Worst Airbrushed Celebs of 2007 ... So Far
Believe it or not, celebrities are fat and zitty like the rest of us -- they just happen to have a secret weapon to fight flab and flaws that we mere mortals don't. We're talking about airbrushing, of course.
For those unfamiliar with the practice, airbrushing (aka Photoshopping, aka retouching) is when a photo is digitally manipulated to make the subject look better. That includes everything from magically erasing pimples to instantly shaving off a few pounds. The practice is so common, you can just about assume that any posed photo you see in a magazine has been altered in one way or another.
As you can imagine, airbrushing is not without its critics who argue that the practice is harmful to real people because it creates an unattainable ideal of beauty -- particularly for women. For example, this past July, the women's magazine Redbook came under fire when the above un-retouched cover photo of Faith Hill surfaced. And just this week, TMZ called out Jodi Foster for her suspiciously youthful appearance on the cover of this month's California Style magazine.
Yes, 2007 has already provided lots of airbrushing hubbub, and as you'll see not all of it surrounds female photo subjects. In fact, it's not just TV, movie and music stars, either -- politicians and athletes are having digital work done too. Keep reading to uncover the truth.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
Deane @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:22AM
I work for a print company and we have an entire dept devoted to airbrushing and photoshop. We receive industry mags and they indicated that the Sports Illustrated cover of Beyonce was the most photoshopped photo of the year. They actually cut of inches and inches of every part of her body. The whole photo shoot was a joke. And then you have quotes by the fake saying she is saving the issue to show her kids one day how good their Mom looked. What a fake.
Richard @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:49AM
Photostopping is nothing new. The technology may be more streamlined today, but it's always been there in Hollywood. Look at the gorgeous old studio photographs of Myrna Loy, Joan Crawford, and Bette Davis. Stunning! But in real life, as they these actresses all admitted, they looked nothing like that. Back then, negatives were manually manipulated, and lighting and shadow counted for a lot. So if Jodi looked drop-dead gorgeous on a magazine cover, great! We all know it's an illusion, a pretty picture and nothing more. Oh, and even in the pre-photography days, good painters knew how the make their subjects look extra beautiful.
annie @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:11AM
I have to comment on this because it totally is the truth. One of my good friends is a photographer for a good many magazines such as Playboy, Hustler, People, Ladies Home Journal, etc. He told me and a lot of our friends that what we see on the covers and inside the pages are very RARELY the real celebrity. Their fat, stretch marks, moles, zits everything gets removed and made to look voluptuous. Stars only want to look perfect or they won't do a magazine spread. So I asked, okay lets say I want to look 50 pounds lighter and have bigger breasts. He told me to bring a picture of myself to his studio in a 8x10. I did, you wouldn't believe the magic he did with airbrushing. It is unreal and make you look like a million bucks! But he said just about every magazine with a celebrity is airbrushed in some way. And speaking of Beyonce, and JLO, I saw them in person on my honeymoon in Beverly Hills. They have the biggest butts and fattest thighs, their stomachs are flat but in person they are BIG. We saw so many celebrities in person and yes they are zitty, some fat and look awful with no MAKEUP!!!!
Gary @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:23AM
Richard, right on! I WANT to think those pretty ladies are just like they look. Let me enjoy my illusions. There's nothing wrong with a little fantasy!
Donna @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:26AM
...and we really believe these people are "perfect"
j dawg @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:43AM
I know one thing I have seen Sully Erna from Godsmack many times and he looks perfect.I have noticed that in his music videos they tend to make him look taller than he really is but I like him at only 5'5". One of the most beautiful men on earth:) He is not fat and zitty like the rest of em:)
sirenrose @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:57AM
I don't see much of a diffrence on those pictures above, just in the coloring, and maybe on some of them a little more weight.
They still look good, and some of them look better without the airbrushing, or look exactly the same.
Am I missing something?
