Mormon PR photoshop is excessive

[slskipper]

"We may never feel as though we fit societal ideals of beauty"...

It's always gotta be us versus them, doesn't it, with Us always on top.

Come on- "societal ideals of beauty" are what enriches 95% of mission presidents and above via MLMs. But they just can't help themselves.

Thank you.

[huckelberry]

I think the idea is that they can’t possibly look as they do in the first photo sans photoshop.

Um. OK. A few less wrinkles. Pretty standard fare for photoshopping. A lot of this could be done simply by manipulation of the lighting when taking a picture.

This is pretty much what I see. Looks like a standard difference between a portrait photo and a snap shot. Photoshop is a newer word for it. Ho hum is about as shocked as I can get about this portrayal of three people.

[Dwight]

I always wondered why the photos of the 12 in seminary were their calling photos. Since the church generally likes to sell itself new prints/photos/artwork from their own printing press they could update them at least every time a new apostle was called. They'd be more recognizable at conference time.

[Tacenda]

Im sure all three are hopped up on Sandy candy.

Don't know much but maybe the second photo is after they've been in their callings for a while. But all three look awesome to me, 61 going on 62 too quickly.

[Canadiandude2]

Look at the height differences. Who is made taller relative to whom in the photoshopped picture. What positional identities do they hold- in the church, in society, in background?

This photo is small potatoes admittedly, in terms of analysis- but even the anecdote illustrates key values in the church nevertheless.

Hierarchies of authority. (Who must be made centre and tallest)
How gender and the respective roles within are constructed. (Greater emphasis upon beauty for women, clothing worn, colours and patterns, softened lens)
Race and ethnicity: again- who make it into leadership positions, relative to whom? Hierarchies and social mobility.

How is the lighting arranged?

[2bizE]

The photoshop guy could have at least moved the hair out of the center gal’s eyes…how can she see the primary colors with that hairdo?