Memo to political consultants: be careful how you use Photoshop. Back in 1996, Senator John Warner’s campaign got caught moving their opponents head onto another body, and last year George Bush’s web site had a photo of him talking to an audience of cloned soldiers.
They both won their races, so a Photoshop scandal may be more a cause for brief embarrassment rather than lasting damage. But do you think that just days before the Republican primary in his campaign to become Governor of New Jersey that Bret Shundler would prefer not having to explain why the audience in this photo from his web site is so strangle reminiscent of this photo from a Howard Dean rally that took place in Virginia last summer?
In the world of fashion models, we accept or ignore the fact that the beauty we see on magazine covers isn’t necessarily reality as captured on film. So why should we expect more from a politician? Because fashion photos are selling fantasy, a visual ideal that doesn’t quite exist in real life. But from politicians, we cling to some hope that we can expect honesty, reality.
Joseph Stalin was an early proponent of re-touching photos to suit his needs. In Shundler’s case a “junior staffer” is wearing the blame for borrowing a Democratic crowd for his Republican client. And maybe that’s how it happened. Digital cameras and Photoshop have made such manipulations much easier, and so more tempting an option when the real photo isn’t quite what you’re looking for.
My own kids have grown up as photo skeptics, certain that they can’t always trust what you see in photos. I can’t imagine why.
for further reading:
NJ-Gov: Schundler’s big F-up
Daily Kos