#nofilter #filter – what does it matter either way?
I hate #makeup. I would love to never have to wear makeup. It would be awesome if I had the #perfectskin that makeup and #Photoshop help me to achieve. Because then I would never wear makeup. I already hardly ever wear makeup. But I can get away with it because I work from home and I live in a town where I know no one and no one knows me. So I don’t have to care that I don’t look my prettiest when I go out. I just throw on my #sunglasses and call it a day.
But there are certain places you’re never going to find me going and certain things you’re never going to find me doing with no makeup on my face. Definitely any place where there are going to be people that I’m not comfortable enough around to allow them to see me without makeup, and any activity that involves being photographed — I will wear makeup. And in the case of pictures, not only will I wear makeup, I will also edit out what flaws I am able to edit out before I allow other people to see them.
I learned a long time ago that people really are watching you and scrutinizing every little thing about you and judging you on your appearance no matter who you are–no matter how you look. We’re always looking for the flaws in each other. At the same time while we’re criticizing people for editing their pictures in Photoshop and using filters to make their photos look better, we’re scrutinizing and judging any “unfiltered” pictures they share–not liking them in their unfiltered state because they’re not pretty.
This #nofilter hashtag that has become something for people to brag about is so silly to me. Who cares either way? If you’re pretty enough or just unconcerned enough with what people think that you can share your pictures without having to edit or filter them first, good for you. But it’s not like I or anyone else is owed the right to see you “unfiltered”. And while some people might applaud you for showing the world the way you look without the help of Photoshop and photo filters, what they’re usually saying is “bravo for being bold enough to show the truth about yourself”. But what is the truth about yourself? Is it what they perceive or is it what you believe? Because when they say “truth about yourself” what they usually mean is, in their opinion, in your unfiltered state, you’re nothing much. How is that in any way a compliment?
Why should I be bothered by someone else’s choice to wear makeup and/or to Photoshop their pictures to make themselves look better? In what way does that affect my life? And why should anyone be bothered by my choice to wear makeup and/or to Photoshop my pictures? In what why does it affect their life?
