While media critics and positive body image activists have been fighting the Photoshop battle for years, one person you usually don't hear complaining about the editing process is the model herself. But that's about to change, if Australian model Meaghan Kausman has anything to say about it.
The outspoken model shared what she says is photographic evidence of some sneaky (and totally unwarranted) photoshopping on her Instagram account this week. Speaking out on the controversy, she posted a before and after photo of the shoot and expressed her dismay at the situation in the caption: "I recently did a photoshoot wearing Fella Swim... This morning I was extremely shocked to see that Fella Swim had uploaded a photoshopped version of Pip’s original photo to their Instagram page. They had drastically altered my body, thinning out my stomach and thighs in an attempt to box me in to the cultural ideal of beauty. Above is their version, below is the real version."
Meaghan Kausman instagram about photoshopping
It's pretty obvious there's been some significant editing done to the photos, and it's really disappointing to see such a gorgeous, curvy woman edited down in this way. Since the average American woman is a healthy size 8 or 10, this kind of photoshopping can understandably be extremely damaging to women's views of themselves.
Many models turn a blind eye to the pervasive photoshopping problem, but Meaghan isn't standing by silently. She went on in her Instagram post to write some encouraging words to all body image activists everywhere: "My body is a size 8, not a size 4. That’s my body! I refuse to stand by and allow ANY company or person to perpetuate the belief that "thinner is better." All women are beautiful, and we come in different shapes and sizes! This industry is crazy!!!! It is NOT OKAY to alter a woman’s body to make it look thinner. EVER!"
Truer words were never spoken, am I right? It's really refreshing to see a model speak out on this industry issue, especially when her paycheck comes from the very people editing her photos. Here's to hoping other models follow suit!
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