A step in the right direction?

http://www.truewoman.com/?id=2134

          In recent discussions of women in the media, a controversial issue has been whether photo shop is placing too much of an expectation on women and girls today, and whether this view negatively  alters their self perception. On the one hand, some argue that when girls and women see the pictures of these "perfect women in the magazines, that they should already be conscious and aware that the photo's are altered. In the words of Mary Kassian's, straight from her article,"Warning: Photoshopped Women", she asks "What are these fantasy images doing to our daughters? Are they dabbling in anorexic or bulimic behavior to look like their teen idols in Hollywood? What are they doing to our view of ourselves? " The article talks about a ban in Israel on alterations of published photos of models with out the publication of the words "enhanced" or "photo shop" plastered to the photo. According to Kassian's view, she ponders what good comes from labeling altered photos with "enhanced" as those words seem to not matter to the young girls and women who read the magazines and articles from which they are published. She believes that North America should follow Israel's lead in the start of changing the perceived image of women in the media. In sum, the issue is whether to keep the unrealistic images of women plastered in the minds of all their viewers or to make it known that the photos that people aspire to are nearly impossible standards to achieve.. to enforce a positive and idealistic image.

         My own view is that a change should be made, and this change starts with the message that is being published and  the images and messages that are being given. Though I concede that young girls and women should be conscious and already aware that the images they idolize are not real and an highly unattainable goal to achieve, I still maintain the argument that the unrealistic pressures and expectations of how a woman "should look" is enough pressure to make anyone go to crazy unrealistic measures to feel an ounce of "pretty". For example, you can only be called "ugly" so many times before you start believing it. A person can only be compared so many times before they succumb to pressure and begin to alter themselves to "fit in".  Although some might object that that isn't true and people wouldn't change themselves to appease someone, I would reply that I've seen it happen, I've experienced it myself. The issue is important because its a real thing that happens all around the world. Girls as young as 4 playing with an unrealistically proportioned Barbie dolls saying " I want to be like Barbie when I grow up mommy!" There's young girls and boys everywhere aspiring to impossible measurements of what others perceive as "perfection" and going to extreme lengths to achieve these "visions".  A change needs to happen because too many deaths and hospital visits happen all because someone tried to become "perfect".