Photo Editing in Media: To the Extreme

[Obliviosity]

How many of us have looked at magazines, billboards, or online adds and shops, and seen all of these perfectly toned and sculpted women.
I know I sure have.
Sometimes it's subtle--Removing a blemish here, smoothing a curve there, touching up a shadow.
But other times, it's absolutely ridiculous. To the point where the human body becomes extremely distorted and unbelievable.

I present to you a photo from Victoria's Secret's website of a model showcasing a particular piece of merchandise. May I bring to your attention the proportion of the ribcage to her hips. Her rib cage should not be that small. I just happened to stumble upon this while idly window shopping online, which caused this particular tirade.
{Original Link.}

It doesn't stop here, nor has this phenomena been anything new. Overdone editing is a common practice among big-name companies, film industries, and magazines.
Ralph Lauren | Victoria's Secret | 2004 Film poster for King Arthur | Redbook

I can't youtube embed because I fail. xD

I'm aware that most of us already know that this kind of thing goes on already, but I don't think a lot of us are aware to what degree it really happens.

So the next time you look at an ad and that little voice in the back of your mind says "Man, I wish I could look like--____" just remember how incredibly edited most of these photos are. The women depicted, when all of the airbrushing, layers of makeup and hairspray are removed, they look like ordinary women and girls just like us.

Feel free to contribute your own findings, realizations, opinions, or arguments for/against. I'll probably add to this later upon further research (and sleep).  

[The Forbidden Soul]

There was talk about how some ad companies will add extra limbs on people in their adds so that if you catch the extra limbs you will remember the product even more, or at least that particular ad.