Parker Thomas: Project #1 Midpoint Update

In a day and age where technology is king, advertising companies and campaigns now utilize photo altering programs such as photoshop in order to create a standard of beauty that is unattainable without digital construction. The lack of rules governing the usage of photoshop in order to drastically alter a photo creates a United States society under the impression that real beauty is not acceptable. The consumption of mass media contributes to a young generation that is plagued with the notion that photoshop can create the only form of beauty that is worthy of praise, and this dreary outlook on beauty is beginning to take on a toll on the perception and appreciation that society has on “true beauty”. The usage of photo altering programs on todays twenty-first century beauty campaigns within the United States have a negative affect on society and distort people’s perception of what is attainable. What is most shocking is the amount of people who are media illiterate and give in to these “fake” representations of woman and believe them as truth. 

1. Intro
2. Body Paragraph I: A brief history of mass media advertisements and the introduction of photoshop usage 
1. The emergence of mass media advertising 
2. The invention of photoshop 
3. Body Paragraph II: What is the goal of using photoshop on ads/ how is it applied? 
1. what is valued in our society? 
2. enhancing eye color, erasing blemishes, making body/ face skinnier 
3. what we create these models to be comments a lot on what we find to be idealistic- how did this ideal develop?? 
4. Body Paragraph III: What negative consequences does this have on the United States society? 
1. Take a look at statistics and the increase in anorexia within the united states
2. plastic surgery increase
3. depression/ negative body image 
5. Body Paragraph IV: Example of an advertisement- analysis 
6. Body Paragraph V: What are the rules surrounding usage? Companies/ areas taking a stand against the usage of photoshop on their ads? 
1. aerie is now following a no re-touching campaign 
2. makeup forever has a “no re-touch ad”-- meant to show how well their makeup works -- is this ad helping the cause or just perpetuating the standard? 
7. Body Paragraph VI: How to approach the future in terms of using photoshop on ads 
8. Conclusion