Images

I just read an old article from ABC news.  The article referred to an advertisement Target Stores had produced advertising a swim suit.  Target apologized for photo shopping a picture of a swimsuit clad young lady in the ad which had been altered to create a "thigh gap."  The concern over the ad related to portraying an unrealistic "body image" the idea being that models with dimensions very difficult or impossible to achieve set an unrealistic standard for young women who go will go to distressing lengths to emulate the model's appearance.  Young women feel that they have to conform to the body types represented in these ads according to some.

I have no doubt that such concerns are real and that we would all be better off if models and popular personalities were of a more realistic experience.  But I couldn't help but think that we are straining at the gnat of body image while swallowing the camel of risky and immoral behavior.  What is more troubling that a young woman's self esteem might be reduced from her inability to mimic the body of a model or star or that her life might be changed by her desire and ability to mimic the immoral lifestyle of a model or star either modeled in reality or in the movies or TV shows. 

This phenomenon is one more demonstration that our culture has completely lost its moorings.