Does the World Really Need a Photoshop Detector?

By Fritz Holznagel

13 years ago

Scientists at Dartmouth have developed a top-secret tool that can show how much celebrity photos have been digitally altered.

“The ubiquity of these unrealistic and highly idealized images has been linked to eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in men, women, and children,” says Dr. Hany Farid, a professor of computer science and digital forensics at Dartmouth.

“If the tool is used in the future, magazines and advertisements could have a warning label on images similar to a nicotine ad.”

Frankly, we don’t have a dog in this fight. The only thing photoshopped on Who2 is Martin Scorsese‘s eyebrows. (The real ones are gray and pencil-thin. We’re happy to keep up this harmless fantasy for him, though.)

But good luck getting Glamour to put a surgeon’s general warning on the cover of its Spring Fashion Special, right next to the amazing makeovers and the top ten tanning secrets. Even if the Dartmouth scientists got their way, what would the warnings say?

“SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking-hot models can cause shortness of breath and may restrict blood flow to the brain.”

“SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Photoshopped models can cause angst, bitterness and may complicate pregnancy. A lot.”

“SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Objects on cover are larger than they appear.”

I’m not even sure I want the Surgeon General slapping a wrinkle rating on my magazine covers. Next thing you know she’ll be putting flouride in our bourbon. I’ll give up my Photoshop when they pry my enormous bronze pecs from around it.

Still, Dartmouth has a reputation as the conservative Ivy League school, so it’s comforting to know that this isn’t another one of those wooly-headed ivory tower projects we’ve all heard so much about. There must be something to it.

The larger question for Dartmouth scientists is: If they can photoshop the wrinkles in Kim Kardashian‘s thighs, why can’t they just photoshop her out of the picture entirely?

{ Hat tip: Thomas O’Connell. Celeb photos: Mashable }

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