I know, and I've been using the aspect ratio settings, and I have literally zero interest in having RetroArch stretch everything to full screen. My issue is that RA literally cannot use 10% of my screen, regardless of what preset/custom AR I use. RetroArch is pillarboxed at all times, but behaves as if it isn't. Setting RA to 16:9 displays an 8:5 active area inside a 16:9 image, as in the image above. To get an "accurate", 4:3 picture, I have to set my TV to 16:9 and RetroArch to 3:2.
EDIT: Here's a photo.
I have a 16:9 TV set, which is in 16:9 mode, the Wii is set to 16:9 and as you can see in the photo, so is RetroArch. In this scenario, the (16:9) picture on the (16:9) TV should fill the (16:9) display area. My point isn't that I actually want to play like this, it's that RA runs pillarboxed and all the aspect ratios are wrong for this reason.
EDIT2: Comparison shot.
For comparison, here's Wii64 (kind of; it's Extrems's Not64) displaying in correct 16:9 with no pillarboxing. This is important because it means games can run in their correct aspect ratio and without any unnecessary stretching on the TV end simply by setting the TV itself to 4:3. In RetroArch, this would result in a squished image as in the simulated shot I posted earlier.
I don't mean to sound demanding or dicky in any other way; I love RetroArch, I just hope somebody understands what I'm getting at soon and can do a better job than I have at explaining the issue.