Self-Esteem issues and Politically Correct Hogwash

As for me and the rest of our crew here – yes, both male and female – found the following messages to be very disappointing for a number of reasons. Let’s have a look at what some of the commotion is about and render our own responses. Sound fair enough? Great!

We would openly doubt that anyone of our readers would have difficulty pinning down where this organization leans toward political correctness. Collectively we doubt if there has ever been anything so unhealthy and god-awful as masking the truth as though it didn’t exist; moreover, even dreaming up new names for what spurns on the deception of the truth. Isn’t the entire structure of changing names of certain unpleasantness and/or realities more hurtful than the truth?

Recently a couple launched a campaign to pass a bill that would regulate the digital retouching of models in magazines and advertisements. In all sincerity wouldn’t that practice be equally as bad? The one issue that this brings forth is that of those who love perfection and beauty at its finest are not being considered.

Seth and Eva Matlins, founders of magazine and fashion label Off Our Chests; believe that the so-called Self Esteem Act will protect children and teenagers from unrealistic ideals when it comes to body image.

They want commercials and magazine spreads to be accompanied by disclaimers if models have been significantly airbrushed or Photoshopped. Mrs. Matlins explained: ‘We can’t ignore that our beauty culture is having wildly negative effects on girls and women.

“Real, serious, and enduring problems occur when we don’t recognize that the images and ideals of the human form being presented in the media are setting unrealistic expectations and standards for our country’s female population.”

Her husband said they were inspired to act after seeing the results of statistics from the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. Well this we tried and were unsuccessful. We looked everywhere for the scientific data related to these studies. We feel that is a bigger crime on self-esteem issues not to have the printed data at arm’s-length with the original.

According to Mr. Matlins the study revealed that 80 percent of women felt images of female stars and models in the media made them feel insecure about themselves.

Why? Maybe it would be better to talk with your children about various careers.
It also showed that 71 percent of girls with low self-esteem felt their appearance ‘doesn’t measure up, including not feeling pretty enough, thin enough or stylish enough or trendy enough’. So does changing the advertising world or airbrushed going to change the feeling of low self-esteem?

Mr. Matlins explained: ‘These numbers show that we’ve got a societal problem, the consequences of which are having serious effects on individual happiness and well-being, economic productivity, and an astounding number of eating disorder deaths each year. (Please take notice that none of the ‘societal effects’ such as deaths, economic productivity…ad nauseaum.)

‘When generations of women compare themselves to images, ideals and standards that are unattainable, when generations of men are taught to believe that’s what people should look like, the evidence for action and change is morally incontrovertible.’ (This photo of Julia Roberts has been banned in the U.K. for excessive ‘photoshopping’.)

We just don’t feel this way. Why? Because the images we see are not held constant from year to year or decade to decade. We don’t see any more of “Twiggy” types because that is deemed unhealthy; moreover, the modeling industry has instituted a coding system for a model’s body-mass-index and if such results are not achieved no more modeling.

The issue is also a personal one for the couple; they are concerned about the future well-being of their own children Mrs. Matlins continued: ‘Our daughter is five and our son is four, and they’re going to start seeing these ads and depictions soon.

‘We want them to be contextualized each and every time they see one, just like a pack of cigarettes.’ (Oh! That’s fair…apples to oranges; furthermore, what will the kids do when they find out that they all smoke?)

The Malines’ are following in the footsteps of campaigners in France and the UK that are pushing for similar legislation.