How often do you order from a fast food place, only to find that item you ordered is vastly different from the one pictured on the menu, the commercial, etc. Maybe it's missing a few condiments. Maybe it's that the bun isn't glowingly golden. Or maybe it's been squashed beyond recognition. Whatever the reason, it doesn't look like what you ordered and you would feel pretty gyped if you weren't so darn hungry.

Those glowingly delicious versions of the food you're eating can be attributed to food stylists. Yes, there are people out there who make a career on getting food to look good. They use fancy lighting and an array of other props to make the food look perfect. Sometimes the food they use isn't even real, so it would be impossible to match. For example, real ice cream usually melts before a good shot can be had, so food stylists often create a replica using (ick) mashed potatoes, or (double ick) lots of lard and some sugar.

Obviously, if we knew that we would end up with a smushed, burnt burger, we might not be so inclined to go out rightthissecond and buy one. That's where food stylists come in. But it begs the question: are the companies who employ these techniques tricking us into buying something, or is it just good business. What do you think?

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