Slog - Comments on Shocker!

Comment by Chris B

Chris B — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:14:39 -0800

I'm glad I was sitting down when I read this because, man... that's a shocker.

Really.

Honest.

In other news, rain is wet.

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:15:57 -0800

bears poop in the woods!

Comment by PopTart

PopTart — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:17:26 -0800

oh fuck, even real women aren't real. Now I have no idea what standard I'm supposed to live up to.

Comment by Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:23:10 -0800

*headdesk*

Comment by Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:26:57 -0800

The blonde in the middle is rather humpable.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:32:00 -0800

#5, what blond? I don't see her.

Comment by El Seven

El Seven — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:32:47 -0800

@6, hahahaha.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:37:04 -0800

Sigh.

Comment by Shilo Urban

Shilo Urban — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:48:47 -0800

Pretty soon men confronted with real tits won't even recognize them

Comment by former editor

former editor — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:50:21 -0800

I used to do this for a living.

I doubt that either the Venus de Milo or of Willendorf are accurate to their models, as well.

Comment by Westside forever

Westside forever — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:50:49 -0800

Oh please--even if Photoshop wasn't used, the photographer lights the scene for the best advantage, the stylist makes everybody's hair and skin look as good as possible. Shoot angles and cropping is manipulated to get the best out of the image.

Back in the day it was called COMMERCIAL ART. Which it still is even if now it's called brand marketing. And really, would you want to be bombarded with "real" images of "real" people? There's plenty of that to go around just walking down the sidwalk.

Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale

Lloyd Clydesdale — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:51:24 -0800

I would be content to have myself and the ladies challenge Qaddafi and his elite bodyguards to a friendly softball match.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:56:26 -0800

Newsflash: every ad you've ever seen is Photoshopped. Every PICTURE you've ever seen, in a magazine, is Photoshopped.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:01:01 -0800

Next thing you know, Fnarf will tell us that those pictures of buildings that don't exist that we see in design reviews aren't of real buildings ...

Or that DOA is highly unrealistic.

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:08:13 -0800

Real Women without zits, rashes, moles, or scars.

And @11 is on the money too. I don't think we should expect to see any advertising with the subject lit up by a cheesy fluorescent light bulb.

Comment by Mr. Joshua

Mr. Joshua — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:08:21 -0800

The point bout "Real Women" is more about body image. I had a disagreement with my roommate the other day because he thought a women on the tele was fat (she was like a size 8). But, if you're advertising soap, you are going to be concerned about the look of the skin of your models. It's not about lying about how fat you are, but how well Dove makes your skin glow.

Comment by A Real Guy

A Real Guy — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:16:11 -0800

As long as they started, they should have kept photoshopping. Those fatties were still pretty grim.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:18:44 -0800

I'm with #16, I think the campaign wasn't about untarnished photos in the ad as much as it was about the women having more average bodies and facial features. As far as I can read they didn't make their thighs thinner or anything.

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:23:25 -0800

well, they are still selling soap, and choosing models with "perfect" or photoshopped skin. yeah, it's no big surprise. and yes, it is great that they are using different, more realistic body types then normally seen in similar commercials. but it still does stretch the truth a bit -- ie, you will have beautiful skin if you use our product. the angle is still the same, and perhaps even more effective because of the campaign.

Comment by Spoogie

Spoogie — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:26:17 -0800

I use Dove, and I've lost 10 pounds!

Comment by max solomon

max solomon — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:54:30 -0800

put some pannuses in that group, and its realistic. there's no way photoshop can make a fat apron look humpable.

Comment by COMTE

COMTE — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:09:56 -0800

Okay so, there was no retouching of the general body-types of the women in the Dove ad, but gee, it's pretty lame that women presumably using a product "designed" to improve their skin need to have their skin - um, "improved".

I mean, isn't the PRODUCT supposed to be doing that? And if it's not, then, well, it's not really doing its job, is it?

Comment by Emily

Emily — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:18:18 -0800

Next up: Comte discovers the truth behind product claims.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:41:52 -0800

@20 ... um, that might have something to do with WHAT you're using it for ... could you please use a towel afterwards?

Comment by Greg

Greg — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:54:51 -0800

For "real women" those sure are some skinny bitches.

Comment by DSB

DSB — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:19 -0800

this version of the video is more fun to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-kSZsvBY-A

Comment by tiffany

tiffany — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:07:21 -0800

i worked as a photo retoucher for a few years. it's just part of the industry! and the ovverall message is more important then if they cleaned the image up a little bit. the women featured were average looking. there's no need to be so dramatic.

Comment by Ben

Ben — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:21:49 -0800

Every ad is a lie.

That's why they're ads.

Comment by wench

wench — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:41:20 -0800

Dear god. Photoshopped? A magazine image?

Come ON, no kidding it's Photoshopped. They also don't show amateur photos in these magazines. This is professional stuff.

Comment by M'thew

M'thew — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:07:37 -0800

"There's lies, damned lies, statistics, ads and my tax return from last year."
- Disraeli, Twain, Churchill or some other dead guy.