Does Photo Reouching Ruin Lives?

The website of the New York Times has a video opinion piece concerning the effects that retouched photographs have on women’s body image that is worth taking a look at. There are some interesting interviews with digital retouchers, who seem to agree that the work they do promotes false ideas about physical perfect. It’s probably not news to the readers of a photography blog that essentially every image in every fashion or celebrity magazine is retouched. Should there be a law against such practices? (The video piece begins by noting that in France such laws have been considered.) Should magazines have to tell readers which images have been retouched? One solution mentioned in the piece is that magazines should include the names of retouchers in its photo credits. I know plenty of retouchers who would love to get credit alongside the photographers who take the pictures–and plenty of photographers who would hate that. But maybe that is the solution. Thoughts? –David Schonauer