Untouched photos in Seventeen magazine....hmm?

Here's the sitch,  I know you'll love this one as much as I do.  Especially because I had a subscription to Seventeen as a teenager, did you?  Remember all those realistic portrayals of the American teen?  Me neither.  

Editor-in-chief Ann Shoket says Seventeen never has, and never will, alter the face or body shapes of teens in their magazine.  This comment comes last April, after American teenager Julia Bluhm petitions Seventeen magazine to include one unedited photo each month.  A miniscule request in my opinion.  

(Source)

Once Julia had over 84,000 signatures on change.org, she and some friends went to personally deliver the petition.  Some online accounts will say she was invited by Seventeen magazine for a talk.  B please!  Fashion magazines are not lining up to discuss their photoshopping policies. 

Once there, Julia Bluhm is handed back some BS from the magazine.  Goes something like - we are totes excited to have such a passionate reader.  Activism is something we totes encourage our readers to do.  The end.

Julia Bluhm, btw, is gracious when asked about her meeting at Seventeen.  The kindness she shows to the magazine in her response, ultimately made it easier for the magazine to take advantage of her later.  Keep reading to find out how.

When pressed on actual airbrushing policies at Seventeen magazine, editor-in-chief Ann Shoket is mum.  This past August, realizing they can ride the media publicity Julia Bluhm is receiving, the magazine releases it's eight point Body Peace Treaty to readers.  Basically using the petition and Julia, to say it really listens and cares about what their readers have to say.  Um yeah, 5 months later it does, but even then not really.

None of the points in the Body Peace Treaty address airbrushing policies.  Because even if Seventeen doesn't airbrush, its advertisers don't hold themselves to the same promise.  So aside from that mess, my favourite promises in the treaty are:

• Help make your life amazing! You have big dreams and we want you to achieve every single one of them!
• Be totally upfront about what goes into our photo shoots.  You can go behind the scenes on our Tumblr (seventeen.tumblr.com) and see the whole shebang!
• Help you make the best choices for your body-food that fuels you, exercise that energizes you-so you can feel your absolute best each day.

So...couple things.  The tumblr account is really just a social media strategy meant for readers to share, ie. promote, interest in the magazine.  The behind-the-scene photos don't show Seventeen's photo process.  

Healthy diet and exercise is not a promise to its readers.  It is a marketing strategy that uses content to boost sales.  Trading on insecurities, and promising cures to those insecurities, moves content.  You know it, I know it, they know it.

Finally, help make young lives amazing?  How exactly?  I'd like to see that particular point expanded upon.

Sigh, the whole thing is exhausting.  What do you think?