Hajar Radwan:The Use of Photoshop in the Media

The Use of Photoshop in the Media Name: Hajar Radwan ID: 201202653 Lebanese American University ABSTRACT: In our world today, media has taken over the planet and it’s the main creator of the perception of beauty. It also plays a significant role in our simplest daily activities such as when we do our grocery shopping, we chose the product according to individualized preference based on the competence of the commercial and its affect it has on us as consumers. The media represents this product to the world in idealized state of perfection through the use of Photoshop which is also used today among normal individuals not only professional photographers. Therefore, sometimes Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. On the other hand one cannot ignore that the images projected through Photoshop are not real presentation of the product but instead they are completely altered images. For example, Photoshop is used on celebrities and models to make them appear flawless on movie screens and magazine covers. This definitely affects men and women to a great deal since we look up to them as role models, trend setters and fashion icons. Outline Claim: The main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye of the consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. I. The media is falsifying the perception of beauty. A. The use of Photoshop in commercials (Steven, 2012) (rawi, 2012). B. The misleading and deceptive side of the Media (Welson, 2009) (Dreifus, 2007) (Kite, 2013) C- Shedding the light on some Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009). D-The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) E-. The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) II- A- The role of Photoshop in commercials and advertisement. 1. Famous restaurants such as MacDonald's use food styling in order to make their burgers and fries more mouth watering. (Steven, 2012) 2. Many cosmetic commercials use air brushing for sake of selling more products (rawi, 2012) (Kite, 2013) B- Photoshop is manipulating and deceiving society (Kite, 2013) (Williams, 2008) 1- Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow have had their magazine cover Photo shopped (Welson, 2009) (Brown & Collins, 2010) 2- Photoshop is manipulative and deceptive. (Stone, 2009) (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) 1. Demi Levato on the cover of Cosmo Magazine (Kite, 2013). 2. Kelly Clarkson's slim figure on Self Magazine (Kite, 2013). D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) 1. Valerie Boyer proposed a law that requires photo shopped photographs to be labeled as retouched 2- Christine leiritz and Dominique Isserman defended Photoshop (Erlanger, 2009) 3. Kate Winslet claimed that GQ magazine has altered her figure to super slim without her consent (Welson, 2009) 3. Mr.Linderbergh claimed that retouching as crossed the line and has gone beyond ethical boundaries (Welson, 2009) 4. Christine Leiritz argued that people are not stupid and they know that the photos they see are retouched (Erlanger, 2009) 5. Dominique Isserman claimed that camera can change reality of photos (Erlanger, 2009). E- The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes. (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) 1. Using digital alteration based on personal preferences. (Williams, 2008) 2. Family albums are no longer presentation of past memories. (Williams, 2008) 3. Digital Forensics is software used to detect any altered photos (Dreifus, 2007) III- The media today is the main trend setter. A- Photoshop might have some advantages in advertisement and sell products (Steven, 2012) B- The media is creating an image that doesn’t exist something alien and non-human (Brown & Collins, 2010) (Baker, 2012) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Welson, 2009) (Erlanger, 2009) E- Photoshop has gone to the extremes of changing reality (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) In our world today, media has a very imperative role on our everyday lives. Through the media we make all sorts of decisions such as which hair shampoo one should use , what mobile one should buy, how one should dress and look like , what sort of food one should eat etc… Therefore the media is the ultimate innovator; we make decisions based on what it projects to the public eye. One cannot ignore the impact the media has on people's self image. Everywhere we go one can see images of celebrities on magazines, in movie theaters and on TV sets having perfect smiles and bodies resembling the ideal human. Thus people strive to look the way that these celebrities appear in the media. Unfortunately, this is impossible since almost all pictures we see have been digitally altered in some way. In other words, men and women are trying to reach an idealized state that doesn’t exist in nature. Moreover, the media is falsifying the perception of beauty by manipulating and changing body images using digital alterations such as Photoshop to a state of perfection. On the other hand, Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. For example, during grocery shopping we chose what toothpaste or brand of cans to buy based on the competence of the commercial and its ability to present the benefits of the product in an image that is appealing to the consumer. Therefore , the main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. The main benefit of Photoshop in advertisement is to enhance the image of the product and attract consumers who are drawn to such commercials. Many believe that the use of Photoshop is to enlarge a size of burger or to edit a steak to a perfect color and make it look mouthwatering is harmless to people in a sense that it's not going to cause them to have deep psychological problems such as low self –esteem etc.. On the contrary, it's going to build up in people the will and desire to want to try the merchandise they see. For example , the world famous restaurant MacDonald's uses Photoshop in food styling in order to perfectionise their fries and burgers and make them look bigger, juicer, fresher ( Steven,2012) etc.. And attract viewers to go to the restaurant and try it. Most often we go and the food looks nothing like the commercial, the burger looks much smaller and plainer due to the effects of Photoshop. Many Food editors claim that no one wants to look at commercial demonstrating plain fries, cheese rolls and steak they want to see something delicious looking. Moreover something that will convince them