The Daily Mail does 'shopping... or tries

I really don't like the way that The Daily Mail portrays women. Readers are frequently invited to assess them according to looks, age and weight. Stories are very rarely based around academic merit or professional achievement. If you look down the sidebar of their website, you'll see at least three articles featuring someone 'flaunting their bikini body', whether attractive or not and another ten featuring pregnant celebrities. It's a formula that generates clicks, comments and site traffic, but I don't think it's good for society. I don't think it promotes very good attitudes toward other people.

The most blatant offence yet has to be this example of Photoshopping. There's an article here, lauding Elle Macpherson's incredible ability to stay in shape, even though she's hit the mind-boggling, eye-watering, inconceivably great age of 48.  Oh yes, who knew people could even live that long?

Anyway, the article goes on about some man she's on a boat with, and then goes on to describe how amazing she looks. And then... oddly... there's a picture that doesn't quite fit.


Now... this is not a picture of an overweight woman, but it's not the body of Elle Macpherson, either. Here's another version from a different site:

Okay, so they've added a weird 'Gossip' logo, but she looks a touch thinner. So what's going on? Are writers at The Daily Mail Photoshopping pictures of women to invite criticism from keen comment-ers? Is this responsible behaviour?