Malinda Lo
Blog
Apr 3, 2009
Photo Friday: Photoshop Edition
Usually on Fridays I post photos of stuff I’ve seen lately. Generally that involves prosaic things like food, wildflowers and my dog (because, ya know, I take the photos). But recently, I’ve seen Kelly Clarkson everywhere.
It’s not exactly surprising, because her album, All I Ever Wanted, has just topped the Billboard charts for the second week in a row.
And last week her second single, “I Do Not Hook Up,” was released:
I also saw her in the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly with this image:
What do all these photos have in common? They are extremely Photoshopped. Kelly Clarkson herself recently declared to Extra, “I’m Photoshopped on everything!” She attributed it to being part of the industry.
Now, I realize that the album and single covers are stylized. And the EW image was taken directly from an All I Ever Wanted photo shoot, so it’s not exactly like EW had much to do with cutting off a portion of her back or shaving off her jawline.
But what’s wrong with looking like this?
Kelly on American Idol
Or this?
Kelly at rehearsal for Saturday Night Live
And I just want to ask: When Kelly’s managers know that she’s going to be appearing lots of places live and in person — like American Idol and Saturday Night Live and Oprah — at the same time that all these thinned-up, artificially tanned and candy lip-glossed images are being replicated all over the place, what are we supposed to think?
Beyond the fact that Photoshopping women into stick figures is sexist and sends awful messages to girls and women, the juxtaposition of Photoshopped Kelly next to real-life Kelly has sent tabloids into a frenzy, trying to explain the difference by positing the idea that Kelly is pregnant. Yeah, because only pregnant women are allowed to have curves.
I know that nothing I write here is going to make Kelly’s team change their minds about the use of Photoshop. But it still bears repeating: Women do not need to be Photoshopped to be attractive. And Kelly Clarkson looks great just the way she is.
Kelly at the Women’s World Awards on March 5, 2009
Just for fun I wish photoshop would make me look like Kelly. She is beautiful exactly the way she is, I on the other hand could you use a touch up here and there.
Wow, look at her wrist in the “I do not hook up” picture . . . she looks like plastic! It’s scary how much they photoshop people.
I don’t think I have actually commented since you redid your site. Sorry about that. It looks fantastic! Did you do it all yourself? I can’t believe I didn’t comment on your book cover . . . where the hell have I been? Anyway, I LOVE the book cover, it really looks amazing. I look forward to seeing what’s inside!
I prefer real-life Kelly to Photoshopped Kelly, I don’t understand how anyone can come up with the idea of making someone who IS attractive look so artificial and unattractive, at least to me.
A little off-topic: I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, but this is my first comment. I love your articles, especially Notes & Queeries, I think that you’re a great writer. Please keep those blog posts coming.
it’s too bad. have you done a post on plastic surgery.
i always think what future archaeologists will think
of so many women with plastic sacs in their breasts
from our era.
At least they didn’t photoshop her lovely dykey fingernails.
Hi Malinda – yep, I don’t get this either. And I think even though so many readers/viewers/people see these and other images of women in media and logically *know* they’ve been photoshopped, it still sends the wrong message. Sara Zarr recently posted about this on her blog – http://www.sarazarr.com/?p=1007 – after her own author photos were photoshopped by the photographer following her explicit instructions that they *not* be.
Seems no one is safe from the insidious industry-dictated “standards” in this culture.
LOL! I totally thought the same thing. Ha.
Thanks Heather! Yes, I did the redesign myself, but it’s really just a free WP theme. (shh!) So glad you like the cover of ASH.
I saw that Sara Zarr post — I was surprised that she got hit by the dread Photoshop too. I mean, I’ve been tempted to, like, smooth out a zit or two (ah, vanity), but not change the shape of my face!