It’s about time. There’s finally a magazine that has vowed not to use Photoshop to alter the pictures of women in their magazine in any way. Verily Magazine, started by Kara Eschbach, a former finance and investment professional, and Janet Sahm, a fashion writer, has sworn off altering a woman’s body or face in any way. It claims to be “a new kind of women’s magazine: one that that celebrates the best of who you are.”
As someone who has been frustrated with women’s magazines for years, this is refreshing. Looking at the magazine stand whenever I’m at the airport, I have a choice between learning how to please my man sexually (check, done), learning how a stick-thin, extremely tall model dresses herself (really inapplicable to me), learning how to work out to become stick thin (never works how I had hoped), or learning how to bake, cook, and decorate my house (all things I hate doing). Usually I just pick up Time and hope there’s an inspiring story involving a woman. It rarely happens, but when I find it, it’s like gold (and is a large part of the reason love writing for Bombshell. We get to tell real stories about real women).
This idea must be catching on. Verily is taking a bold step in refusing to use Photoshop. Many of their photo shoots even use real women, not models. Verily isn’t giving in and saying, “fine, our women will just look ugly.” They’re banking on the fact that real women are really beautiful, even with curves and crow’s feet.
I have always wondered who the Photoshopping was for anyway. The advertisers? Is it because the worse you feel about yourself the more likely you are to buy their makeup or creamor spanks? The more you compare yourself to these digitally constructed women, the more you’re unhappy with your current self. The more you read articles telling you why you aren’t quite measuring up, the more you want to change. Feel like your man is sexually unsatisfied? Maybe this new K-Y lubricant will look appealing.
I haven’t seen the hard copy yet, but online their ads seem to focus on human issues, healthcare, and would you believe it? College! Education! Who would have thought that women might be interested in such a thing? I get it. The beauty industry makes and spends A LOT of money. But hopefully Verily can prove that you do not need the beauty industry to find beauty.