that trying this ice cream or chocolate bar will give them sensual minutes filled with pleasure and satisfaction. If we run through all the commercials related to famous chocolates such as Lindt and Galaxy we see the chocolate has been digitally altered by manipulating the color and appearance of the chocolate so that they show the viewer how slowly it flows and melts. Moreover, the commercials give the viewers hope that eating this will help them escape momentarily everyday problem and demands. Usually the actress takes a bite slowly and she closes her eyes as if she is floating on a cloud. This is all done using Photoshop where experts manipulate the paper wrapper, size and appearance of the chocolate. Moreover, cosmetics brands usually use Photoshop to magnify the effect of their products. For instance, if we look at commercial for Maybelline New York which is based on the slogan ''maybe she is born with it'' its main role is to send a message to women and convince them that using their products they will look like their natural self. Therefore, photographers use Photoshop to clarify completely the skin of models removing all dimples or patches on the skin. This is done in order to highlight the effect of the product and encourage women to try it and some actually measure up to standards. Therefore, Photoshop is essential for business and sales (Rawi,2012). The more we enhance the look and the effects of the product the more likely sales will shoot up to the roof. Also MaxFactor focuses on the lashes of models and it makes them appear longer, thick and fully filled and they claim that the newest mascara it's actually going to transform someone's lashes to that degree of thickness. Don’t get me wrong some really do make one's eyelashes longer but never to that exaggerated extent. Photoshop is an essential element in commercials and advertisement and it's not meant to cause any harm for the public eye. On the contrary its main role is to be a magnet for audience and persuade them to try whatever the commercial is trying to sell. Today, most advertisers are claiming that digital alterations are used in a manner that is pure and innocent and its main aim is to stand out and show their products in a unique way. On the other hand, people go to restaurants and consume food that looks absolutely nothing like the commercial. Who are the advertisers fooling? Why don’t they send an honest message and image to the public? Photoshop is playing with people's minds by making them believe that images of celebrities in magazines are real thus its traumatically effecting people's emotional well being (Brown&Collins,2010). Young girls today look at music videos, commercial ads and magazine covers of their favorite actress and singers who are basically role models to them and fashion icons and they strive to be like them (Kite,2013). That’s the main reason why many young girls and women go through nutritional disorders such as anorexia and bulimia etc... Photoshop is manipulating, misleading and dehumanizing people thus the media is the primary establisher of the perception of beauty (Stone,2009). If you look at the magazine cover of Vogue on May 2008, it presented the famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow with skin clear as snow and flawless like a baby despite her age (Wilson,2009). Looking at this image, many women feel inadequate in a sense that they feel like they are not good looking enough so many undergo plastic surgeries and buttocks fillings in order to appear younger. One of the indicators that magazine covers are digitally altered is the example of actress Reese Witherspoon. Reese's eyes color, dimples changed drastically after her angelic Maries Claire appearance on February 2008 to her published vogue cover on November (Wilson,2009). These sudden and drastic changes show that photographers use Photoshop in order to change the actresses' style from one fashion magazine to another. Surely, something is wrong when Reese's eyes changed from blue to green. Definitely these changes are abnormal and impossible to happen at that age. So we can conclude that magazine editors and Photographers change the appearance of celebrities based on their preferences and on the theme they want to project. Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies who act as if they are projecting real images to the world and act as if they appear that way in everyday life. In July 2012 Cosmo Magazine featured Disney Channel's 19 year old Demi Levato speaking bravely about her battle with anorexia and bulimia while her cover snap shot has been digitally altered to a thinner figure(Kite,2013). Demi is a role model for many young girls who watch Disney channel. They relate to her at a personal level and they aspire to be like her. If one is talking about their struggle with anorexia and bulimia that are diseases related to body weight and image, they have to be frank and sincere. Having her figure altered on the cover and discussing in the issue her struggle with her body image is simply ironic and unintelligent. As if they think that the public is too dim-witted to recognize that her body is misrepresented. Another example of Photoshop phonies is the American Idol superstar Kelly Clarkson who appeared on Good Morning America revealing her figure which looked like the exact opposite of her slim figure on cover of the September issue of Self Magazine 2009. It was absolutely ridiculous since the issue was discussing body confidence and how to feel comfortable in one's own skin. She quoted" my happy weight changes, it will be in different sizes all the time, when people talk about my weight. I'm like, 'you seem to have problem with it; I don’t I am fine!' '(Kite, 2013). If she was perfectly happy with her body than why digitally alter your figure size?! Rather than apologizing for the unethical editing of her images, she is claiming to be something she is not therefore she is a phony and her ignorance of it is astonishing. The Self Magazine editor Lucy Danziger defended her magazine by saying'' Yes of course we do post production correction on our images. Photoshop is an industry standard'' (Kite, 2013). By this she is admitting that today Photoshop is essential for business and its one of the essential items necessary for boosting sales. Furthermore, she defended Kelly by saying "Kelly exudes confidence and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life"( Kite,2013).How can such a liar be a role model for young girls and women who looked up to her? Moreover, how can she