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Retouched Photo: The Kardashians

Korie Williams

Ottawa University

Professor Justin Henning

VISUAL-COMMUNICATION-COM-30563

April 28, 2024

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The Kardashians have made a living off of living a lavish lifestyle and no true talent.

When determining how they remain famous for doing virtually nothing, some could say they

know a thing or two about business ventures, while others may point to their looks as a factor.

Interestingly, those same looks they are praised for seem to always be altered in most pictures.

Determining the true reason for those pictures being altered is not possible as they would

not admit why. But for them, it is obvious that a lot of it comes from a warped idea of self. Like

many celebrities, they face constant criticism for their looks or their daily life. While all

Kardashians seem to live in a deep ocean of vanity, one sister seems to always stick out in the

conversation of altered pictures.

Khloe Kardashian always has a latest look or a new face with every Instagram photo.

While with every photo there is a similarity, the overall look of the face is drastically different.

Famously, in 2020, she uploaded a photo that had everyone questioning who it even was.

Credits: KhloeKardashain/Instagram

But why does she do this? There is no denying that Khloe along with her famous sisters

are incredibly beautiful. Without filters and photoshopped photos, they still display true beauty

which makes a lot of people wonder why they do this. The effects of social media are evident in
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this family. The pressure to uphold a certain image and the stress of having to look a certain way

are factors in why they alter their images so heavily.

The conversation of photoshop and image altering apps is one that has so many opinions.

In today’s world the effect social media has had on the up-and-coming generations is evident.

Kids and teenagers have a warped sense of what makes each of us beautiful. The unique features

that once set us apart are the things expected to be edited out of a picture because there is an

insecurity that they do not look like a perfect Instagram model. These are the dangers of altered

images, especially images that had no reason to be altered in the first place.

There is value in this technology though. Many artists can use photoshop to create new

and exciting images or even restore old images. Many photographers today use photoshop to

take out certain elements in the backgrounds of photos. Photoshop can have value when the

value is not determined on the beauty standards of an Instagram model or Kardashian.

Photoshop will continue to be a thing because it is so accessible. But with that said, it is

important for people to know and understand that what they are looking at is most likely altered.

Understanding and accepting that social media standard of beauty is not real because it is all

altered makes it a lot easier to live. Like with everything, where there is good there is something

bad or misleading somewhere. Photoshop can be used for good; it is about whose hands it is in.
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References:

Naftulin, J. (n.d.). Plastic surgeons explain the changes to Khloe Kardashian’s nose, chin, and

cheeks. Business Insider. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from

https://www.businessinsider.com/khloe-kardashians-face-alterations-plastic-surgeons-

explain-2020-11

The photoshop epidemic on social media. (n.d.). Body Positive Alliance.

https://bodypositivealliance.org/blog/the-photoshop-epidemic-on-social-

media#:~:text=Relying%20on%20photoshop%20apps%20like