In the last post we saw the dramatic effects Photoshop can create between the final product and the actual model. If you missed it, you can watch the video here. In this post I would like to talk about a Photoshop scandal that actually resulted in a positive. In March 2009 Kim Kardashian posed for the cover of Complex magazine. On the cover was her retouched picture, however, on the website someone mistakenly posted the untouched version (Eisinger). When the retouched version replaced the original, many people complained (Eisinger).
Kim Kardashian responded by saying, “So what? I have a little cellulite. What curvy girl doesn’t? How many people do you think are Photoshopped? It happens all the time! I’m proud of my body and my curves, and this picture coming out is probably helpful for everyone to see that just because I am on the cover of a magazine doesn’t mean I’m perfect.”
Kim’s mature response gave me hope for the future. She could have freaked out at the website for screwing up. Instead she used this mistake as a platform to tell people to be happy with how they look.
Much like Jessica Simpson’s choice I discussed in the last post, Brad Pitt opted to do the same. He recently shot for W Magazine and he chose for his pictures to not be retouched (“Flawed Brad Pitt Exposed by Chuck Close in W Magazine”). In fact, he purposefully sought out a photographer who is famous for his “extremely detailed portraits that reveal all skin flaws”(“Flawed Brad Pitt Exposed by Chuck Close in W Magazine”). Unfortunately, not all celebrities are as on board about the acceptance of beauty and revealing what they really look like. We will look at this topic more in detail in the next post.
Cited:
Eisinger, Dale. “The 15 Biggest Photoshop Scandals of All Time.” Complex.com. N.p., 16 July 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
“Flawed Brad Pitt Exposed by Chuck Close in W Magazine.” Trendhunter.com. N.p., 7 Jan. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.