Was the photoshopped Ralph Lauren model fired for being overweight?

Dark Knight · #1 10-14-2009, 06:24 PM

Last week Ralph Lauren came under fire for (what looked to be) an extremely altered photo of a model in one of its ads. Bloggers at the website BoingBoing.net posted the image online, and lawyers for Ralph Lauren attempted to sue them for copyright infringement. Unfortunately for Ralph Lauren, this only furthered public interest and outrage over the dangerously thin looking model and, eventually, the clothing company released this apology:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beaut...weight-525248/

Boyz_Mum · #2 10-15-2009, 07:06 AM

The model, Filippa Hamilton (shown in the 2nd article with her real body) is absolutely gorgeous and is not near as stick thin as the model on the cover (although the model on the cover has Filippa's face on it). I can't believe that it's believed Filippa was let go because of her weight (and that she can't fit into RL's clothes?) Glad that the company offered an apology, but I'm still speechless that a 5'10" woman who weighs 120 lbs, is too "big" for RL. Wow!

If RL's clothes don't fit Filippa, I don't have a prayer to ever wear his label.

CyberLaw · #3 10-15-2009, 09:25 AM

According to the BMI, a 5'10 person who weights 120 has a BMI of 17.2.

Any BMI less then 18.5 is considered underweight.

When will these designers get it, that the status quo is unacceptable.

Disguiseduser0308 · #4 10-15-2009, 10:12 AM

Her second photo is stunning. Much less photoshopped. I could never afford RL clothing so I can't say this turns me off from wearing them. The price tag alone would offend me enough.

CyberLaw · #5 10-15-2009, 03:17 PM

Also there is some issue with a contestant in the Miss Australia Contest.

She is 5'11 and weighs 117 lbs. Her BMI is 16.3 and some wonder if she is too skinny and sends a bad message to girls.

Really, gee.....she would have to be 133 lbs to meet the min. weight of a healthy person. At 133 she would have a BMI of 18.5

As far as I am concerned, these distorted images of women that girls see is harmful. Very harmful. If affects their self esteem and body image.

txsvicki · #6 10-18-2009, 11:26 PM

My daughter is 5'10'' and weighs maybe around 130, but still looks too skinny imo even though she doesn't diet or do it on purpose. These people are nuts to force models to starve themselves.

Dark Knight · #7 10-19-2009, 12:02 AM

This person is 5' 10" tall and weighs 137 pounds, as a point of reference:

gaia227 · #8 10-19-2009, 01:45 PM

Here is another ridiculous Ralph Lauren ad. This woman looks like an alien.

http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.c...on-coming.html

gaia227 · #9 10-19-2009, 01:54 PM

I am 5'11 and weigh 150lbs. Not the greatest picture as I don't have any full body shots on my work computer but you can see well enough that even at 150lbs I am not overweight (that's me in the dress - not the fur and big ears). In my teens and early 20's I weighed 115-120lbs and was really skinny. My hip bones jutted out, my legs were sticks and all I wanted was to gain weight.....I gained a little more than I wanted but I would rather be voluptious than twiggy.

It is ridiculous and dangerous that companies are even allowed to mis-represent women's bodies like this and endorse such a perverse and unhealthy body image for young girls. Some people are naturally thin, some aren't. I wish the human body in all it's forms could be considered by society as beautiful in their own ways.

CyberLaw · #10 10-19-2009, 03:30 PM

You know what, as long as you are happy, healthy and feel good about yourself, what a RL has done is irrelevant.

What upsets me is that "he thinks" that men want to see women like this. That women"should emulate or try to emulate" this ideal.

Saw an article, men prefer women like Beyonce(sP) with curves. Not fantasy....

gaia227 · #11 10-19-2009, 03:53 PM

Well the issue is that a lot of girls don't feel happy and healthy because they aspire to look like these models and actresses. Young girls and boys are bombarded with images from an early age regarding what society deems as beautiful and those are the images they aspire to recreate themselves. Just in the last 10 yrs there has been a rapid increase in eating disorders in young girls and boys and it really seems to coincide with the media exposure. The standards of beauty in America have remained pretty steady, what seems to have changed is the exposure to this ideal children now face with the internet, TV, Iphones, etc, etc.

I agree with CyberLaw though - I know a lot of my male friends prefer a woman that is curvy and voluptious as opposed to stick thin. Even still the images we see of Beyonce are photoshopped - I know that girl has to have some celulite on her butt and thighs and of course those flaws are shopped out.