The problem is that we are all victims of the capitalist system which exists to make the rich, richer by taking from the poor and the gullible.

Most people spend their lives as producers and consumers, nothing more. What a wonderful achievement.

In fashion and beauty, billions of dollars are made by entreating women (and now men) to seek perfection. Of course, this perfection is an illusion. Take breast implants. They feel like hard-boiled emu eggs!

I agree with the author. We need to embrace reality. We need to scrap the perfection industry and the superficial types who rule it.

Let's be what we are: flawed, mortal and, at times, disgusting!

We need to scrap the perfection industry and the superficial types who rule it.
What a spot-on statement. Yesterdays TV on wedding business & fashion industry were a prime example of out-of-hand frivolity.

“the UK report suggests, solid social support”

Sound like someone is trying to create a job for themselves.

Much easier to have a code of practice that requires the advertisements to display a sign of “Photos have been altered”

Also am intrigued by the way so many academics place the word “men” in brackets, as in “(and men)”.

This seems to occur in every article written by an academic that mentions the word "men".

Most people employed in the media have come from universities, which doesn’t say much for the universities.

Most people who place the word "men" in brackets have also come from universities, which doesn’t say much for the universities.

I used to think that the proliferation of "reality" shows on TV was a sign of the imminent collapse of our civilization. When ordinary people can get emotional - for weeks on end - about other ordinary people cooking, or dancing, or being run ragged in order to lose weight, or being told how to "look ten years younger", or making flower beds, or re-painting the ceiling etc.

They all struck me as being a substitute - and a poor one at that - for actually living a life of one's own. Taken to the obvious limit...

However, I am now being swayed toward the opinion that our civilization will ultimately collapse under the sheer deadweight of the mass of do-gooders, who would protect us from ourselves by every means possible.

I mean, really... an article, apparently a serious one, about the dangers of... airbrushing photographs?

Whatever next?

I mean, really... an article, apparently a serious one, about the dangers of... airbrushing photographs?
Pericles,
I know what you mean BUT, when you really look at the situation it's all about deception upon deception. It brings home the sad fact that people simply do not wish to accept reality. They do wish to show reality because it obviously isn't as appealing as the fake world hence worth less money. Why can't we accept reality ? Have we really gone that far down the shute ? Why base so much of our existence on fake ?

I watched the film Surrogates yesterday. Some interesting commentary on a similar topic. For those who've not seen it most people in the film live out their lives via robotic surrogates which are almost always substantially more physically attractive than the real person.

R0bert