So these Ralph Lauren ads depicting "emaciated" models have been causing outrage on the internets and I wanted to throw my 2 cents into the mix...

So my first reaction was "What? That's so photoshopped it's ludicrous!" my next reaction, however, was anger. No, not anger at how Ralph Lauren was presenting unrealistic body images and turning the youth of America into a pack of eating-disordered self-loathers. No, I was pissed because
somebody got paid to do that photoshop...AND IT'S SHIT!Look, pictures are photoshopped. I know this. I accept this. It's not like I've never photoshopped a picture. Sometimes I've nipped in a waist or a thigh or erased some zits without even telling people. Hell, I've even photoshopped skinny women's asses bigger so their curves would look good. People like to look good in pictures. And "posed" pictures are supposed to be a fantasy. Might as well make everyone look their best, right?
But here's the deal: These pictures almost make me crack up because they look SO RIDICULOUS. These women don't look more beautiful, they look like they've been badly photoshopped by someone with a mortal fear of hips. Look, maybe hips killed their parents or touched them in the bathing suit area. I don't know. All I know is that when you're supposed to photoshop a girl to look good, you are not supposed to make them look like Gumby in drag. If your photoshop is that obvious, guess what? IT'S SHITTY PHOTOSHOP.
That second photo hurts my soul. Dude...(or chick, I shouldn't be sexist)...if you're going to photoshop someone to be that skinny, SIZE ADJUST THEIR HEAD TO MATCH. I mean, come on. How did this ever get approval? The art director should be fired.
Okay, okay... I know I'm supposed to be all "But think of the children!" but I think it's time the children faced facts:
Fact 1: Models are a very specific body type. You can starve yourself until the cows come home and it won't magically make you 5'11" if you're 5'3"
Fact 2: Pictures are photoshopped. Maybe instead of eating nothing but a raisin all day, you should just learn photoshop.
Fact 3: If looking good isn't your job, don't sweat it. Okay, if you're a model or an actress or a stripper or a trophy wife and your livelihood depends on looking a certain way, well, sorry, but you're gonna have to take those lumps. If you're not, well consider yourself lucky! You are officially not required to give a damn! Sure, we all want to look nice, but there's no need to torture yourself over it. Just call a spade a spade and play the hand you're dealt. Also, feel free to gloat over the fact that you'll still have a job after you're 30.
And so, I would urge the youth of America to look at these pictures and laugh, because they are silly...or...if you are like me, get pissed off that such crappy workmanship made it into a national ad campaign.