Movie stars are no exception when it comes to the entertainment world's exacting standards--whether young, old, thin or full-figured, airbrushing spares none. However, the ridiculous images that get slapped on magazine covers will hopefully have editors reconsidering the value of honest, unedited photographs...
Kate Winslet is known for her body activism she has spoken out against Hollywood's unhealthy weight standards and taken a firm stance against plastic surgery. Yet when the actress showed up on the cover of British GQ, her thighs appeared dramatically retouched, and her legs noticeably lengthened. Winslet stated that she found the alterations "excessive" and added, "I don't desire to look like that."
On a 2009 XXL cover, rapper Eminem appears downright terrifying—his eyes are lifeless and his face has been radically smoothed out and retouched. If XXL was trying to make Eminem look tough, they failed. But they certainly succeeded in taking "scary" to a whole other level.
Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe is nearly unrecognizable on Elle's 25th anniversary cover—her skin is noticeably lightened, and the photo is cropped close to her face, as opposed to Elle's usual full-body cover. Editor in Chief Robbie Myers dismissed reader's concerns, telling E! "At a photo shoot, in a studio, that is a fashion shoot, that's glamorous, the lighting is different."
On a 2009 cover of Self, Kelly Clarkson looked trim and beautiful above the headline "Total Body Confidence." However, the singer was later revealed to be the unwitting victim of a digital makeover. Photos taken at the time of the photo shoot show Clarkson with a beautiful, but certainly fuller figure. Self's editors explained that their magazine is not "journalism," and is meant only to "inspire women to be their best." Inspiring indeed.
W Magazine sparked controversy in 2009 when they appeared to have airbrushed Demi Moore's hip to the point where it was thinner than her thigh. The incident garnered numerous pieces everywhere from Jezebel to The New Yorker and left readers aghast at how the already-slim actress was so aggressively altered.
When the undeniably stunning singer appeared on a 2007 Redbook cover, her arms appeared to have been dramatically slimmed and her back erased. Hill's laugh lines and crow's feet were also airbrushed into oblivion, leaving the 45 year old looking completely unnatural.
The beloved comedienne and mother appeared on InStyle's April 2011 cover without any of her well-earned laugh lines or crow's feet. Leaning on a strange white pole, Fey was also short a chunk of her midsection. This beautiful lady is gorgeous in her own right and doesn't deserve any of InStyle's aggressive retouching.
Sarah Jessica Parker has always been one of the fashion industry's shining stars, and is renowned for her gorgeous hair and striking bone structure. But the March 2013 Harpers Bazaar China cover looks more like a painting of the actress than a photograph. Sarah Jessica Parker's features are blurred and retouched to a point where the 48 year old looks utterly bizarre.
