Ralph Lauren admits it needs Photoshop lessons

I've never seen Ralph Lauren in real life, but when he appeared on "Friends" a few years ago, he looked somewhat diminutive and not entirely in the first bloom of slenderness.

So I wonder what he might have thought when a recently produced Ralph Lauren ad seemed to feature a model who last ate in 2004 and clearly enjoyed the attention of a plastic surgeon whose diet consisted entirely of mushrooms from the magic department of his local supermarket.

(Credit: Ralph Lauren via Boing Boing)

Those assiduously nourished people at Photoshop Disasters were rather taken with this image, in the way one might be taken by e-coli.

Then the no doubt body-conscious folks at Boing Boing joined in the dissing of the disproportionate.

Please, take a look at the picture and consider how it is that the model in question seems to have as parents a cabbage and a centipede.

It seems Ralph Lauren's first reaction was, as with all power-dressers, to go for the DMCA takedown. Threats were tossed like post-party purses at dawn.

However, now I am delighted to report that substance has finally won over style.

According to those perfectly proportioned playthings at Extra, Ralph Lauren has gurgitated a mea gulpa: "For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body."

Which still makes one wonder what processes, mental as well as organizational, were enjoyed in the production of this piece.

Still, the Ralph Lauren spokesmodel continued: "We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

I am very much looking forward to that, as I need new underwear and a jacket to ward off the coming rains.

The thing is, though, I'm not so fond of those large logos. Perhaps Ralph Lauren could make them a little smaller?