By Jess McCabe | 22 April 2008, 15:39

In response to criticisms about use of skinny models, fashion mags are now using the power of Photoshop to make women look more “naturally” healthy, according to The Telegraph.

Both Shakesville and Feministing have skewered exactly why this is just as bad as airbrushing women to look vanishingly small. As Melissa says:

Okay, so, this is what you need to shoot for, girls: Hollowed-out cheeks (but not too hollow!), thin limbs (but not too thin!), hip bones showing (but not too much!), a flat stomach (but not too flat!)…are we clear yet?

Head over to either blog to see an example, in which Cameron Diaz is given slightly bigger thighs, slightly bigger shoulders and arms, her breasts made more “level”(?!), her hips and stomach made less muscly and, the finishing touch, reported without apparent irony:

“Stomach: A fuller, more natural look”

In other news, if you’re the driving sort (although it is Earth Day!), you might want to avoid Honda, and opt for a VW instead. Do you remember the story about the US woman who had “fag” scrawled on her car, and decided that instead of cleaning it off, she would drive across country to educate people on homophobia? Feministing reports that VW has paid for her “fag bug” to be done out in lovely rainbow stripes, to aid in her mission.

Also, Black Women in Europe celebrates the British actor Angela Wynter.

Photo by eyesontheroad, shared under a Creative Commons license