More Than Meets the Eye

September's issue of SELF magazine featured a digitally enhanced image of Kelly Clarkson on the cover. The magazine's editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger claimed Clarkson was retouched so she could "look her personal best,” which apparently means thinner. An interview with Clarkson inside the magazine quotes her as saying, "When people talk about my weight, I'm like, 'You seem to have a problem with it; I don't. I'm fine!" Readers of this issue spoke out on SELF's blog saying things like "Thanks for telling me that, 'Your best is someone who doesn't even look like you' I'm off to find a magazine that treats me with less contempt."

Clarkson isn't the only celebrity comfortable with the way she looks who nonetheless gets digitally altered by magazines. Curvy actress Kate Winslet has had numerous run-ins with overeager Photoshoppers. The worst case occurred in an issue of the British version of GQ magazine, in which Winslet's legs were altered so she would appear taller and thinner. Winslet spoke out about Photoshop, saying she'd rather look natural and real. “The retouching is excessive. I do not look like that and more importantly I don’t desire to look like that”. In fact, Winslet preferred the original photo to the one that appeared on the cover. "I actually have a Polaroid that the photographer gave me on the day of the shoot… I can tell you they’ve reduced the size of my legs by about a third. For my money it looks pretty good the way it was taken,” Winslet said.

Not only do these false images give readers an unrealistic representation of what a person should look like, but if celebrities are comfortable with the way they are, what right does the magazine have to go and "make them better." How would you feel if you took a picture you felt you looked great in and then it appeared completely altered on a magazine cover with editors saying you look so much better that way? Personally I would be pretty upset by this, and I wouldn't want readers to see this and think that's what women look like.

Should magazines stop altering photos of celebrities who love themselves the way they are? If they continue to alter photos, should they let the reader know this with some type of disclaimer? What do you think?