unrealistic beauty posts - parent . thesis

July 17, 2007 4:08 PM PDT

'Effortless perfection': Much Photoshopping required

by Amy Tiemann

Post a comment

Girls and women are under all sorts of pressure to look perfect--and to make it look easy in the process. Duke University identified this new unattainable standard as "effortless perfection."

As individual women, it can be easy to wonder why we fall into the trap of trying to live up to an unattainable standard. It's something we absorb on an almost subconscious level. Deconstructing this month's Redbook magazine cover shows us just how manufactured the images of beauty we see really are.

I didn't think twice about the cover image of country singer and actress Faith Hill when I first saw it. But an untouched original photo obtained by Jezebel shows just how much "digital magic" even a certified star needs to be ready for her close-up.

Faith Hill photo before retouching, as shown on Jezebel.com

Topics:: Culture,; Pop culture,; Technology

Tags:: Redbook magazine,; photo retouching,; unrealistic beauty,; Faith Hill

Share:: Digg; Del.icio.us; Reddit; Facebook; Twitter

About parent . thesis

Today's parents may live and work on the cutting edge, but we didn't grow up in a digital era. (parent.thesis) brings you the latest news and musings about life raising kids in today's 24-7, hyperconnected world. MojoMom.com creator Amy Tiemann and open-source software pioneer Michael Tiemann are a 21st-century couple. They take a leap of faith as parents and build their parachute on the way down, living by the motto, "We aren't raising our children for the world we live in, we're raising them for the world they'll live in." Disclosure.

Add this feed to your online news reader

parent . thesis topics

Most Discussed

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right

Software, Interrupted
Open-source acquisitions: What's the holdup?
Acquisitions of open-source companies have garnered huge multiples but haven't rounded out many product portfolios. Exit plans are hazy for most open-source start-ups.
Gallery
NASA trains WISE eye on the sky (photos)
Technically Incorrect
Woman arrested after visiting with WoW teen
Canadian boy leaves home to see 42-year-old woman whom he met on World of Warcraft. No Canadian laws were broken, but she's arrested back home in Texas.
2010 CES
Ray Kurzweil tries to build a better e-reader
The computing pioneer is at CES showing off his Blio software that combines digital books with video, audio and Web content.
Video
Highlights from the Microsoft keynote
Media Maverick
Viacom, YouTube inch towards courtroom showdown
Viacom's $1 billion copyright suit against Google's YouTube is closing in on resolution. Both parties are preparing to ask judge to skip a trial and rule in their favor.
Video
Floor-cleaning robot gets those tight spots
The Social
Pingdom: Facebook is killing it on page views
A report from the traffic firm suggests that the social network has 11 times as many page views as its closest competitor, MySpace.
Cutting Edge
Starry, starry 'first light' from NASA's WISE mission
The new Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer kicks off its mission to scan and capture a view of the entire sky with a look at the constellation Carina.
Gallery
Navteq laser vision's view of the world (images)
2010 CES
Hands-on with the Boxee Box
CNET gets up and close and personal with the Boxee Box by D-Link.
Planetary Gear
Auto industry focused on hybrids, survey says
R&D spending for hybrid and alternative fuel car technology to increase as automakers rush to give consumers what they want, according to KPMG research.