talk about body confidence when she obviously lacks one? This is absolutely shameful that our own role models are acting so ignorantly and they act according to their own will not taking into consideration the people who they are affecting and hurting by their actions. The use of Photoshop has gone to the extreme to point where people are changing their race. For example, the African American singer Beyonce appeared extremely white in Loreal's digital manipulation and actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared also whitewashed on cover of Elle Magazine September issue 2010(Kite,2013).This effects many colored women since they look around and they never see their own race projected in a positive manner. As a result many of them feel inadequate and they try to change themselves in order to fit in. The use of Photoshop is a never-ending debate, claim that Photoshop is an essential element for business while others claim that it is harming and lying to the public. Valerie Boyer 47 year old member of French parliament received big attention when she proposed a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertisement should be labeled as retouched which raised a huge debate whether this would actually reduce anorexia or destroy photographic art (Erlanger,2009).Many people supported her proposal such as Andreas Lebert editor of woman's German magazine said he was ''fed up'' with retouching photos of extremely underweight models(Erlanger,2009). While others were against it such as Ines De La Fressange a former model and clothes designer called Ms. Boyer's bill '' demagogic and stupid''(Erlanger,2009) she argued that many people suffer from anorexia because of deep psychological distress that is beyond looking only on Photoshoped photos. Therefore, the real goal behind Photoshop is still unknown; some justify its use as pure innocence and while others look at it as lying to society and projecting a false image of reality. Philippe Jeammet, a professor of psychiatry at the University Paris Descartes said ''Retouched photos are deceptive, an illusion and we must think of the consequences'' (Erlanger, 2009). Which is true, they are basically altering reality and the consequences are getting stuck and losing our humanity along the way. He supported Mrs. Boyer's proposal claiming that it’s the least they can do. People have the right to know the truth and all it takes is a small label on photo saying that it has been Photo shopped. It's a simple request that can make a huge difference; it will make society aware of the fact that not everything is what it seems. Christine Leiritz, the chief editor of French magazine Maire Claire believed that Mrs. Boyer's proposal is ridiculous since the readers she argues are not idiots they know that a photographs of celebrities who are in there 50s and appear 23 on covers such as actress Sharon Stone then of course this image has been manipulated (Erlanger,2009).Since Magazines claim that they use digitally altered photographs and they claim that the readers know that the pictures have been manipulated then why dont they agree on Boyer's proposal which requests from magazines to confess and be frank about the work they are viewing to the world. It makes perfect sense that today photographers and editors refuse this proposals because if they accept it, no one is going to read or even look at the magazine. They want to create a world full of imagination that gives the reader the ability to hope and dream. On the other hand, this can be done not only using digital manipulations but also through revealing the truth it can make people more aware and conscious of the reality of the world we are living in. Dominique Isserman , a French fashion photographer thinks that Mrs. Boyer has completely misunderstood the nature of photography itself (Erlanger,2009). She argued that a camera can easily distort reality through the use of different lens without retouching. They can easily exclude something and include something else(Erlanger,2009).She pointed out that the famous photo of actress Keira Knightly for Coco Channel has not been retouched to create bigger breast but actually the added some thighs because she was extremely thin in that region (Erlanger,2009). Therefore in her opinion a photograph can be deceiving and image might be altered places where people don’t think it has been manipulated. That's why it's necessary and vital to put notes on a photograph saying it has been altered otherwise people will assume it's real and unaltered. In 2003, one of the famous retouching controversies was that of Oscar Winner Kate Winslet. She claimed that the British edition of GQ Magazine have completely altered her figure size to super slim with her consent (Wilson, 2009).Thus revealing that not all of Hollywood actresses are with digital alterations and lying to the public eye. Some celebrities prefer to be real and they try their best not to allow any person to judge them for it just like what Kate did. Kate knows how her body functions and how it looks. Moreover, she doesn't want anyone to try to change her into something she is not. Mr.Linderbergh , one of the world's most famous image markers quoted'' Heartless retouching shouldn't be chosen as tool to represent women" and also commented by saying that digital alterations have taken a huge part in visually defining how women today should look like (Welson,2009). Today , women are judged based on pictures of models ,actresses and socialites who look perfect and its truly heartless since these women are phonies and are selfish they don't even care to stop and think of the many young girls and men who kill themselves because they don't feel they are good looking enough to even exist. Digital manipulations has gone to the point where people are completely changing their reality based on their liking and these manipulations can be detected using Digital Forensics(Dreifus,2007) (Williams,2008).Dr. Hany Farid , head of Image Science Laboratory at Darmoth is founder of digital forensics which is a field of detecting manipulated images (Dreifus,2007).Digital Forensics is a new field that allows experts to look at digital media- images, audio and video and try to recognize any manipulated images through the use of mathematical and computational techniques (Dreifus,2007). During the interview with Claudia Dreifus, Dr. Farid was asked how he makes soft ware's to detect any manipulated images he simply said that he thinks the way a forger would think. By this he meant that he gets familiar with the basic