January 25, 2012

AIRBRUSHING ...

Dear readers, this week ‘J’ IS FOR *J*UST LOOK: AIRBRUSHING!
Now, where was I? Oh yes! Airbrushing. There has been much comment in the UK press about airbrushed images and their effect particularly on the impressionable young. A survey found that half of 16 to 21-year-old girls consider having surgery to change the way they look and 42% of 11 to 16-year-olds admit to watching what they eat. What’s your view? Do celebrities, politicians etc have the right to have their ‘image’ retouched and set impossibly unreal standards? Here are some examples:
1.Kim Cattrall (above)
2. Twiggy - before and after her (later banned) Olay shoot


3. Keira Knightley – poster and less-busty reality4.Tina Fey – minus scar on chin 5. Filippa Hamilton received an apology from Ralph Lauren for digitally narrowing her waist
6. George Clooney 7. Angelina Jolie 8. Plus Size model IS IT OK FOR CELEBRITIES ETC. TO AIRBRUSH THEIR IMAGES? AND THE REST OF US? DO YOU RETOUCH YOUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHS?!
Do check out other Alphabe-Thursday posts @
Jenny Matlock.
And, finally, thank you to all my dear readers who have visited or commented.
Enjoy,
XOXO LOLA:)

36 comments:

Michelle said...

Incredible before & after shots - how the public’s fooled so much of the time!

Btw Came across your new novel on this site & thought it was great – especially the extra twist at the end! Love psychological suspense/crime novels so am downloading onto my Kindle your earlier one, The De Clerambault Code, just as soon as I finish here!

EG CameraGirl said...

Retouching is here to stay, I'm afraid. It sells!

21 Wits said...

Okay, that's it, you're hired! Wouldn't it just be wonderful to tuck here, remove there and smooth out this and well had a bit more color here, and oh yes a bit more pouty for the lips....all this while we're sipping our morning coffee before we hit the rush hour traffic! Oh yeah!!!! This is really good though!

My name is Riet said...

Wow, they look so much better. LOve both shots

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I need someone to follow me around and airbrush me all the time! Take a few pounds off and a bunch of wrinkles...

Betty said...

Oh dear...I don't think it's right mainly because there are impressionable people that will think they're supposed to look that way and it will never happen in real life without surgery. I guess it's better to have photos touched up than to become addicted to plastic surgery though.

Pondside said...

Whew - that first shot, of Kim Cattrall made me feel a whole lot better. No air brush for me, thank you. I've earned every crease and smile line from a lifetime of laughing and showing my feelings on my face.

Esther Joy said...

Oh, wow! You just made me feel better about myself! I'd look pretty good with a little air-brushing!

My guess is that people are insecure about who they really are and what look they want to others to perceive, and that's why they do it? But to ban it seems a bit radical - but then I am married to a former politician!!!

Unknown said...

If I were going to be on the cover of a magazine, I would probably want my face touched up too.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Most of us don't want to show our age. What's wrong with having people see our maturity, life lines and plain growing old gracefully. Kind of like hiding grey hair, is it really that ugly?
Air brushing is part of marketing strategy but I'd like to see the celebs as they really look.

Judie said...

I really had to laugh at this post because when photos are taken of me and my best friend together, I quickly remove her double chin and my wrinkles. I always give her eye shadow and mascara, and a little lipstick. She loves me for it!!!

anitamombanita said...

I suppose it's a bit like freedom of speech...I hate the effect it has on young girls and women and their self esteem.

Unknown said...

Wow, that Ralph Loren model is scrawny! LOL.... airbrushing... yeah, if I could do it in real life would I?? Probably not, it takes too long & half the time I don't wear make-up even... LOL. If they want to do it that's fine, I know that not everyone looks like that for real, forever anyway cause some are lucky to have that natural beauty:-) The world in general just needs to realize it so that those that don't do any airbrushing aren't judged:-)

Susan Anderson said...

I think I could use a little airbrushing in my life!

