Are they blind, racist or just stupid?

Notice anything?

Perhaps that sounds a bit extreme. But when images are altered in media for advertising, news or any reason, shouldn’t the artist maybe learn a little something about the subject they are…”adjusting.”

Beyonce is one of the most celebrated women in music. She can sing, she is beautiful, and she is talented.

In September, photos from a shoot were sent out to accompany a series of interviews the singer did with various international magazines. A few magazines even picked the pictures for the cover, with the results in print being very different. How is that possible with the same photograph?

Beyonce is a stunning black woman. She celebrates her heritage. But, her skin tone is also naturally very light. So when this photo came across the desk of several certain magazine artists, it was naturally picked for several covers, with drastic differences.

Somehow, the artist at the international version of Glamour darkened the tone of her skin creating a picture that looks very different from the woman who has millions of fans around the world.

Is it possible that the artist did not know who she was and what she looked like? Possibly. But shouldn’t the artist or the editors have an idea of what the people they put on the cover or in the pages of the magazine look like so mistakes like this don’t happen?

Personally, Beyonce is just beautiful no matter what. But it is just a shame that the media can not appreciate a natural beauty no matter what she looks like without having to try to “improve” what is in front of them.

Advertising with a warning label? — France Fines Beauty Industry for Photos?

Has it really come to this? Is the beauty industry really out of control that it has to be regulated and fined for its work?

In preparation for Paris Fashion Week, the government is weighing the possibility of imposing fines on those companies that alter photographs of models with the “intent of making them more beautiful.” This is under the guise of combatting eating disorders in models.

I can’t help but wonder if this is just somewhat extreme?

According to Reuters “breaking the law…would be punished with a fine of 37,500 euros ($54, 930), or up to 50% of the cost of the advertisement” the picture appears. (Link to story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090921/lf_nm_life/us_france_women_2) The photo will now need to carry a warning for viewers that the picture has been “retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person.”

Now let me try to get this straight…advertising now comes with a warning label? This is not even about a product, but about the means to sell it.

As a media professional, I have strived to present clients in the best light with beautiful pictures. Yes, sometimes they have been retouched. Are all media pros now subject to fines for doing their job?

Who has it right? The advertising industry? The beauty industry? Should there be government regulation?

What do you  think?