forger's tool which is Photoshop and learn techniques and tools. In sense that he dedicated some time to get familiar with the different feature of Adobe Photoshop which range from ability to change intensity of light, transparency, blend images etc… It also has staggering array of brushes, colors, modes, effects etc… Therefore, it can alter an image from head to toe (Dreifus,2007). For example, it can alter skin appearance, body size, smile, brighten teeth, and change hair color. After he acquired his expertise with Photoshop he discovered one of the hardest things for forgers to match is the lighting so he developed a technique to measure if the light is consistent with various part of the image (Dreifus,2007). In addition he uses the eyes as an indication since a small reflection of light projects in the eyes and using the technique he developed, Dr.Farid can know whether the light was present during the photo shoot (Dreifus,2007). Last but not least he count s the number pixels of a digital image and once any sort of alteration has been used on the image the number changes (Dreifus,2007). Anyone today with help of Photoshop can add family members who are unable to attend events, liposuction, and hair restoration and even can reanimate the dead (Williams,2008). Using digital alteration family members believe that family photos are no longer presentation of past events and memories are altered according to what people want it to be. Theresa Newman Rolley, an accountant in Williamsport, hired Wayne Palmer who works as a photographic retoucher to create a portrait of her and her diseased father because she lacks one and she claims that looking at the portrait brings tears to her eyes despite the fact that the portrait captured a moment that never happened in real life (Williams,2007). '' Such manipulations represent a new coping mechanism for us'' said Heather Downs, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University of Illinois (Williams,2007). Sometimes the use of Photoshop has a sentimental side and we want as human beings to hold on to something that reminds us of the past events and our beloved ones who passed away or those who aren’t able to attend events that are important to us. Even if the picture is not a true reflection of reality, people feel some sort of attachment to them and therefore photographs aren’t actually real proof of events that actually occurred. A photographer can create a different impression of the same scene by using Photoshop. For instance, imagine you are taking a photograph near a lake in one photo the photographer can make u appear like u are having a blast or he or she can make u seem frighten or indifferent it all depends on the image we want to project. Chris Johnson, a photography professor at California College of Arts in the bay area explained that what we are doing with digital alterations is fulfilling the wish that all of us have to make reality on our liking (Williams,2007). Mary Warner Marien, an art history professor at Syracuse University and the author of '' Photography: A cultural History'' said that it was a tradition in India to cut and paste snap shots of absent family members into wedding photographs as a gesture of respect and inclusion (Williams,2007). Some believe that whatever is in front of a lens is a true resemblance of reality and that’s why some western cultures are ignorant of the fact that they are simply lying to themselves and they are turning their backs on the truth which they are well aware of. Technology is growing and developing at fast rate and the media is facilitating this outgrowth. The media is our one and only source of information regarding every new product, looks and events occurring worldwide. But lately, the media is putting too much emphasis on superficial looks and appearances of women and men. The media is the main trend setter and women follow up with the latest magazines and TV shows in order to stay updated with the fashion world and also for the sake of looking the best way possible. Little do they know that everything projected to them is false and far from reality. The media is deceptive and it has a devastating impact on people's self – image by using digitally altered photographs. Photoshop is an ongoing epidemic where not only professional photographers and editors are using it but it's also available for public use. People today are changing reality based on personal preferences and therefore a photograph is no longer presentation of past events and memories. It’s the nature of our existence to desire something to hold on to and of course if we had the chance to change a bad memory we will take it with no hesitation. In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that Photoshop makes commercials or movies with all the effect more entertaining to watch and they use of it definitely boosts up sales. On the other hand, we cannot neglect the consequence it has which mainly revolves around us losing touch with our humanity. Men and Women are seeking to reach a state of idealism and perfection which is not how God created humans. Each one of us is unique with all his or her flaws and we should wake up from the delusion we are living in and take a stand against the methods that are dehumanizing and demanding from us perfection. In conclusion, whether Photoshop should be used or not is a critical debate since it has advantages and disadvantages. Humans should take advantage of technology which is making our lives easier and use it in rightful manner without letting it dominate us and take control of our lives. Baker, M. (2012, january 2). Mallen's baker's CRS Blog. Retrieved april 28, 2013, from www.mallenbaker.net: http:// www.mallenbaker.net/csr/post.php?id=425 Brown, T., & Collins, S. (2010, April 26). What ''They'' Want From ''Us'' : Industry Expectations of Journalism Graduates. SAGE, pp. 68-82. Dreifus, C. (2007, October 02). A CONVERSATION WITH Hany Farid. NewYork Times, p. F2. Erlanger, S. (2009, september 03). Point, Shoot, Retouch and Label. NewYork Times, pp. E1-3. Ferla, R. L. (2009, December 03). What a Lens Can't Capture. NewYork Times, p. E6. Kite, L. K. (2013, april 18). Beauty Redefined. Retrieved from www.beautyredefined.net: http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/ Steven, J. (2012, june 21). DialyMail. Retrieved from www.dailymail.co.uk: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162080/McDonalds-Photoshop-video-reveals-menu-burgers-look-like-youre-served.html#ixzz2Rl1s8Kkr Stone, B. (2009, April 20). Adobe in Push to