Recently, a member of the French Parliament drafted a new law which would require digitally altered photographs used in advertising to be labeled. The law is designed to highlight what some call the "fakery" involved in creating advertising images, and to help combat unattainable and unhealthy ideals regarding the human body.

The Parliament member, Valerie Boyer, is a 47-year-old mother of two who became interested in the idea of labeling altered photographs because of her relationship with her children. Ms. Boyer sees the portrayal of the human body in media and advertising as a serious subject, and one that has a far-reaching impact on society.

Ms. Boyer commented: "I got interested in the subject of the body because it's really a mother's reflection. It's the closeness I have to adolescents that drove me to become interested in these subjects.

"If someone wants to make life a success, wants to feel good in their skin, wants to be part of society, one has to be thin or skinny, and then it's not enough -- one will have his body transformed with software that alters the image, so we enter a standardized and brainwashed world, and those who aren't part of it are excluded from society."

(Source: www.nytimes.com)

Labels: body image, media, advertisements

Posted By: Aspen Education Group