https://www.insider.com/celebrities-photoshopped-edited-pictures-photos-2017-8
In class on last Wednesday, we spoke about the trailer “Killing Me Softly” by Jean Kilbourne, in which she highlighted the fact of photoshop and enhancements that sponsors and businesses have made to celebrities to “catch the eye” to make the consumer think the product is what is actually helping them, which in fact it’s the trick of the camera making them look like that.
After class it brought me to thinking, I wonder have any celebrities spoken out about this issue? Also who do they think the pictures are made to appeal? In the article many celebrities including, Zendaya, Lili Reinhart(Riverdale) and Bella Thorne spoke out about companies wanting to enhance their look. Some saying their shocked or even called the magazines out for saying that they don’t want them, the celebrities to be exposed “publicly trashing” for their flaws.
My question to ask to the magazines is who is the main target audience they are seeking when putting these pictures out to get more sales? Also, are they afraid if they put flaws on the ad sales and/or stock will go down?
This is an interesting point, I wonder if celebrities don’t speak up because it’s completely out of their control on how their management wants to display them when it comes to modeling or public images. I think because of their power, they’re always being displayed in the most perfect way possible because they might feel like they have to, I am happy some famous show their natural bodies on their social medias. But you make really good points!
Those are both great questions that I’d also like to know the answers to. My first assumption as to why advertisements always resemble perfection is because they have the time and resources to do so, and because attractiveness is a major selling point. It is not very often that we see a picture in a magazine of an unattractive celebrity advertising a product. It is not very often that we see unattractive celebrities either, and that is likely due the fact that celebrities have the money to pay to look beautiful. I have so much respect for the few who stand up against the fake media and impossible beauty standards that we are so frequently exposed to because of photoshop. Kennedy is probably right that a lot of it is out of the individual celebrities control and has more to do with their management team.
I agree with Evan’s comment on this. Some celebrities’ have management that have full control on their images. It should not be this way. If only they knew how it affects people that struggle with body image, and looks in general. Not all people understand that most celebrities have “touch ups” on their image before appearing in a movie, posting on Instagram, etc. The amount of times I see the “I just wish I had her face and body” comment, is absolutely shocking. I see famous people getting exposed for photoshopping, and it becomes a scandal; but they will just continue to keep doing it. Sadly, photoshopping has become so common today. It’s almost like it’s become normal to do it. Photoshopping apps are even free today.