Spread Web Video to TV Sets. NewYork Times, p. B6. Welson, E. (2009, May 28). Smile and Say 'No Photoshop'. NewYork Times, pp. E1-2. Williams, A. (2008, August 17). I Was There. Just Ask Photoshop. NewYork Times, pp. ST1-2. The Use of Photoshop in the Media Name: Hajar Radwan ID: 201202653 Lebanese American University ABSTRACT: In our world today, media has taken over the planet and it’s the main creator of the perception of beauty. It also plays a significant role in our simplest daily activities such as when we do our grocery shopping, we chose the product according to individualized preference based on the competence of the commercial and its affect it has on us as consumers. The media represents this product to the world in idealized state of perfection through the use of Photoshop which is also used today among normal individuals not only professional photographers. Therefore, sometimes Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. On the other hand one cannot ignore that the images projected through Photoshop are not real presentation of the product but instead they are completely altered images. For example, Photoshop is used on celebrities and models to make them appear flawless on movie screens and magazine covers. This definitely affects men and women to a great deal since we look up to them as role models, trend setters and fashion icons. Outline Claim: The main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye of the consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. I. The media is falsifying the perception of beauty. A. The use of Photoshop in commercials (Steven, 2012) (rawi, 2012). B. The misleading and deceptive side of the Media (Welson, 2009) (Dreifus, 2007) (Kite, 2013) C- Shedding the light on some Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009). D-The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) E-. The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) II- A- The role of Photoshop in commercials and advertisement. 1. Famous restaurants such as MacDonald's use food styling in order to make their burgers and fries more mouth watering. (Steven, 2012) 2. Many cosmetic commercials use air brushing for sake of selling more products (rawi, 2012) (Kite, 2013) B- Photoshop is manipulating and deceiving society (Kite, 2013) (Williams, 2008) 1- Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow have had their magazine cover Photo shopped (Welson, 2009) (Brown & Collins, 2010) 2- Photoshop is manipulative and deceptive. (Stone, 2009) (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) 1. Demi Levato on the cover of Cosmo Magazine (Kite, 2013). 2. Kelly Clarkson's slim figure on Self Magazine (Kite, 2013). D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) 1. Valerie Boyer proposed a law that requires photo shopped photographs to be labeled as retouched 2- Christine leiritz and Dominique Isserman defended Photoshop (Erlanger, 2009) 3. Kate Winslet claimed that GQ magazine has altered her figure to super slim without her consent (Welson, 2009) 3. Mr.Linderbergh claimed that retouching as crossed the line and has gone beyond ethical boundaries (Welson, 2009) 4. Christine Leiritz argued that people are not stupid and they know that the photos they see are retouched (Erlanger, 2009) 5. Dominique Isserman claimed that camera can change reality of photos (Erlanger, 2009). E- The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes. (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) 1. Using digital alteration based on personal preferences. (Williams, 2008) 2. Family albums are no longer presentation of past memories. (Williams, 2008) 3. Digital Forensics is software used to detect any altered photos (Dreifus, 2007) III- The media today is the main trend setter. A- Photoshop might have some advantages in advertisement and sell products (Steven, 2012) B- The media is creating an image that doesn’t exist something alien and non-human (Brown & Collins, 2010) (Baker, 2012) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Welson, 2009) (Erlanger, 2009) E- Photoshop has gone to the extremes of changing reality (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) In our world today, media has a very imperative role on our everyday lives. Through the media we make all sorts of decisions such as which hair shampoo one should use , what mobile one should buy, how one should dress and look like , what sort of food one should eat etc… Therefore the media is the ultimate innovator; we make decisions based on what it projects to the public eye. One cannot ignore the impact the media has on people's self image. Everywhere we go one can see images of celebrities on magazines, in movie theaters and on TV sets having perfect smiles and bodies resembling the ideal human. Thus people strive to look the way that these celebrities appear in the media. Unfortunately, this is impossible since almost all pictures we see have been digitally altered in some way. In other words, men and women are trying to reach an idealized state that doesn’t exist in nature. Moreover, the media is falsifying the perception of beauty by manipulating and changing body images using digital alterations such as Photoshop to a state of perfection. On the other hand, Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. For example, during grocery shopping we chose what toothpaste or brand of cans to buy based on the competence of the commercial and its ability to present the benefits of the product in an image that is appealing to the consumer. Therefore , the main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. The main benefit of Photoshop in advertisement is to enhance the image of the product and attract consumers who are drawn to such commercials. Many believe that the use of Photoshop is to enlarge a size of burger or to edit a steak to a perfect color and make it look mouthwatering is harmless to people in a sense that it's not going to cause them to have deep psychological problems such as low self –esteem etc.. On the contrary, it's going to build up in people the will and desire to want to try the merchandise they see. For example , the world famous restaurant MacDonald's uses Photoshop in food styling in order to perfectionise their fries and burgers and make them look bigger, juicer, fresher ( Steven,2012) etc.. And attract viewers to go to the restaurant and try it. Most often we go and the food looks nothing like the commercial, the burger looks much smaller and plainer due to the effects of Photoshop. Many Food editors claim that