Ethics of Retouching

dragon300zx

Now I know alot of newspapers and magazines retouch. Hell they even add in whole bodies, places, etc that weren't there. But what about pictures they could have retouched, should have retouched, without out and out lieing. For example.

http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/hotgossipb2

Lindsey Lohan clearly has a mustach in the picture on this page. Without getting into how that is a clear indicator of anorexia, or how her people should have had her bleach it. Why wouldn't the photographer have retouched that? If they are willing to add in whole people why not nix the 'stach.

behr655

dragon300zx wrote:

Lindsey Lohan clearly has a mustach in the picture on this page. Without getting into how that is a clear indicator of anorexia............

I never heard of that. So, are all women with facial hair anorexic or just the skinny ones?

Bear

Angelo

I think the whole point of that picture and the article is to show Lindsay in a bad light. It's just part of the ordinary in celebrity reporting. She has not been a favorite of the Hollywood "set" of late because of her antics and many publications are showing her "worst" side.

dragon300zx wrote:

Now I know alot of newspapers and magazines retouch. Hell they even add in whole bodies, places, etc that weren't there. But what about pictures they could have retouched, should have retouched, without out and out lieing. For example.

http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/hotgossipb2

Lindsey Lohan clearly has a mustach in the picture on this page. Without getting into how that is a clear indicator of anorexia, or how her people should have had her bleach it. Why wouldn't the photographer have retouched that? If they are willing to add in whole people why not nix the 'stach.

dragon300zx

behr655 wrote:

I never heard of that. So, are all women with facial hair anorexic or just the skinny ones?

Bear

Bear,

Actually have you ever studied anorexia? Here is a good lecture from NYU on the subject.

http://www.nyu.edu/classes/azmitia/lectures/lecture14/

Let me give you a snippet here.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS Anorexia and Bulimia are serious disorders, which in extreme cases can result in death. Among known adverse physical effects are:
Loss of menstruation
Breathing discomfort
Constipation
Loss of sex-drive
Low blood sugar
Receding gums and rotting teeth
Dizziness
Lack of protein leading to oedema, loss of hair and teeth, & growth of downy hair on face & elsewhere
Intestinal infection
Hypoglycemia
Ruptured stomach and oesophagus
Chronic sinusitis
Kidney damage
Severe dehydration
Bleeding and infection of the throat
Gastritis
Ulcers
Abnormal metabolism
Vagal nerve block
Rupturing of internal membranes
Bowel tumors
Megacolon
Severe electrolyte imbalance which can lead to neuromuscular problems, including muscle spasms and cardiac arrest
Ruptured facial blood vessels

If you want I can also recommend 5-20 good books on the subject's of Eating disorders, Obsessive Compulsions, Bipolar Disorder, Affects of Abuse, Borderline Personality Disorder, Depression, Etc.

What can I say. It's the side effect of working on getting a degree in psychology, and spending time with people who live with mental health problems. My main goal focus when I finish my degree in psych will have been on eating disorders and children to adolescents.

ginger_55

All the women in my family have facial hair. None that I know of, and certainly not me, are anorexic. It is an inherited trait, probably added testosterone. Never felt much like studying it. Some have spent much money getting rid of it through electrolysis, etc, others have hid it from even their husbands for years.

I don't have time to worry about it, or don't take the time. I do wish I were not as fond of food as I am. I am not, never have been, anorexic.

However, I am also prone to emotional outbursts when I feel my, uh, "art" is attacked. I think most people do know this. I don't think the two are related: facial hair and emotional outburst, to say the least of anorexia.

So many women have facial hair, unknown generally, that it could be used as a statistic for anything. Yes, I think those photos should be touched up, though I wouldn't have noticed that there is facial hair without someone pointing it out to me. I have seen her on TV talk shows, I just cannot appreciate her "good" looks, so I am just not into that.

But linking things, that is difficult, not necessarily accurate, etc.

I personally retouch scars from removal of cancerous/precancerous lesion removal on my face..............I just do that, if I remember. However I will show bad photos of myself. And I just don't deal much with makeup and looks. But then I am not "selling" myself as an image, so to speak.

I am starting to understand the reactions of famous people to some of the publicity they get. I always thought they were nuts. Maybe that is it, we all just a bit "off".

ginger

dragon300zx

Many women do have facial hair who aren't anorexic. I am not saying she does have anorexia as I have never met her, and don't know anything about her personal life. I think the photo should have been retouched. However if you were to look at a hieght/weight chart, along with physical symptoms, and everything else that is going on, it fits the bill for anorexia. Not saying she is, was just pointing out that maybe they didn't retouch the photo to show what really is going on with her. But is that ethical?