Ok… BUSTED… I made-up the HATE part. But they dislike it enough to issue a press release on the subject. “Tell Us the Truth” is the title of their latest press release (below). Great Britain variation on a Girl Scout is petitioning the Prime Minister demanding action after their 2009 research which showed that…
- 50% of 16-21 year old girls would consider having surgery to change the way they look
- 42% of 11 to 16 year olds admitting to watching what they ate or cutting down on certain foods to excess
We reported last year that France was considering similar legislation that would result in all Photoshoped images appearing in advertisements and magazines to carry a very clear “Altered Image” tag of some sort.
Personally I understand the sentiment behind it but as a Photoshop Artist I’m conflicted. What do you guys think?
(PRESS RELEASE) - 4 August 2010 – “Tell Us the Truth”. Girls Call for Honesty over Airbrushing
Singer Javine supports Girlguiding UK petition calling for compulsory labelling to distinguish between airbrushed and natural images
Young members of Girlguiding UK, the UK’s largest organisation for girls and young women, are launching a petition to call upon David Cameron to introduce compulsory labelling to distinguish between airbrushed and natural images.
The girls and young women demand action from the Prime Minister in order to ‘shape a generation of self-confident girls and young women’. The petition follows on from Girlguiding UK’s 2009 research, the Girls Attitudes Survey, which demonstrated that 50% of 16-21 year old girls would consider having surgery to change the way they look and 42% of 11 to 16 year olds admitting to watching what they ate or cutting down on certain foods to excess.
The petition is being launched during Fusion, a one day performing arts spectacular, which is taking place at Harewood House bringing together around 20,000 members of Girlguiding UK as well as girls from across the world to celebrate the Centenary.
Girlguiding Member, Natalie Fontaine, said: “We each know from our own experience that the airbrushed images that you see in magazines and on advertising boards can really affect the self confidence of girls and young women. Most of us have no idea how significantly these pictures are altered and are shocked when they realise that the images they have of celebrities and models are not a reality.
Back Home“As members of the largest organisation for girls and young women we think that it is really important to highlight how serious this issue has become and demand action to protect all girls and young women from these damaging and unrealistic pressures.”Chief Guide, Liz Burnley CBE, said: “From the research we have conducted and our everyday experiences working with girls and young women, we know how profoundly they feel the pressure to conform to a particular body image and how badly they can be affected by these unobtainable ideals.“We are proud to support the calls of our members who believe that it is time that the Prime Minister addressed their concerns and acted in the interests of girls and young women across the country.”Chief Executive of Beat, Susan Ringwood, said: “Young people with eating disorders tell us that being surrounded everyday by pictures of unnaturally ‘perfect’ bodies makes their own recovery so much more difficult to achieve.We know the difference it would make to all young people’s self esteem and body confidence if they could be sure which of the images they see are natural and true to life.“We are committed to working with Girlguiding UK and others to make this important call to action a reality.”
The petition is supported by singer Javine who said: “It is great to see the members of Girlguiding UK calling for girls and women to be shown more representative body images. Girls need to learn to be confident with their bodies. They need to cherish themselves from their heads to their tip toes, embracing both their beauty and their flaws.
“Growing up is hard, and girls can often become influenced by unrealistic pictures which depict how women should look, not how they do. Such pictures can often destroy the confidence which should be helping girls blossom into tomorrow’s leading women.”
9 Comments at "This Just in Girl Scouts Hate Photoshop"
I’m all for this being applied to any photo that alters reality.
….only in the EU.
So the Girl Guides are concerned that 42% of girls cut down on certain foods to excess? Is this a ploy to sell more cookies?
Newsweek magazine apparently just sold for a dollar, reality and journalism are fading….
Call me a pedant but the Guide movement started here in the UK by Lord and Lady Baden Powell so your Girl Scouts are actually the “Variation”
And yes the statistics are of concern as I have an 8 year old who already gets taught in primary school that certain foods are “Good” and “Bad” and is already body conscious at 8.
Should women that wear makeup wear a t-shirt that say “Please note that this face has been artificially altered and/or aesthetically enhanced, and is not an accurate depiction my natural appearance”?
Men and women do a million things throughout the day to enhance or otherwise fine-tune their appearance. I don’t see general retouching as any different than a natural continuation of that. Radical changes may be a different story.
Good grief!
Truth?! you cant take the truth!!!
Girl Guides don’t sell cookies, that’s just an American thing.
Was disappointed when working across in the states to find that Girl Scouts don’t bake the cookies they sell, they are now mostly mass manufactured. Doesn’t that cancel out the point.
This is a good and worthwhile campaign and I’m all for it, only ranty nutjobs have a problem with it here.
And there’s nothing wrong in girls and boys being brought up to eat healthily (it’s part of Scout and Girl Guide programmes in many counties), I was taught about how to have a balanced diet from an early age too. The problems with self-esteem that are highlighted here are little to do with normal, sensible healthy eating.
Comment Now!