"Oh, it's just Photoshopped!"

Question

I don't know about you guys, but I hate, hate, HATE it when people say that every picture on the web (and even elsewhere) is "just Photoshopped."
I finally got so sick of it I did a Google query to find out how wide-spread the problem really is. In Google I search the exact quote, "say it's photoshpped." In case you're interested the results were:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22say+it%27s+photoshopped%22&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aq i=
Seems that these days, whenever somebody sees something a bit strange in a pic, or even slightly out of the ordinary.... it must, of course, be "photoshopped." I like what one person said about some of the Baldwin Street, the world's "steepest street" comments, where everybody was crying "it's been photoshopped!" His quote: "I hate all of you. Ben knows it’s real you retards. People just say it’s photoshopped to see if you’ll get mad or try to prove it’s not." Source: http://qualityjunkyard.com/2008/10/27/baldwin-street-worlds-steepest-street/ . Some people even claim that (get this) you can tell if it's been photoshopped or not because, if you zoom into the pic real, real close, you will "see pixels." Wha? Huh? Well no sh*t you'll see pixels. That's what every image is made up of. Even a digital camera captures images via "pixels" in the sensor. Your whole computer monitor is nothing but pixels. Your television is pixels.
On social networking sites, I myself have put up some pictures of somewhat extraordinary things (things, situations, or stunts I do) only to have morons cry photoshop.
How do we get rid of this disease? How do we start and spread a viral campaign like wild-fire to educate the low-brows that Photoshop is not a magical picture maker box. How do we get it through their heads that you just don't open the app, push a few buttons, and VOILA! You have any picture you want pop out? How do we explain to them that it takes YEARS of enduring a steep learning curve, dedication, mastery and expertise with the program to create an image that could fool or at least puzzle the experts?
I'm tired of the "it's been Photoshopped" disease... and it is a disease, like a cancer. It's becoming more and more wide-spread to the point that many times you don't even feel like posting pics anymore. Anybody ever feel the same way?

Answer 1

We all like people to look at our art.  But Pride/Vanity are sins!  And you are seeing where they lead, no?
Practical Moral of the Story:  Why worry so much about what the utter morons on the wild internet say?
Not only that but:  Why post photos on a place called QualityJunkyard.com and hope for nice comments?
What do you care what some envious teenage boob with too much money and free time thinks or writes?  Most of them are so stupid and immature they can't even put 3 words together properly, couldn't hope to even post a photo on the web (much less Photoshop it themselves), nor even figure out how to work anything but a cell phone camera themselves.  Their computer will stop working in a few days anyway, considering the sites they must visit - they'll be the victims of more malware than they can fathom.  If there should ever come any significant challenge to their survival, rest assured they'll be gone first - recipients of Darwin awards one and all.  Pity them, for they will die lonely and will have missed most of what the world offers because they have have kept their empty heads down texting profanity to some other learning-challenged individual.
You'll have less stress in your life and you'll live longer if you avoid and ignore the idiots who have nothing better to do than to try to make you feel bad.
And hey, you can smile inwardly knowing it would take as much or more skill to Photoshop a flying bicyclist or slanted road seamlessly into a photo than it did just to stand there and press the shutter button at the right time.  If you absolutely MUST answer the freaks who disparage your work, just say, "Thanks!  It would have taken more technical skill to put together something this realistic and believable in Photoshop than it did to simply photograph it, so I'll take that as a compliment."
Relax, and enjoy your day.
-Noel