I chose the eleventh picture that displays Oprah Winfrey on the August 1989 edition of TV Guide magazine. It is a pretty accurate display of Oprah's wealth and influence, but I chose this picture because I liked the purple dress. The original picture was actually a 1979 publicity shot of the famous Swedish actress, Ann-Margret. The picture was created by splicing Oprah Winfrey's face onto the body of Ann-Margret. Oprah Winfrey is a full figured woman and this image was created to show Oprah in a more slender fashion. However, this image manipulation was done without either the consent of Oprah or Ann-Margret. The picture has positive and negative effects on its intended audience. It's attractive, especially to male viewers, but it also has a negative vibe due to the social pressures against women associated with body image. In today's media, shows like The Biggest Loser, Dance Your Ass Off and Extreme Makeover all put people under a lot of pressure to succumb to what Hollywood views as beautiful. Being healthy and taking care of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually should be a priority on every one's well-being list. However, mainstream media has a tendency of taking this subject and pushing it too far; making goals and expectations unhealthy and unrealistic to achieve. Photo shop and image manipulation technology is amazing, but how far is too far?I chose this youtube video to give an idea of how much photo shop manipulation is being used in the media and how detrimental it can and will be by influencing an unattainable perfection.
I think this video is a good example of the source of many of the body image issues that young people have today. Pictures and adds are so different from reality, and yet they have become the "ideal" even though they are almost impossible to obtain.
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