Bethenny Frankel Discusses Instagram's Hidden Message

Bethenny Frankel is getting real on the use of filters and photoshopping and bringing the topic of healthy self esteem to the surface. The "Real Housewives of New York City" alum, 51, posted side-by-side photos on Instagram - one filtered and one natural - to show the difference. She started the caption, "Hey it’s me, your favorite filtered friend… just making myself look a little better, a little younger, so you think I look better than you. Doesn’t that really build up your self esteem? I spend hours with tech assistants to make myself look good and you feel bad!"

The caption continued, "More hair, less wrinkles, perfectly smooth skin, higher cheekbones, more defined eyebrows, smaller face, bigger lips… when does it end? The online world we live in is insane. It’s so important that we acknowledge what’s happening with the filtering and the photoshopping and the outright lying. What is the message we are all buying into? What are we sharing with our children?" She also added a P.S. at the bottom that reads, "When it's filtered or I'm glammed up, you will know it! Xo"

Comments on her post were supportive, complimentary, and thanked her for being real and openly discussing this topic.

"You look so much better without the filter. So real and authentically beautiful"

"Really adore that you do this. Thank you. ❤️"

"you have no idea how awesome this makes me feel. we love you bethenny"

"Thank you for keeping it real….."

"Keeeeep Preachin sister👏👏👏"

"Yessss! Keep saying it because maybe just maybe more women/girls will start paying attention!"

"How do we get this message out there to young girls?"

"Thank you Thank you Thank you!! First I don’t understand why people even post filter photos and try to pass off as a real photo. Second and maybe even worse the people who comment and tell them how beautiful they are."

Frankel has been taking the discussion of edited photos, the use of filters, and unrealistic body images to her social media pages recently, as well as calling out society's view on beauty. Last month, the reality star shared a similar post but instead of just a headshot, she used a full body photo to show what filters did to her waist and chest.

"This is NOT what I look like...and you know that because I'm not vain and show you the real me. But if I posted a version of this every day you might start to believe that it might be. This is just how distorted this has all gotten," her post started. "Filtering is lying: it is deceptive. It makes women feel badly about themselves. It makes young girls insecure and obsessed with an unattainable perfection. It makes middle aged women and mothers feel insecure about themselves. This creates a false ideal for men. It’s the opposite of inspirational. It’s destructive. It’s irresponsible. It’s insecure and it’s inaccurate. There is a line between making an effort to look pretty and an outright falsehood."

Frankel is known for speaking her mind and saying it like it is. In addition to her thoughts on filtered posts, she also posts TikTok videos testing out beauty products to give her honest opinion as to whether they do what they say they do and if they are worth the money. She said, "I don't mind spending money, I just don't like wasting money," so she tries out various beauty products to help others decide if they want to try them. In one recent video, she gave her honest thoughts on a product she said, "Girl, do it, it's worth it."

In another video, the message is the opposite - "Girl, don't do it. It's not worth it."