Target Under Fire for Photoshopping 'Thigh Gaps' On Models

Target is catching heat for Photoshopping advertisements targeted toward image conscious teenagers and young adults.

The retail giant altered the images to add crude “thigh gaps” on the images of models wearing bikinis. The graphic artist also altered the torso and waist of the models to give them a desired, but unrealistic Barbie shape.

The altered ads resulted in angry comments on Jezebel magazine‘s website.

Jezebel magazine wrote:

The worst, most horrible part of this (aside from the horrible Photoshopping skills of whatever poor graphic design intern got assigned to do this) is that this product is for their junior’s line. This is what is being marketed and pushed on young girls—this absurd image of a crotch that absolutely does not and cannot happen naturally. This what young girls have to look at and try to reconcile with their own, normally shaped bodies.

AJC.com reports that by Tuesday, the images were gone from Target’s website.

But the controversy rages on. The ‘thigh gap’ as it is called, is something many teens aspire to, even though it is an unrealistic body image. Media reports say teens seek plastic surgery to thin their thighs, in order to more closely resemble the Photoshopped models.

A representative of Target provided the following statement on this issue, “This was an unfortunate error on our part and we apologize. We have removed the image from our website.”