Yan Yee — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:19:45 +0000

I am glad that there are magazines started to show people the reality. Women do not look like what the cover models from the mainstream fashion magazines. This action can help to change the image of standard of ideal beauty. Women may not feel that stressful like before. I hope there will be more magazines start to follow them. It is really hard for women to have a ideal body shape. They have to do many things to keep it.

By: Sahar S.

Sahar S. — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:53:59 +0000

I think this whole “unretouched photos” is just an act. Media is so advanced they need to think of new ways to attract consumers and money. All magazines have the airbrushed, flawless super model or celebrity on the front cover so why not try to “change” it up a little. Even though these photos claim to be the real deal, there is still work done to make them look natural. I don’t think women in society will ever truly understand or know what a “real” women looks like. We are bombarded with so many images it just turns into one big blur. It is hard to keep up with societal expectations even if images of “real” woman are portrayed.

By: Jonteen R

Jonteen R — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:58:04 +0000

There’s no shame in showing how you really look. when looking at britneys untouched photo i thought she looked more normal than her retouched photo.The media just wants to make everyone believe that these celebrities are naturally perfect so that young girls can try to be like them. there is no such thing as being that perfect.

By: Lori H

Lori H — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:49:40 +0000

As nice as it is to see them embracing curvy woman or women with a little bit of a belly roll gracing the magazine covers it still does not make up for all the ads and front covers of all the touched up thin models and celebrities we are subjected to every day. I really do feel it is all for publicity putting a curvy woman on the front page of a main stream women magazine. I feel as if they are trying so hard to say “Look! We like curvy women too!” and then for what the other 11 months out of the year we have waif thin celebs and models on the cover and we are supposed to remember the one curvy model and feel good about ourselves? Who are they kidding? I honestly think if the magazines really want to start making a difference they need to start evaluating what kind of woman they show in these advertisement and ease up on the photo shopping.

By: Guadalupe Y

Guadalupe Y — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:33:30 +0000

More magazines should be putting up more pics like these in their magazines because in reality this is how most women do look like.Although my only concern about one of the pics is of Kim Kardashian because im sure that, that pics had been altered quit a bit. Women shouldnt be ashamed of their bodies but instead EMBRACE and be PROUD of their bodies and for what they have.

By: MATAN P

MATAN P — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:34:04 +0000

I don’t see anything wrong with these photos. I actually like them. They made me feel happier and more satisfied of my belief. Honestly, I always thought there was something wrong with me with not liking super skinny girls. I was told by many of my friends that it’s almost impossible to find someone who is a good looking girl and not have the super skinny body. Because the girl who cares about her face beautify, also cares about her body, in other words outer beauty.

By: Gabriel Y.

Gabriel Y. — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:08:09 +0000

I agree with a comment above that stated “Just because we see a few photos of real women’s bodies does not mean we are headed towards a change.” This is a very powerful comment, because its true. Its true that it is an amazing thing that people are giving credit and putting out pictures of real and unretouched celebrities and models. But it is not going to change societies view of what an ‘ideal’ woman is, simply because for most women, it is too late to change that view. In some cases, these photos of real and unretouched celebrities and models might even cost them fans and make them gain haters. So it is not always going to turn things around on a positive note

By: Yesenia O

Yesenia O — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:34:45 +0000

Nowadays, we live in a society in which the purpose of all the magazines and the advertisements that they have in them is to sell, they want money! Therefore, they know that the only way they can do this is by exposing and altering the models they have and make them look extremely beautiful, with a perfect body, and a perfect face with no blemishes. However, this is not right because they are lying and creating a female that perhaps does not exist, therefore, when I saw this article, I was glad that womens natural beauty without no photoshop and no alterations was finally exposed. Women like these, in the images above, are the ones that exist, the ones that we normally see walking down the street because to me, their is no perfect women. We all have imperfection and something that we dont like about ourselves, and those who are perfect probably were created or made perfect. Seeing larger models, without make-up, and without spraying made me think that it is possible to have magazines like these, but magazine sellers know that if they have women like the ones above in the cover of heir magazine might not make them have the same success (financial gain) as having someone that is flawless and skinny because many women still today want to look like them.