In the strive for perfection, no model, celebrity or cover-girl can escape the scrutinising tool of photoshop as it attempts to remove, add and glorify particular assets in order to ‘appeal’ to the masses. It is understandable that photoshop may be used to re-touch photographs in order to improve lighting etcetera for magazine covers, however, has photoshop gone too far this time? With the recent butchery of Kate Middleton on the Australian magazine Women’s Day, Her Campus thinks so.
On their Australia Day cover, Women’s Day published a horrifically photoshopped image of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to a leisure centre in Kensington. It is, to some extent, expected that magazines will modify the celebrities on their covers and this will probably never change. However, when members of the Royal Family are photoshopped, it raises questions over the appropriateness of digital editing. As a prominent member of the Royal Family, Kate Middleton, acts as a role model for many young girls, is it morally correct for magazines to present her in a completely unrealistic way?
Take a look for yourself. On the left is the Women’s Day cover, published on the 26th of January. On the right is the original photograph, taken at Kensington.
This horrific attempt at photoshop clearly removes all aspects of Kate’s natural beauty and elegance. In an attempt to improve Kate’s appearance, Women’s Day has brightened her eye-colour as well as her lips, made her cheeks a brighter pink, and even added an offensively bright sparkle to her earring.
This photoshop ordeal caused outrage. Many saw it as a repeat of the 2011 Grazia cover, which displayed Kate in her wedding dress, with a seriously reduced waist-size. However, this is not a rare occurrence. Celebrities are often appalled and even disappointed with magazines’ decision to photoshop their features. We decided to take a look at their not so positive reactions.
The first example of celebrity protest of photoshop can be seen through Keira Knightley’s topless pose in Interview magazine. As the cover, she refused to let the magazine alter her breast-size or give her a curvier figure. Speaking to the Times, Knightley condemned the use of photoshop: “I think women’s bodies are a battleground… and photography is partly to blame.”
But Keira is not alone in her photoshop protest, celebrities often take to social media to argue against their altered appearances. 18-year old superstar, Lorde, spoke out over Twitter in early 2014 to protest a magazine’s photoshop of her nose.
Another pop queen, known for her controversial fashion statements, protested against Glamour magazine… while she received their ‘Woman of the Year’ award in 2013. Lady Gaga, used her platform at the 2013 Glamour magazine awards to blast the magazine for the photoshop of her December 2013 cover. In an interview on the red carpet, whilst sporting a huge swab of frizzy blonde hair, Gaga claimed: “I do not look like this when I wake up in the morning… I don’t even look like this,” and urged her fans to “fight back against the forces that make them feel like they’re not beautiful.”
So there you have it, celebrities and magazine readers alike condemn the use of extensive photoshop on magazine covers and photographs. Gaga denounces her cover which made her look “conventionally beautiful” and voices the message that Glamour is something that comes from within and not from physical appearance – the main message behind her hit single, Born this Way.
The question still remains. Will photoshoppers acknowledge this feedback and reduce their excessive editing or will they continue distorting reality in order to create unrealistic expectations for young people, boys and girls alike.
What do you think?
Edited by Caroline Chan
Sources:
http://time.com/3572400/keira-knightley-topless-celebrities-protest-photoshop/
http://www.buzzfeed.com/maggyvaneijk/i-have-a-really-low-tolerance-for-stupid-people#.lqXoPLw0o
Image Sources:
http://media2.popsugar-assets.com/
https://twitter.com/lordemusic/