no one wants to look at commercial demonstrating plain fries, cheese rolls and steak they want to see something delicious looking. Moreover something that will convince them that trying this ice cream or chocolate bar will give them sensual minutes filled with pleasure and satisfaction. If we run through all the commercials related to famous chocolates such as Lindt and Galaxy we see the chocolate has been digitally altered by manipulating the color and appearance of the chocolate so that they show the viewer how slowly it flows and melts. Moreover, the commercials give the viewers hope that eating this will help them escape momentarily everyday problem and demands. Usually the actress takes a bite slowly and she closes her eyes as if she is floating on a cloud. This is all done using Photoshop where experts manipulate the paper wrapper, size and appearance of the chocolate. Moreover, cosmetics brands usually use Photoshop to magnify the effect of their products. For instance, if we look at commercial for Maybelline New York which is based on the slogan ''maybe she is born with it'' its main role is to send a message to women and convince them that using their products they will look like their natural self. Therefore, photographers use Photoshop to clarify completely the skin of models removing all dimples or patches on the skin. This is done in order to highlight the effect of the product and encourage women to try it and some actually measure up to standards. Therefore, Photoshop is essential for business and sales (Rawi,2012). The more we enhance the look and the effects of the product the more likely sales will shoot up to the roof. Also MaxFactor focuses on the lashes of models and it makes them appear longer, thick and fully filled and they claim that the newest mascara it's actually going to transform someone's lashes to that degree of thickness. Don’t get me wrong some really do make one's eyelashes longer but never to that exaggerated extent. Photoshop is an essential element in commercials and advertisement and it's not meant to cause any harm for the public eye. On the contrary its main role is to be a magnet for audience and persuade them to try whatever the commercial is trying to sell. Today, most advertisers are claiming that digital alterations are used in a manner that is pure and innocent and its main aim is to stand out and show their products in a unique way. On the other hand, people go to restaurants and consume food that looks absolutely nothing like the commercial. Who are the advertisers fooling? Why don’t they send an honest message and image to the public? Photoshop is playing with people's minds by making them believe that images of celebrities in magazines are real thus its traumatically effecting people's emotional well being (Brown&Collins,2010). Young girls today look at music videos, commercial ads and magazine covers of their favorite actress and singers who are basically role models to them and fashion icons and they strive to be like them (Kite,2013). That’s the main reason why many young girls and women go through nutritional disorders such as anorexia and bulimia etc... Photoshop is manipulating, misleading and dehumanizing people thus the media is the primary establisher of the perception of beauty (Stone,2009). If you look at the magazine cover of Vogue on May 2008, it presented the famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow with skin clear as snow and flawless like a baby despite her age (Wilson,2009). Looking at this image, many women feel inadequate in a sense that they feel like they are not good looking enough so many undergo plastic surgeries and buttocks fillings in order to appear younger. One of the indicators that magazine covers are digitally altered is the example of actress Reese Witherspoon. Reese's eyes color, dimples changed drastically after her angelic Maries Claire appearance on February 2008 to her published vogue cover on November (Wilson,2009). These sudden and drastic changes show that photographers use Photoshop in order to change the actresses' style from one fashion magazine to another. Surely, something is wrong when Reese's eyes changed from blue to green. Definitely these changes are abnormal and impossible to happen at that age. So we can conclude that magazine editors and Photographers change the appearance of celebrities based on their preferences and on the theme they want to project. Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies who act as if they are projecting real images to the world and act as if they appear that way in everyday life. In July 2012 Cosmo Magazine featured Disney Channel's 19 year old Demi Levato speaking bravely about her battle with anorexia and bulimia while her cover snap shot has been digitally altered to a thinner figure(Kite,2013). Demi is a role model for many young girls who watch Disney channel. They relate to her at a personal level and they aspire to be like her. If one is talking about their struggle with anorexia and bulimia that are diseases related to body weight and image, they have to be frank and sincere. Having her figure altered on the cover and discussing in the issue her struggle with her body image is simply ironic and unintelligent. As if they think that the public is too dim-witted to recognize that her body is misrepresented. Another example of Photoshop phonies is the American Idol superstar Kelly Clarkson who appeared on Good Morning America revealing her figure which looked like the exact opposite of her slim figure on cover of the September issue of Self Magazine 2009. It was absolutely ridiculous since the issue was discussing body confidence and how to feel comfortable in one's own skin. She quoted" my happy weight changes, it will be in different sizes all the time, when people talk about my weight. I'm like, 'you seem to have problem with it; I don’t I am fine!' '(Kite, 2013). If she was perfectly happy with her body than why digitally alter your figure size?! Rather than apologizing for the unethical editing of her images, she is claiming to be something she is not therefore she is a phony and her ignorance of it is astonishing. The Self Magazine editor Lucy Danziger defended her magazine by saying'' Yes of course we do post production correction on our images. Photoshop is an industry standard'' (Kite, 2013). By this she is admitting that today Photoshop is essential for business and its one of the essential items necessary for boosting sales. Furthermore, she defended Kelly by saying "Kelly exudes confidence