Australian Model Stands Up Against Brands Photoshopping Her Body {Podcast}
By admin
What would you do if…
- You took some gorgeous pictures.
- Posted one of them on Instagram showing off the amazing talent of both you and the photographer.
- Went to bed and woke up the next morning to find that the company of the outfit you wore in the picture had photoshopped the hell out of it?
I don’t know about you, but I would have flipped my sh$ t.
Sure, I would have been angry about the changes but mostly, I would have been hurt that the company felt my body needed to be so drastically cut down.
Am I not good enough? What’s wrong with my body that it needed to be transformed for someone else’s INSTAGRAM Account?
Well, luckily it didn’t happen to me.
It happened to model Meaghan Kausman after she took some beautiful under water photos wearing a swimsuit from Fella Swim.
Source @meagsk The bottom is the original
Meaghan was able to keep herself composed without obsessing about the work they did on her. Body confidence is luckily something she has never struggled with, the issue at hand was the fact that the company felt the need to fall into the trap of making a woman look unrealistic and too perfect.
And of course, without her permission.
She tells the story so much better, so let’s pause and let Meaghan tell what went down.
But…
If you can’t make that happen right now, as always, let’s cover some of the high points (I already did above).
The Strongest Young Model To Date
Somehow Meaghan’s story popped up in my news feed on Facebook and I couldn’t not contact her.
You guys know how I feel about the way media portrays women:
–> Body Image And The Media Cont’d: Why We Mentally Destroy Ourselves
–> The Hypocrisy Of Women’s Fitness: Introducing A New Type Of Women
She is passionate, honest, driven and above all, strong. And hopefully, no, without a doubt, she will make you smile and think confidently about your own body as she does hers.
With just one act, she has become a role model for young women, yes?
What stands out to me most is her drive to be a strong woman.
To never settle and to never let someone tell her what she can and can’t do. We are in charge of our feelings and our accomplishments and Meaghan is fully aware of this.
Being A Strong Woman
For once, I don’t mean strong in a physical sense. Strong willed, passionate, standing up against things others may not. And of course, not taking any crap.
How did she react when seeing the image?
Sorry for the grainy quality of the film.
Unlike most actresses and models who just shrug and move on after seeing photos of themselves completely altered, she stood up and said no.
Meaghan immediately contacted Fella Swim, Pip Summerville (the photographer), and her father.
Fella Swims reaction?
Nothing, they took the coward’s approach and decided to ignore the situation.
Which is a shame because they had a real opportunity to stand up and say”Yes, we get your point. We were wrong.” <– something most companies don’t do.
Well, they didn’t. And they still haven’t talked with Meaghan.
For centuries women have been victims of weakness. It really has only been in the last few decades that women have grown into so much more. Meaghan and I shared an equal drive to show what it means to be strong.
Take crap? Nope. No one deserves to be transformed to be someone they aren’t, physically or psychologically.
Cheers to strength!
Sometimes Food
This has nothing to do with the photoshopping incident, but I can’t neglect it here in the write up.
Make sure to listen to get more, but here’s the just…
Meaghan’s dad is a doctor who specialized in weight loss and eating disorders (interesting she has gone into modeling). He was an amazing influence at helping Meaghan and her sister grow up having a strong belief in themselves but also understanding food in a healthy way.
Her dad never allowed food to be “junk food” because of the negative correlation. No food is “bad” as he would put it, there were sometimes foods and “everyday” foods. The sometimes foods being things like cookies, fries, and candy… the everyday foods of course, being your lean meats, veggies and fruits.
What a good way to look at it! I’m forever calling junk food sometimes food! Sometimes I eat it, sometimes I don’t! Right now, I’m not because of a 21 Day Challenge I am doing with a friend (more on that another day).
Thank you.
Thank you Meaghan for being patient as we handled our 14 hour time difference and made this post/podcast come to life!
You guys, I’ve shared just a itty bitty bit of Meaghan’s work. Make sure to follow her on Instagram to see her unique style and art!
Follow on Instagram –> @Meagsk
Oh and in case you haven’t seen this… check it out. The Most Failed Photoshoped Celeb Pictures! It’s hilarious.