If someone was trying to make a statement about society’s view of the ideal/perfect body, then all the cherubs should have huge junk.

the “new” versions - they aren't skinny enough to truly be representative of what society presents as the ideal woman size. they are like Jennifer Aniston in the early season of Friends. Cut another 20 lbs off those painted ladies and we're closer to modern day Jennifer Aniston.

Eh. Neat experiment. I'm not interested in ascribing any deconstructive process.

It's just as insulting to say 'you are so skinny, go eat!' as it is to say 'you are so fat, go on a diet!'

the originals are much more bodacious :)

Let me get this straight… since I'm naturally built like the edited pictures, I'm “emaciated” and “gross?” Believe it or not, it's possible to be thin AND curvy. I may be thin, but I still have breasts, hips, and ass… a big one! The edited versions of these pictures still have curves, just less fat on their bodies. It's just as prejudiced and judgmental to put down smaller-bodied women. There is a whole plethora of different shapes and sizes, and instead of swinging toward embracing fat and instead calling small girls names, how about we embrace variety!

THIS I get.

Good to see those old cows getting out of my art museums.

oh look, now they all look like twigs. gimme a little meat on dem bones!

The original was better.

This whole thing seems to be given more importance than it actually has. By every comment on the internet, curvier women feel fine about themselves and men put down the lean 'ideals'. Every single person I know acknowledges and rejects the idea of an ideal body, yet there is still such outrage about it.  How about the guys who like skinny women appreciate them, and the fellows who like curvier women appreciate them? If no one is dumb enough to believe that they have to look like celebrities on the covers of fashion magazines, then what's stopping everyone from just living their lives without having to dislike and vitiate body types that differ from their own? If you find that to be necessary for some sense of self-fulfillment, then reconsider your attitude and capability for proper assessment.

The entire point of this exercise was to show that our current standard of beauty is warped (for some reason this was omitted in the description of this post). It's hard to ignore the fact that once these figures are downsized, they tend to lose their power and in some cases end up looking like preteens. An interesting thing to consider when you're living in a culture that promotes an unnatural female image.

They were perfect as they were don't fix what ain't broken.

Dammit, I should've been born in the Renaissance. Sure I wouldn't have been able to own property or have a say in government and I'd probably have about 6 children by now, but hey, I'd be hot! Or I guess I could just burn every glossy magazine I find and do a few more sits ups.

Aren't they missing a spray tan?

I liked some of these.
Others look too obvious.

As much as I think I want to be skinny, most of these are pretty gross.