Comments on: Kelly Clarkson’s “Self” Magazine Cover: A Weighty Issue

By: Cassie

Cassie — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:33:56 +0000

This is one of my pet peeves. I am constantly telling my 10 year old daughter that the images she sees in magazines are not a real representation of the person. That picture of Miley Cirus with the super perfect skin and not hair out of place.. not real.

Maybe if the media portrayed how women really look, we wouldn’t have a society so hung up on looks.

I could rant for hours on the whole marketing behind it but I’ll save that for another time

By: Drew @ Cook Like Your Grandmother

Drew @ Cook Like Your Grandmother — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:16:28 +0000

The thing that bothers me about this is even people who know about Photoshop think that magazines clean up the skin, maybe make someone look a little bit thinner. But take a look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevenchambers/tags/beforeafter/ These pictures show how cover shots are often assembled from multiple photos, and *then* retouched to make it even better.

If they’re willing to swap in heads from one body to another, combine people who weren’t together into a “more flattering” pose — but one that never actually happened — then they’re not showing anything even remotely real. I don’t think most people understand how completely artificial most magazine covers are.
.-= Drew @ Cook Like Your Grandmother´s last blog ..Introducing Dinneen =-.

By: Stacey Shipman

Stacey Shipman — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:21:31 +0000

I do not think retouching to create a “thin” image is ok – it’s not real. And that’s the problem. The media sends unrealistic messages because most people don’t realize photoshop is involved! It maddens me for many reasons. If Kelly really is confident, show her as is, no touch ups. If the glow is really there, it will shine through, no matter what size she is, and that’s real.

By: bodydetoxgirlie

bodydetoxgirlie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:36:30 +0000

i love her song Breakaway. she has been one of my favorite singers after she won American Idol.

By: Dinneen

Dinneen — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:36:08 +0000

You all bring up really good points and want to see more “real” photos and images of women in magazines and other media. And I agree with you.

This is such an important issue. I think if we keep letting our voices be heard, and keep sending that message — then just maybe they, the media, will hear it.

This past April the French Vogue had 3 different magazine covers each with a different celebrity — Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, and Sophie Marceau — with no makeup and no retouching! So there is hope.

Thanks to you all for your input, insight, and personal experience!

Oh, and you can see all three French Vogue covers here:

http://stylefrizz.com/200904/eva-monica-sophie-without-makeup-cover-french-elle-april-2009/

By: michelle

michelle — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:37:54 +0000

The issue isn’t that they photoshopped her…they completley restructured her. They made her face totally different shaped, every part of her body. I realise that in the crap industry of fame..it’s not about the person, it’s about what the industry wants you to believe and/or what they think we want to see.

Kelly is admirable in her stance that she feeds her body this or that. However, if I were her I would come out against the mago and make them repost the actual images that are photographed. What a huge stance for a mago to create a whole issue with NOTHING retouched. How shocking would that be.

I was recently looking through NYTimes online and saw the new Gap.com ad. The model looks so incredibly thin. Like she would be fed meals from the World Health Organisation because she looks like she’s starving. The irony in America is that it has the highest rate of obesity and the thinnest looking people they can find ‘representing’ us.

I think it goes back to what you stand for: loving yourself with some healthy lifestyle habits.

Life.Live.Fully ~M

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:21:05 +0000

It’s hypocrisy of the highest order that Self would make this beautiful young women thinner in a ‘Total Body Confidence” issue. I only hope people don’t buy the magazine out of curiosity and instead out of protest – deliberately not buy it. Maybe then the editors will get the message that we are sick and tired of cover girls being photoshopped to within an inch of their life and to the point where they are not a true reflection of themselves.
.-= Julie´s last blog ..True Beauty Search =-.

By: Pat Barone

Pat Barone — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:55:56 +0000

When I decided to lose weight for the last time (in 1996), I deliberately refused to buy magazines that screamed “lose 30 lbs in 30 days” and that eliminated most women’s magazines. It was so great to be free of the “perfect” images. It turned out to be important to me as I lost a large amount of weight to be free of the untruthful perfection that’s out there.

I worked in the film business when I lived in NY and I was aware of how the images were made. The interesting thing about my friends who were starving models and actresses is that extreme dieting and foodplay diminished them as people. They felt really bad about themselves due to the constant criticism of the industry. It was sad to me.

I will say that “Self” has portrayed themselves as being different, but I wonder if they are, really.

If Kelly is truly content with up/down/different weights, why not show that on the cover? Sure, they could photoshop her skin if she happens to be in the middle of breakout season, but why not be her size, shape and weight, and really give American women the gift of honesty? What a gift. I think it would mean a lot, especially to younger women who are perhaps a little more influenced by magazine covers.

Another cover this month is “Good Housekeeping” with Meredith Viera, Trisha Yearwood and Jada Pinkett Smith. In all the pictures, Trisha Yearwood is hiding behind the other two women. Why? Here’s one of the most gifted singers on the planet who is absolutely beautiful. Why is she hiding?

Trisha, Kelly, be a true example for us! Look at Emme, Queen Latifah, Tyra Banks, etc.

Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC
“America’s Weight Loss Catalyst”
http://www.patbarone.com

By: Trish @IamSucceeding

Trish @IamSucceeding — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:34:46 +0000

I agree with Hanlie…I am no longer buying magazines either. I do not want the negative impact on my chilrdren so we just plain keep them out and let them know why it is we do.

By: Kim DeYoung

Kim DeYoung — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:27:30 +0000

as the mother of an 11 year old daughter, I hate photoshopping of imagery in the media. What kind of message is that sending to our children? .-= Kim DeYoung´s last blog ..Metromom Website Contest – Win a FREE Website =-.