and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life"( Kite,2013).How can such a liar be a role model for young girls and women who looked up to her? Moreover, how can she talk about body confidence when she obviously lacks one? This is absolutely shameful that our own role models are acting so ignorantly and they act according to their own will not taking into consideration the people who they are affecting and hurting by their actions. The use of Photoshop has gone to the extreme to point where people are changing their race. For example, the African American singer Beyonce appeared extremely white in Loreal's digital manipulation and actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared also whitewashed on cover of Elle Magazine September issue 2010(Kite,2013).This effects many colored women since they look around and they never see their own race projected in a positive manner. As a result many of them feel inadequate and they try to change themselves in order to fit in. The use of Photoshop is a never-ending debate, claim that Photoshop is an essential element for business while others claim that it is harming and lying to the public. Valerie Boyer 47 year old member of French parliament received big attention when she proposed a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertisement should be labeled as retouched which raised a huge debate whether this would actually reduce anorexia or destroy photographic art (Erlanger,2009).Many people supported her proposal such as Andreas Lebert editor of woman's German magazine said he was ''fed up'' with retouching photos of extremely underweight models(Erlanger,2009). While others were against it such as Ines De La Fressange a former model and clothes designer called Ms. Boyer's bill '' demagogic and stupid''(Erlanger,2009) she argued that many people suffer from anorexia because of deep psychological distress that is beyond looking only on Photoshoped photos. Therefore, the real goal behind Photoshop is still unknown; some justify its use as pure innocence and while others look at it as lying to society and projecting a false image of reality. Philippe Jeammet, a professor of psychiatry at the University Paris Descartes said ''Retouched photos are deceptive, an illusion and we must think of the consequences'' (Erlanger, 2009). Which is true, they are basically altering reality and the consequences are getting stuck and losing our humanity along the way. He supported Mrs. Boyer's proposal claiming that it’s the least they can do. People have the right to know the truth and all it takes is a small label on photo saying that it has been Photo shopped. It's a simple request that can make a huge difference; it will make society aware of the fact that not everything is what it seems. Christine Leiritz, the chief editor of French magazine Maire Claire believed that Mrs. Boyer's proposal is ridiculous since the readers she argues are not idiots they know that a photographs of celebrities who are in there 50s and appear 23 on covers such as actress Sharon Stone then of course this image has been manipulated (Erlanger,2009).Since Magazines claim that they use digitally altered photographs and they claim that the readers know that the pictures have been manipulated then why dont they agree on Boyer's proposal which requests from magazines to confess and be frank about the work they are viewing to the world. It makes perfect sense that today photographers and editors refuse this proposals because if they accept it, no one is going to read or even look at the magazine. They want to create a world full of imagination that gives the reader the ability to hope and dream. On the other hand, this can be done not only using digital manipulations but also through revealing the truth it can make people more aware and conscious of the reality of the world we are living in. Dominique Isserman , a French fashion photographer thinks that Mrs. Boyer has completely misunderstood the nature of photography itself (Erlanger,2009). She argued that a camera can easily distort reality through the use of different lens without retouching. They can easily exclude something and include something else(Erlanger,2009).She pointed out that the famous photo of actress Keira Knightly for Coco Channel has not been retouched to create bigger breast but actually the added some thighs because she was extremely thin in that region (Erlanger,2009). Therefore in her opinion a photograph can be deceiving and image might be altered places where people don’t think it has been manipulated. That's why it's necessary and vital to put notes on a photograph saying it has been altered otherwise people will assume it's real and unaltered. In 2003, one of the famous retouching controversies was that of Oscar Winner Kate Winslet. She claimed that the British edition of GQ Magazine have completely altered her figure size to super slim with her consent (Wilson, 2009).Thus revealing that not all of Hollywood actresses are with digital alterations and lying to the public eye. Some celebrities prefer to be real and they try their best not to allow any person to judge them for it just like what Kate did. Kate knows how her body functions and how it looks. Moreover, she doesn't want anyone to try to change her into something she is not. Mr.Linderbergh , one of the world's most famous image markers quoted'' Heartless retouching shouldn't be chosen as tool to represent women" and also commented by saying that digital alterations have taken a huge part in visually defining how women today should look like (Welson,2009). Today , women are judged based on pictures of models ,actresses and socialites who look perfect and its truly heartless since these women are phonies and are selfish they don't even care to stop and think of the many young girls and men who kill themselves because they don't feel they are good looking enough to even exist. Digital manipulations has gone to the point where people are completely changing their reality based on their liking and these manipulations can be detected using Digital Forensics(Dreifus,2007) (Williams,2008).Dr. Hany Farid , head of Image Science Laboratory at Darmoth is founder of digital forensics which is a field of detecting manipulated images (Dreifus,2007).Digital Forensics is a new field that allows experts to look at digital media- images, audio and video and try to recognize any manipulated images through the use of mathematical and computational techniques (Dreifus,2007). During the interview with Claudia Dreifus, Dr. Farid was