Men Watch Themselves Get Photoshopped to the Same Standards As Women

"We're constantly looking at images that have been Photoshopped; we only notice it when it goes a step too far," note the Try Guys. There's an ongoing debate about society's conception of the female body and just how much post-processing is too much. To really explore the idea, though, the group held a shoot in which they recreated infamous Photoshop disasters to understand just how far these "ideals" are pushed.

While we might laugh at terrible or excessive Photoshop jobs, the fact that such stories exist indicates that we're constantly vying toward some extreme and rather unrealistic standards. The Try Guys from Buzzfeed decided to apply those standards to themselves, and their experience was eye-opening. As Lifestyle Editor Chrissy Mahlmesiter notes: "I think the most shocking part might be after you see the Photoshopped version of yourself, you basically have seen what someone wishes you looked like. It's hard not to let that affect you." Their reactions certainly are striking, and the shock and even bit of demoralization that they experience after only one shoot really put into perspective the daily experience of beauty standards that are applied to women.

Note: While there's no explicit nudity in the video, there is a healthy dose of butts and implied nudity, as well a little NSFW language.

[via DIY Photography]

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Log in or register to post comments
14 Comments

I can still tolerate this, but i don't get it when photogrsphers and retouchers do that to kids.

Sad that this is reality, but hilarious video. 10 stars for making me laugh.

"they are not willing to do the work that it takes to look that way"
Dude, the whole point is NO AMOUNT OF WORK CAN MAKE YOU LOOK THAT WAY in real life. And yet, our media are teaching young women that they should try anyway.

Maybe you don't see them, but I do. Any woman who gets close to looking like this needs to be taken to a hospital or an eating disorder clinic STAT.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1219046/Ralph-Lauren-digitally-r...

Well, I don't share your view of what constitutes "unhealthy".

"I see no unachievable and no unhealthy ideals being portrayed at this time"
Either you don't see it, or you don't consider it unhealthy. In either case, you and I perceive the matter differently. I appreciate the video because it highlights the absurd double-standard and ridiculous expectations applied to women. If you think everything's fine, carry on.

First, of course Photoshop is applied to men. I can't imagine where you got the silly notion I'd think otherwise. Maybe you were just setting up a straw dog to knock down. But, the simple fact that this video is funny shows that the standards applied to women are ridiculous. We're just so used to them that we don't recognize the absurdity until the target is changed. Second, the fact that many women choose to use makeup does NOT prove that ad creators don't apply or cater to ridiculous expectations or double-standards. In fact, it is exactly these unrealistic images presented in public media that drive impressionable young women to resort to extreme and unhealthy measures to change their appearance.

Given your obvious lack of curiosity, don't hold your breath waiting for me to give you examples. If you can't find them on your own, you're lost.

Watch the video.

Shooting with an 8x10 to 20x24 and no retouching.
If you want a better picture, bring a better face.

Man that was a funny video

Shot a super model and required very little retouching. She was 22 at the time — not 52, like Madonna. Makes a large difference. She also was genetically flawless, which also makes a large difference.

I've always said, we retouch to the point that the model looks like we see them in real life, so that the viewer doesn't have the opportunity to fixate on a "flaw" frozen in time. All that being said, I don't think anyone likes the plastic skin look, nor do they like stick figures.

In much the same way that this is a wake up call to men about how women are treated, it's a wake up call to me about how homophobic all of them sound.

I don't see anything homophobic about being creeped by having a total stranger repeatedly touching your butt in front of a group of total strangers.