For years, the fashion industry has presented controversial advertisements around the world. With the development of digital imaging software like PhotoShop, the deceit becomes instantly attainable with just a click of the mouse.

Just ask Calvin Klein and now, Ralph Lauren.

A recent Ralph Lauren advertisement for some of their new pieces, featuring model Filippa Hamilton, has caused some serious drama. This is because her waist was edited to be so small that it actually appears smaller than her head.

Unacceptable.

The ad was leaked online by a blog named Photoshop Disasters in late September. Another blog, Boing Boing, scooped up the picture and instantly began to ream Ralph Lauren a new one.

According to ABC News, PRL USA Holdings, Inc. (Ralph Lauren) informed Boing Boing that their Web site wasn’t “authorized” to post the ad. Raph Lauren kindly notified everyone who had negative things to say that critics, like Boing Boing, were in “copyright infringement.”

Boing Boing editor, Cory Doctorow said, “Instead of responding to their legal threat by suppressing our criticism of their marketing images, we’re gonna mock them… Copyright law doesn’t give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings.”

Boing Boing is refusing to let this situation fly under the radar. They’re doing everything possible to get to the bottom of this. They’re confident that their usage of the picture isn’t infringement and, according to their Website, have told Ralph Lauren that with each threat they will:
– “reproduce the original criticism, making damned sure that all our readers get a good, long look at it, and;
– publish your spurious legal threat along with copious mockery, so that it becomes highly ranked in search engines where other people you threaten can find it and take heart; and
– offer nourishing soup and sandwiches to your model.”

I applaud Boing Boing for standing up for what is right. This epidemic in advertising has been going on long enough. Advertisements like this are why so many Americans have eating disorders.

I can’t help but to wonder how the model in this picture feels.

The modeling industry probably isn’t exactly welcoming to people of all shapes and sizes. If you’re not a zero, you hear about it. (I wonder what size she would be according to this picture. Definitely something in the children’s section.) I have yet to find her take on the whole thing.


Imagine, working hard to get an unrealistic body in the first place only to find out that it’s not good enough. Someone who works for this creepy company actually said, “I think she needs to be skinnier.”

Skinnier!!

I understand that there aren’t set rules or ethics for picture editing. There needs to be. America is seriously getting distorted and the distortion will only strengthen with more crap like this.

Some people can’t decipher what is real and what is crap. The people who can need to step up to the plate and take charge for America. Boing Boing, and many other blogs, are doing just that.

Let’s see if the blogosphere can actually make a different by showcasing the horrors of modern American advertising.