Body Image and the French

[stickyvicky]

A member just emailed me this today... thought it was very interesting.

"The photoshopping of models in fashion ads has become such a norm that when companies choose not to retouch their commercials (?), it makes headlines."

Now France is on a crusade to change that standard. As of Sunday, a new French law mandates that any commercial photo in which the "body of the model has been modified … to either slim or flesh out her [his??] figure" must bear a label of "photographie retouchée", according to "France 24".
Failing to abide by this law could cost lawbreakers a fine of up to $44,000.

French officials said that the rule was enacted in an effort to reduce the number of "unrealistic images of bodies" that children and young people are exposed to. Health Minister Marisol Touraine said that exposure to such images can lead "to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behavior," according to the BBC....

Fascinating! What would porn do, lol... omg and twitter/instagram! Almost all pics are touched up.

[WalterB]

I fully agree with such a law in Advertising. I have said for years that you can no longer believe the pictures and videos in advertising, for that very reason. They are retouched or computer generated and are now no longer real and true reproductions of what they supposedly represent.

But, porn? Of course not (a law to mark pictures as "altered.) I would personally consider such a thing quite stupid. Porn isn't advertising, per se. Of course, models are advertising themselves. And of course business are advertising their models and their products. But this isn't public businesses advertising products for sale, such as toasters or cars or zit cream. Totally different issue. Porn don't need no stinkin' laws.

[PeterL22]

A member just emailed me this today... thought it was very interesting.

"The photoshopping of models in fashion ads has become such a norm that when companies choose not to retouch their commercials (?), it makes headlines."

Now France is on a crusade to change that standard. As of Sunday, a new French law mandates that any commercial photo in which the "body of the model has been modified … to either slim or flesh out her [his??] figure" must bear a label of "photographie retouchée", according to "France 24".
Failing to abide by this law could cost lawbreakers a fine of up to $44,000.

French officials said that the rule was enacted in an effort to reduce the number of "unrealistic images of bodies" that children and young people are exposed to. Health Minister Marisol Touraine said that exposure to such images can lead "to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behavior," according to the BBC....

Fascinating! What would porn do, lol... omg and twitter/instagram! Almost all pics are touched up.

Hey Vicky, if I sent you a photoshopped pic of me, would you promise to "retouchee" me?

[George B]

I have experience retouching my product photography in Photoshop and Lightroom. Pretty much every shot I take gets post processed in some fashion, whether it's removing blemishes, random reflections or spots that looks off or somehow takes away from the shot. Of course most of my shots are in the field, so I don't have full control of everything in the frame so having the ability to edit the final product is a bit of a necessity. Seems a little ridiculous to impose a fine and I question the actual impact of seeing photoshopped images. I'm guessing that fine would only be for the most extreme cases.

Speaking of extreme cases, you might find this article interesting. https://petapixel.com/2015/08/15/one-wo ... -revealed/

[PeterL22]

Just a quick word on the French - lovely people but mad as - we have an expression here "Mad as a box of Frogs" - not sure it applies to Kermit!
My favourite Frenchman was/is a guy called Arno who used to work in a posy bar I sometimes went to. He was quite good looking and had that French accent that made knicker elastic wilt.
One evening he was working in the bar and a group of mature ladies came in and sat down. He went to take their order and they were flirting outrageously with him.
One of them (fluttering her eyelashes at him) asked "What wine would YOU recommend?"
Bearing in mind this is a run of the mill bar and there wine probably only tastes good after the 4th bottle his reply was appropriate, but somehow summed the French up - he said (in best sexy French accent).......
"None of them, I am French!" and walked off.
Trust me it was hilarious.

O by the way a female French accent has the same effect on red blooded males as does a male one on ladies!