Censoring airbrushed photographs in advertising

The Liberal Democrats are calling for advertising aimed at people under the age of 16 to be completely prohibited from airbrushing adverts, or for a disclosure notice to be placed next to the adverts aimed at older age groups.

This is yet another example of MPs desire to meddle being without the slightest thought. Jo Swinson claims that "Liberal Democrats believe in the freedom of companies to advertise but we also believe in the freedom of young people to develop their self-esteem and to be as comfortable as possible with their bodies, without constantly feeling the need to measure up to a very narrow range of digitally manipulated shapes and sizes."



The top picture is of Jo on the liberal democrats campaign for Gender Balance

The one, below, is not quite so posed, any reason the lower photograph isn't that being used, it appears to be the same clothes, so may have even been taken on the same day?

The idea that digitally enhanced photographs can somehow be controlled by legislation, speaks volumes for the simplistic notion MPs have of what really matters.

Are the Liberal Democrats suggesting that make-up shouldn't be worn by subjects in photographs, what about lighting effects, backgrounds, the pose itself? When will MPs stop trying to interfere with the minutiae of everyone else's life and get on with proposing policies for aspects which matter.

The suggestion that the use of airbrushed images in advertising is somehow corrupting misses the point. They need to look at what they are trying to achieve and work to a solution from there. The easy headline of banning airbrushed photographs will do nothing, if they are trying to stop people feeling the need to look one way or another. The product being advertised is the core issue, not the image surrounding it. Though that is not in any way to suggest they need to stick their noses into product advertising, it is intended to demonstrate the backward thinking of Politicians.

An advertising agency would work round such a ridiculous legislation, with consummate ease and the Lib/Dem objective, ridiculous as it is, would have been missed by a mile.

Thanks Jo, but no thanks, enough meddling. Time to change the image on the gender balance website, as it appears to contravene a few of these policy document guidelines.

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Did political parties forget there was an election?

In the run up to the recent Euro and local council elections, the apathy displayed by political parties was all too apparent.

No one canvassed at the door and only the Conservatiove Party bothered to post any information about the local election candidate through the door. The leaflet presented gave absolutely no contact information for the candidate. After numerous calls to the Conservative central office, the Local Party Office, which was shut, the local Conservative club and the office in the House of Commons of the local MP, I eventually received a call from the candidate.

I attempted to make contact with the prospective Liberal Democrat for the seat and although I managed to speak to the leader of the Liberal Democrats for the local council and elicited a promise of a returned call, I received nothing back at all.

The Euro elections fared no better, again no canvassing.

An information leaflet from the Green Party came with a telephone number. I called to ask a question and was assured I would be called back, of course I wasn't.

I spoke to UKIP, who also provided a telephone number on their leaflet, my question was met with a response that the policy in question wasn't actually currently formulated, but a working party was considering the issue. At least I received a reply, useless though it was.

The Conservative party leaflet contained no telephone number, but at least there was a number on the central party website. Once again a promise of a returned call resulted in nothing.

The Labour party leaflet provided an sms service, but no telephone number, scouring their central website gave no contact telephone number.

The liberal Democrats couldn't be bothered to send through a leaflet.

The Christian Democrats managed to get a leaflet through, but again there was no contact number.

That was the extent of the interest political parties had in obtaining my vote.

Until such time a politicians do more than pay lip service to communicating, I fail to see what and how they intend to 'engage' the general public.

For the record: I didn't vote and never have done. I do not support the UK Democratic system, which is neither Democratic nor representative.

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