SELF Magazine: Yes, We Retouched Kelly Clarkson's Cover

L

Lastchance09

Cathlete
Recently SELF magazine was questioned about their latest cover featuring Kelly Clarkson. Well, it sparked some controversy because the Kelly on the cover was smaller than the Kelly in real life. This was especially upsetting to their readers because SELF is a health and fitness magazine. A magazine that pushes acceptance of weight, looks, etc. So why make Kelly Clarkson smaller than her actual size?

When I first heard the news about this I dismissed it and wanted to wait for their (SELF magazine) response. Not too long ago another fitness magazine was accused of doing the same thing and they provided proof that they did not retouch the cover model's size. I wanted to give SELF the same benefit of the doubt.

Their response is provided in the link below and I thought it was pure BS. Read the comments below the article and you will that many of the readers agree - BS!

I understand that blemishes, cellulite, hair strands, etc. are retouched, but the size of the cover model for a fitness magazine shouldn't be, in my opinion. I would expect that from VOGUE, however. And from the tone of the article I don't think the people at SELF magazine get why their readers are mad. The article says they retouched her photo to showcase Kelly's confidence. That still does not explain why they made her smaller.


http://www.self.com/magazine/blogs/lucysblog/2009/08/pictures-that-please-us.html

Read it and let's hear your opinion.
 
I agree. Pure BS.

Kelly should be the best she can be, but apparently Self feels that she needs to be thinner. So ridiculous. I don't usually read Self, but I will make a point of not doing so now.
 
i like curvy kelly. bigger or smaller she is a curvy girl and very pretty. i figured they always airbrushed models just though they would thought this one threw more. she is after a public figure!

kassia
 
I don't agree with it but I am not surprised at all. That's hollywood for ya. Heck they airbrush/retouch/photoshop the freakin' super models' pics and lord knows these gals don't need the help! :rolleyes: Kelly is beautiful weather or not they touch her up and there is already so much crap out there filling young girls' minds with BS about being thin and having a perfect body...this is just one more to add to the pile. I don't like it but it isn't gonna change so I just accept it and move on...*sigh*
 
Magazines are businesses. They aren't there to make us feel good about ourselves or raise our self esteem, unless, of course, that raises their sales. I'm not a big fan of any kind of retouching, on principle, regardless of whether it is retouching size, blemishes, clothing, whatever- I don't see the difference between retouching zits and retouching arms to be smaller. Retouching leads to unrealistic expectations. However, I don't expect magazines to lead the way in changing people's perceptions. They are businesses, not crusaders to change the world. It's great if they want to make the world a better place, but they don't have to.
 
I agree Michelle--that reporter is a total loser. She touches up her own hips in pics of her running a marathon? WTH???????? You know, as a 41 YO woman who's trying to accept living in a 41 YO body, I don't find this kind of crap very helpful. :mad:
 
Self is a fitness magazine???? Huh??? I honestly didn't know that it was supposed to be a fitness mag :confused:.
 
I think it is safe to assume that magazines are out for a sale, and nothing else. Photos are no longer about representing reality; Even magazines such as TIME and Scientific American manipulate (subtly AND dramatically) their photos to sell a point, because sales are the only thing they care about. Sometimes they are called out on it, and sometimes they are not. But I would guarantee that 99.9999999% of all photographs we see in publications these days have been photoshopped in one way or another.

I also feel that if changing skin - eliminating wrinkles, blemishes, cellulite, spots, etc. - is totally acceptable, then any other kind of alterations might as well be. As someone with acne, I don't like being told through these photo retouches that I am so hideous that my acne makes me a monstrous joke, just as someone who is struggling with their body image doesn't want to see that any body over a size 2 must be shrunk in order to be acceptable. I think that photoshopping is either OK or it is not, and we can't say that it's fine in some cases and not fine in others based on our insecurities of the moment.
 
"The article says they retouched her photo to showcase Kelly's confidence." What the what???

Self Editor: Kelly, we really want to showcase your confidence.
Kelly: Okay, great!
Self Editor: So here's what we're gonna do - we're gonna make you look thinner and tanner on our cover because the way you look in reality isn't good enough for our magazine or for the readers of our magazine, 'kay??
Kelly: Um??
Self Editor: Seriously, you're gonna love it! I did this with a photo of me after I ran a marathon and the race coordinators automatically shaved 15 min. off my race time!
 
jillybean said:
"The article says they retouched her photo to showcase Kelly's confidence." What the what???

Self Editor: Kelly, we really want to showcase your confidence.
Kelly: Okay, great!
Self Editor: So here's what we're gonna do - we're gonna make you look thinner and tanner on our cover because the way you look in reality isn't good enough for our magazine or for the readers of our magazine, 'kay??
Kelly: Um??
Self Editor: Seriously, you're gonna love it! I did this with a photo of me after I ran a marathon and the race coordinators automatically shaved 15 min. off my race time!
Click to expand...


ROFLMAO!!!
 
jillybean said:
"The article says they retouched her photo to showcase Kelly's confidence." What the what???

Self Editor: Kelly, we really want to showcase your confidence.
Kelly: Okay, great!
Self Editor: So here's what we're gonna do - we're gonna make you look thinner and tanner on our cover because the way you look in reality isn't good enough for our magazine or for the readers of our magazine, 'kay??
Kelly: Um??
Self Editor: Seriously, you're gonna love it! I did this with a photo of me after I ran a marathon and the race coordinators automatically shaved 15 min. off my race time!
Click to expand...


SPOT ON!!!
 
jillybean said:
"The article says they retouched her photo to showcase Kelly's confidence." What the what???

Self Editor: Kelly, we really want to showcase your confidence.
Kelly: Okay, great!
Self Editor: So here's what we're gonna do - we're gonna make you look thinner and tanner on our cover because the way you look in reality isn't good enough for our magazine or for the readers of our magazine, 'kay??
Kelly: Um??
Self Editor: Seriously, you're gonna love it! I did this with a photo of me after I ran a marathon and the race coordinators automatically shaved 15 min. off my race time!
Click to expand...


LOL! I'm sure it was something like that. :)
 
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