Caroline Ross is a professional photographer with expertise in fashion and editorial photography—those images you most commonly see on magazine covers and billboards. Therefore, she is most likely familiar with using Photoshop.
Ross uses her TikTok channel as an opportunity to educate others on how Photoshop is used to create the attractive images we are accustomed to seeing in promotional material. It's easy to overlook the fact these images aren't true representations.
Recently, Ross brought to light the disparity between older female celebrities and their male counterparts by employing the same amount of Photoshop to edit magazine cover shots of actors and actresses in their fifties.
If you take a moment to appraise the comparison closely, it is easy to understand how our brains are hardwired to embrace the natural aging procedure of men, while at the same time expecting women to evade the passing of years - or else suffer the consequences of being regarded as an ugly.
Ross's video illustrates the transformation of 9 undeniably attractive actors - Pedro Pascal, David Beckham, Idris Elba, Ben Affleck, Gerard Butler, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Hugh Jackman, and Ryan Reynolds - in which all creases suddenly disappear.
@caroline_in_thecity I definitely think about this everytime i see a cute little wrinkles on ‘silver foxes’ and smoothed doll skin on women the same age. #pedropascal #maybeitsphotoshop #photoshop Makeba - Jain
Crazy, isn't it? These guys appear to be entire different persons after being "yassified" - well, with the exception of ageless Paul Rudd, perhaps. Nevertheless, the significance here is: realizing the vivid contrast lined out like that is eye-opening.
One person exclaimed that 'Men age better' actually means that we are accustomed to seeing how they age- emphasizing the importance of representation.A different individual responded, stressing that although we were aware of this, actually witnessing it was something else and gave their thanks for producing such content. Lastly, a third individual revealed their have now discern this is why they feel their husband is growing more alluring with age whereas they are slowly descending.
While editing and injections are used to diminish the facial characteristics of women, men's expressions are encouraged; Ross mentioned this in a video and provided a spread of Ben Affleck, showcasing his connotative "puppy" furrow in the forehead. Photoshop is particularly utilized in this area to alter the image of women.
@caroline_in_thecity Thisbisnoiterally the reason I get forehead botox. I always notice womens amooth foreheads in media. #maybeitsphotoshop #photoshop #bopo #40plus #greenscreen original sound - Caroline In The City
Ross inquires when a fifty-year-old actress would put on such an appearance, with the response being all of us intuitively comprehend as nearly never. According to Ross's clever words, men are permitted to appear as experienced grown-ups while women are anticipated to sustain the facade of little porcelain dolls throughout their lives.
Although we have come a long way in combating beauty standards, ageism, and sexism, Hollywood and social media are powerful forces in the propagation of stereotypes. Luckily, campaigns such as this one from Ross can help us recognize how these concepts are taught to us. This, in turn, can both give us the opportunity to think differently and act as a bulwark against the negative self-esteem that may accompany seeing fictional ideals.