How does this image make a Woman feel?

I like Ralph Lauren, I really do but this is a bit much. I tell my female clients all the time not to compare themselves to magazine images- they are all fake. To begin with there is a team of people standing behind the photographer and his camera and all his lights- makeup, hair, wardrobe, add in a few assistants and one or two art directors or editors. There is a team of people creating what passes for pretty. Debating, analyzing, and criticizing. Creating and celebrating the power of pretty.

And then its time for some retouching- in some cases crazy retouching- This is crazy retouching. Crazy!  This ad appeared overseas in a Japanese shopping mall and what I think is even more amazing- this was approved by the Ralph Lauren company. Seriously. Its like one of those dolls that my sister had with the giant heads and flat bodies- a little 'Alienesque' to say the least.

 When you have size 0 models and girls who want to look like models, starving themselves to look like images that have been on a zero carb, no mega bites, digital diet it just seems the fashion/beauty industry needs to step back and apologize. Give the girl her ass and hips back and say sorry. Give the girl a burger and step away from the photoshop. Barbie looked at this image and standing on her tip toes, smiled and swore to never eat again.

If a picture is worth a thousand words imagine hearing 'you're fat- get thinner, you're fat -get thinner' another 998 times whispered in your ears. For every young girl and grown woman who looks at ads and pictures like this, with a wish and a want, dreaming of thin,  where the only meal they consume is one of self doubt inside gnawing away, remember this is all fake. While fake can be fun and fabulous, it is definitely not real. You are. And that's pretty great. Celebrate that.