asked how he makes soft ware's to detect any manipulated images he simply said that he thinks the way a forger would think. By this he meant that he gets familiar with the basic forger's tool which is Photoshop and learn techniques and tools. In sense that he dedicated some time to get familiar with the different feature of Adobe Photoshop which range from ability to change intensity of light, transparency, blend images etc… It also has staggering array of brushes, colors, modes, effects etc… Therefore, it can alter an image from head to toe (Dreifus,2007). For example, it can alter skin appearance, body size, smile, brighten teeth, and change hair color. After he acquired his expertise with Photoshop he discovered one of the hardest things for forgers to match is the lighting so he developed a technique to measure if the light is consistent with various part of the image (Dreifus,2007). In addition he uses the eyes as an indication since a small reflection of light projects in the eyes and using the technique he developed, Dr.Farid can know whether the light was present during the photo shoot (Dreifus,2007). Last but not least he count s the number pixels of a digital image and once any sort of alteration has been used on the image the number changes (Dreifus,2007). Anyone today with help of Photoshop can add family members who are unable to attend events, liposuction, and hair restoration and even can reanimate the dead (Williams,2008). Using digital alteration family members believe that family photos are no longer presentation of past events and memories are altered according to what people want it to be. Theresa Newman Rolley, an accountant in Williamsport, hired Wayne Palmer who works as a photographic retoucher to create a portrait of her and her diseased father because she lacks one and she claims that looking at the portrait brings tears to her eyes despite the fact that the portrait captured a moment that never happened in real life (Williams,2007). '' Such manipulations represent a new coping mechanism for us'' said Heather Downs, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University of Illinois (Williams,2007). Sometimes the use of Photoshop has a sentimental side and we want as human beings to hold on to something that reminds us of the past events and our beloved ones who passed away or those who aren’t able to attend events that are important to us. Even if the picture is not a true reflection of reality, people feel some sort of attachment to them and therefore photographs aren’t actually real proof of events that actually occurred. A photographer can create a different impression of the same scene by using Photoshop. For instance, imagine you are taking a photograph near a lake in one photo the photographer can make u appear like u are having a blast or he or she can make u seem frighten or indifferent it all depends on the image we want to project. Chris Johnson, a photography professor at California College of Arts in the bay area explained that what we are doing with digital alterations is fulfilling the wish that all of us have to make reality on our liking (Williams,2007). Mary Warner Marien, an art history professor at Syracuse University and the author of '' Photography: A cultural History'' said that it was a tradition in India to cut and paste snap shots of absent family members into wedding photographs as a gesture of respect and inclusion (Williams,2007). Some believe that whatever is in front of a lens is a true resemblance of reality and that’s why some western cultures are ignorant of the fact that they are simply lying to themselves and they are turning their backs on the truth which they are well aware of. Technology is growing and developing at fast rate and the media is facilitating this outgrowth. The media is our one and only source of information regarding every new product, looks and events occurring worldwide. But lately, the media is putting too much emphasis on superficial looks and appearances of women and men. The media is the main trend setter and women follow up with the latest magazines and TV shows in order to stay updated with the fashion world and also for the sake of looking the best way possible. Little do they know that everything projected to them is false and far from reality. The media is deceptive and it has a devastating impact on people's self – image by using digitally altered photographs. Photoshop is an ongoing epidemic where not only professional photographers and editors are using it but it's also available for public use. People today are changing reality based on personal preferences and therefore a photograph is no longer presentation of past events and memories. It’s the nature of our existence to desire something to hold on to and of course if we had the chance to change a bad memory we will take it with no hesitation. In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that Photoshop makes commercials or movies with all the effect more entertaining to watch and they use of it definitely boosts up sales. On the other hand, we cannot neglect the consequence it has which mainly revolves around us losing touch with our humanity. Men and Women are seeking to reach a state of idealism and perfection which is not how God created humans. Each one of us is unique with all his or her flaws and we should wake up from the delusion we are living in and take a stand against the methods that are dehumanizing and demanding from us perfection. In conclusion, whether Photoshop should be used or not is a critical debate since it has advantages and disadvantages. Humans should take advantage of technology which is making our lives easier and use it in rightful manner without letting it dominate us and take control of our lives. Baker, M. (2012, january 2). Mallen's baker's CRS Blog. Retrieved april 28, 2013, from www.mallenbaker.net: http:// www.mallenbaker.net/csr/post.php?id=425 Brown, T., & Collins, S. (2010, April 26). What ''They'' Want From ''Us'' : Industry Expectations of Journalism Graduates. SAGE, pp. 68-82. Dreifus, C. (2007, October 02). A CONVERSATION WITH Hany Farid. NewYork Times, p. F2. Erlanger, S. (2009, september 03). Point, Shoot, Retouch and Label. NewYork Times, pp. E1-3. Ferla, R. L. (2009, December 03). What a Lens Can't Capture. NewYork Times, p. E6. Kite, L. K. (2013, april 18). Beauty Redefined. Retrieved from www.beautyredefined.net: http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/ Steven, J. (2012, june 21). DialyMail. 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