I don't see the big deal
perfumergurl86 @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:05AM
If you want to know how the real person look under all that makeup, weave, airbrushing, etc, just look at their kid or kids, they tell the whole story, lmao. Ex....Charlie Sheen girls, Will Smith daughter,Brittney Spears boys, even Shiloh isn't as gorgeous as people makes her out to be. Dannilynn and Suri are some beautiful babies and Katie is really plain looking.
Anthony Dirienzo @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:12AM
Geeze...she's a pretty girl, I do not see that much difference. On the other hand, at my age...
justpicky @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:34AM
It's not , what all it's cracked up to be ....
What you see is all FAKE ......
Airbushing is artificial ........
dorisfaye @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:39AM
Hey, who's to say that they didn't altar the original photo to look even worse than it was? The airbrushing can go both ways! LOL And ... I'm with they guy who says Faith looks good even without the airbrushing! Cher is probably one of the best examples of what a woman can look like with a little help from "her friends" ... but a person's age tells the real story. You can't keep the wrinkles and sagging from coming, but you can certainly do something about them when they arrive. All it takes is a whole bunch of money and a career that depends on your looking great!
Brenda @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:44AM
Gees, I wished someone would airbrush me. I was young and slender once, but I have aged well.
Omar @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:46AM
Photoshop or Scalpel? Your choice.
$$$$$ @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:13AM
WE PAY THESE PEOPLE TO ENTERTAIN US PEOPLE!!!
The major part of this--we drive, celebs want to make $$$ !!! And "we" do NOT pay for pimply, saggy, baggy, fat, imperfect entertainment.
Seems simple to me---STOP BUYING IT!!!
msmaguire2 @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:22AM
To Richard-yes adults may realize that these pictures are airbrushed and not exactly real, but teens don't think in that way. I teach at an all girls' high school and I can't begin to tell you how many of them have eating disorders. you can't tell me these images don't play a part.
Jill Gilbert @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:39AM
I'm neither a model nor a beauty, but as a Realtor, I can't have my business card looking like a mug shot! On the other hand, I like a natural look and think Faith looks great even on the un-touched photo. Jill@JillGilbert.com
Terry Matlen @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:43AM
I think they do this so when you see them in person walking around, no one can notice and bother them. I know that when I'm in NYC, I NEVER recognize the celebs.
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Al @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:48AM
What a funny subject this is! I love the "real vs. airbrushed" examples... but notice how few there are available? I'll bet those celebs guard those original photos like buried treasure. As for the non-celebs, of course the dumber ones are going to try to keep up. Here in Miami, you can actually watch people in real life scramble to catch up to the airbrushed "reality"... they don't call it "Miami Slice" for nothing! Boobs, lips, butts, skin, hair, down here it's all been magically altered to look more magazine-like. Which is fine, aesthetically, but kinda odd when you stop to think about it. I've been in the media business for years, and I've gotten so used to the standard fakery that I take it for granted. NOTHING is real anymore. NO photo is unretouched (save papparrazzi nuggets), NO autobiography is actually written by the "author", and NO music is actually performed by musicians (or when it is, it is "corrected" for pitch and rhythm problems by a computer). It's all kinda dishonest, but this is, after all, just entertainment... I say it adds to the entertainment when we get to compare the original works to the fake versions, though. Keep 'em coming!
BigCupOSTFU @ Sep 2nd 2007 10:06AM
The great thing about AOL is that its members are the most well-connected group of people on Earth. No matter what the topic, there are AOL readers who know all the right people! We have the inside track to all the right industry insiders, be they Playboy photographers, Entertainment historians, etc.
And the level of expertise among AOL readers is astounding. I never have to look any further when I need information, these AOL'ers have it all covered!
I wish AOL would produce an article on Amelia Earhart, so that we could finally solve that mystery as well.
Oh and about the actual article: we can't forget the hack-job on Kelly Clarkson, which reduced the woman to half her size!
sheenabella7 @ Sep 2nd 2007 10:18AM
I WONDER WHAT WE WOULD ALL DO IS EVERYONE SUDDENLY WENT BLIND? OH MY GOD, WE WOULD HAVE TO "SEE" THE REAL PERSON WITHIN, WHICH IS ALL THAT REALLY MATTERS.