;)

Nonna said...

That was a fabulous post Lola ! Very clever and well done.

I have tweaked some recent photos of myself and my Hubs, mostly eyes and neck.I don't have to touch the young photos of us, they are pristine and perfect (oh, to be young again ) but if the stars etc. can do it as they age, why not the rest of us ? ( most of us can't afford all that plastic surgery either )

Unknown said...

Nope I don't retouch my photo especially my portrait. But I put make up on before the shooting hehe. ^_^

Letter-J

Dana @ Bungalow'56 said...

I just keep showing this kind of info to my girls all the time so that they can be aware.
Thanks for a great post.
Dana

storybeader said...

it is too bad, that girls and boys don't really know better. I don't think it's right, it's just money. Too bad much so of the human race is unhappy with how they look! That Ralph Lauren photo is pretty disgusting... {:-Deb

Maureen Wyatt said...

It doesn't really matter that they airbrush if people, like yourself, keep reminding us that it is done. I have been known to touch up the odd furniture pic in my blog. Shhh ~ Maureen

Steph said...

You always have the most interesting posts. And you know what, I'm such a sucker; I buy in to the touch-ups all the time. That's so sad for that pretty girl that they made look like a skeleton by shrinking her waist. Glad she sued. You have to admit Angelina Jolie... pretty before and after. Great posts. I shared it with my teens.

Unknown said...

I laughed reading this!!! But wow!!! I love those last two pics. I have never airbrushed my pics but now Id love to...... so much easier than losing weight...... I can eat all those desserts Ive been staring at and all those fries!!!!

KM said...

Lawd have mercy - no wonder we are all screwed up!!
I love this! ;)
~visiting from Mrs. Jenny's!

bichonpawz said...

I think we all have to admit that we would all look better if we were airbrushed! Indeed...it does sell! That does not mean I agree with it though. Although, it would be nice to lose a few pounds digitally...I mean a FEW...not tons!!!

 gmirage said...

False Advertising, rightfully coined so! :D -Vienna

Ralph said...

I would love to have the wrinkles gone in a flash, a sort of Photoshop for our visage. Too bad it can't, but as I have not been a kid for a few decades, I'll live with what I am. Although I still have a bit of vanity left, so I could dream about it for a few moments...

Jenny said...

It's only okay if they airbrush all my photos, too! ha!

Jenny said...

Ha! I got all carried away being witty and I forgot to thank you for linking to Alphabe-Thursday's letter "J".

Sorry!

A+

anney said...

Photoshop can really do wonders!
The Real Thing Diner

cassandrasminicorner said...

Wow, the transformation is just like magic!

Visiting for RT 2! Hope you can stop by:)

http://www.cassandrasminicorner.com/2012/01/salt-soaking-solution.html

Splendid Little Stars said...

They can and will do as they wish. It's just too bad that so many people think of this as the reality that they struggle to measure up to. or suffer because they know they'll never measure up.

LV said...

If that is what they want, so be it. I think some of the will pay a big price physically somewhere down the road. I would never do this. Some that have had face lifts, look nothing like their selves. Life is not supposed to work that way.

★Carol★ said...

I wish someone would airbrush me! No, I think it's wrong to do any airbrushing on celebrity photos. Come on, look at Twiggy. Did anyone really believe that a woman her age didn't have a road map on her face? She should be proud of every one of those lines. She earned them, and probably had fun earning them too!
Happy REDnesday,
Carol

Donna said...

Wow, Amazing. However, they didn't have to do much to Angelina, did they? hehehehehe

Ann said...

The air brushing really does transform. The most obvious being the plus size model--and what is that for. Plus size means plus size. Right.
Ann

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

I posted a similar post awhile back about the same problem in the US. Nothing you see in magazines is real, where "image" is concerned. It's really sad for our youth to think they have to live up to something that doesn't even exist.

SueLovesCherries said...

No, it's not okay to airbrush, unless someone did it to me and it was permanent! ;)