British Ads|Airbrushing Report Due This Week

Body|Beauty|Sexy Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a clinical psychologist, says that airbrushed magazine photos should carry warnings. Dr Papadopoulos has been commissioned by Britain’s Home Office to write a report on the sexualization of children and teenagers, which will be published next Friday.

Dr Papadopoulos argues:

‘These social changes that tell girls they have to hyper-sexualise or be thin have a drip-drip effect,’ she said. ‘I think we are presenting young people with constructs and concepts that they’re neither emotionally or cognitively able to understand.’ via Daily Mail

The expert in body image and self-reflections influenced by ads says the British psychologist is not opposed to airbrushing, but media must be honest about it.

‘Whereas I can pick up a magazine and say Clearly this is lighting and make-up’,  I’m pretty sure that a 13-year-old can’t,” argues Dr Papadoupoulos.

Personally, we disagree with Dr Papadopoulos on two fronts.

Not believing that a symbol will accomplish much at all with young women, we believe the larger visual effect is what leaves the impression, not a ‘Goodhousekeeping-like’ symbol.

Secondly, we disagree that adult women aren’t affected by advertising heavily-Photoshopped pursuit of perfection.

Simultaneously, we’re a big believer in America’s free speech laws and are reluctant to embrace controlling imagery with regulation and legislation. One wishes that advertisers would exercise sensitivity and judgement on this subject. To argue that women’s self-image isn’t impacted by the perfection of ads is irrational, in our opinion. Anne