International fashion magazine Numero has come under fire for editing a spread involving Karlie Kloss a little bit differently than what we’re used to hearing about. Rather than removing wrinkles to the point of inhumanly smooth skin or chopping off so much fat, the model looks like she can’t properly stand, Numero instead chose to add weight to Kloss’ extremely thin frame by editing out her quite prominent ribs. I’m sure this is not the first time this has happened, but given that it’s a high-profile supermodel and the results are striking compared to the original, it’s gathered a lot of attention today.
I’m quite torn on this one, Lovelies. Also, while the photo is censored, it is definitely NSFW.
The photographer, Greg Kadal, released some of the photos from the upcoming spread yesterday, but was upset when he realized that the photos he had taken were altered by the magazine. “It was Greg’s desire to represent Karlie as she naturally is … slender, athletic and beautiful,” reads a statement. “That is why he released the images as he intended them to be seen by the public. He is shocked and dismayed that unbeknownst to him, Numéro took it upon themselves to airbrush over his original images.
Okay, on the one hand, I want to say that it’s not a terrible thing. Women are shown images of extreme thinness constantly in the media, particularly the fashion industry. So while Kloss’ body is still exceptionally waif, by airbrushing out her rib cage, it lessens the appearance of being underweight. There’s anything wrong with being naturally underweight (my own brother is 6’2″ and naturally about 155), but it’s widely known that dispersing images of very thin models affects young girls’ and boys’ perceptions of themselves, leading them to associate beauty, fame, success and wealth with being skinny, which (A) is not a prerequisite to being successful, (B) ends up making the cycle go around and around and (C) can lead to dangerous eating disorders and dieting patterns. So, a part of me wants to believe that this is an okay step; after all, the “before” image is rather shocking and could be seen as glamorizing a potentially dangerous level of thinness.
On the other hand, I’m against the overuse of Photoshop in general. While I do feel that extreme thinness in the fashion industry can be detrimental to those who see and aspire toward it, I also feel like it’s bizarre to have those standards set, then override them using airbrushing. Of course, one magazine doesn’t necessarily represent the entire industry, but nevertheless, it is unique compared to most airbrushing we see. Yet it’s still her body being altered immensely by a tool, so it’s not actually that different in theory.
I want to be optimistic and say that perhaps, this is an indication that more magazines will slow down on visibly reducing the appearance of weight on every actress, performer, model and anyone else in their pages, which could lead to a lot more body acceptance and variety in those magazines. Sure, there can still be thin models, but having more body types recognized and represented would also be wonderful and extremely refreshing. However, I feel jaded enough toward the fashion industry to feel as though this was either a publicity stunt to gain more attention or it’s just a sort of depressing occurrence.
A few more shots from the shoot are below, check ‘em out and see how you feel.
Lovelies, what do you think about this particular case of Photoshop? Is it more responsible, more insulting or anything in between (or outside!) of those categories?
Image Source Image Source Image Source
guest
They’re not adding weight they are just airbrushing the ribs out it looks like? Anyway yeah, I have ribs that stick out like that (That same rib cleavage going on) and yes I’d prefer it be airbrushed away. It may not be about weight gain but how someones weight happens to be distributed.
guest
Why not just hire a healthy human who doesn’t look like a skeleton to begin with??? She just looks nasty normal. The air brushed one looks better, sad to say. I want to feed her.
guest
If it’s not okay to airbrush it off, then it’s not okay to airbrush it on.
guest
They just airbrushed out her ribs. Personally, I think they should represent women of all shapes and sizes since we do come in all shape and sizes the last time I looked.
guest
It really sends a messed up message to people. Kids would see that and think that it when you’re that thin, your ribs don’t show. She’s naturally thin. Either hire her for the shoot because you like what you see or don’t hire her because she looks too thin.
Besides, it looks really unnatural. The Photoshop looks bad. Like they used nothing but the blur tool or something.
guest
@ShirleyD@xanga - how do you know she isn’t healthy? skinny people can be perfectly healthy just like people who have some weight are also healthy. Karlie Kloss is naturally tall and skinny and took ballet for most of her young life. shaming people for being thin is just has bad as shaming people for having weight.
guest
All this says to me is no exceptance for natural beauty. No one is ever going to take reaily in for what it is.
guest
Personally, I think airbrushing is a waste of time (though I do think it’s cool that we’ve advanced that far with technology). There are some naturally-really-hot people out there that don’t need photoshop. Sure, to erase a pimple in a schoolyearbook photo is okay, but honestly, as long as the person has symmetrical features, big mouth etc I’ll still be persuaded to buy the product, they don’t need to make the person more “perfect” looking. I’d rather see untouched hot people with flaws than an average looking person airbrushed to look really hot.
guest
The fashion industry will never be happy with any body type.
“Oh my god her arm is all bulgy and flabby looking, take some of that off with photoshop!”
“Oh my god she looks practically skeletal with her shirt off, lets just photoshop that too!”
Part of me is happy they did this. It just goes to show that ANY body type you could possibly have will be perceived as imperfect, and we should all learn to accept that everybody is different and varied and flawed and thats what makes us so beautiful. Nobody’s body is “perfect”!
guest
Yeah, it can be hard to decide where you stand on any issue when you go by feelings and not consistent principles.
Personally, neither skinny models nor photoshop bother me. Since I know that magazines don’t represent reality, they don’t give me a complex about not looking like one.
guest
I like this because it just goes to show that they’re not just photoshopping people they consider “fat”, as all of us think. They see imperfections in everyone & because it’s fashion, they want everything perfect & beautiful. Nobody’s perfect, & it’s useless to strive for perfection because even if you become skin & bones, that’s not perfect, either. It really makes you realize that we should stop looking at fashion magazines as people we should become & instead smile because every single model is photoshopped so why hold yourself to a standard that’s unreal?
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Thank you! To me this issue has always been like.. looking at pictures of a unicorn, so to speak, knowing that there’s no physical way to become that unicorn & yet killing yourself trying to find a way. It’s pointless, & we will never be unicorns. We’re only humans & it’s time to accept that instead of blaming magazines for people feeling like shit about themselves. It’s pointless.
sunflower / 300 posts
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Was that first sentence a direct insult at me? If not, sorry for being offended; if so, I’m not sure exactly what I did to you, but it seems a little strange to attack my principles when you know very little about me. But again, if that wasn’t your intention, my apologies.
@colorMEpurple2@xanga - Exactly! Shaming anybody for being thin is just as cruel as shaming them for anything else. I had a lot of friends growing up who were tall and/or quite skinny and had to deal with people perpetually telling them to “eat a taco” because they looked “gross.” It’s the main reason I don’t really say “Real women have curves” any longer; real women have a hell of a lot of different body types, in fact.
guest
I do think the second one looks better.
It’s no better or worse than the airbrushing they do all the time anyway. I don’t agree with it. Either hire models that actually look like what you are trying to portray, or portray something different. I guess I could see ‘removing’ a bruise or something like that, but that’s about it.
guest
They did it without the artist’s permission, which is the first “wrong” in my mind. Secondly, they are acting like the assholes that tell thin people to “eat a sandwich” — there is nothing wrong with being thin — and are doing just as much to damage the view young people have of themselves (especially if they are thin). Lastly, they did a horrendous job and butchered the work to an insulting and disgusting level.
So yeah. Nay,
guest
The airbrushed picture of the ribs is odd looking. You can tell she is super skinny and one would expect to see her ribs. It’s too smooth.
guest
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - *high five* commonsensical, as usual
guest
Things have to be seen in context and in the context of the world where everyone IS photoshopped, it was at worst a natural thing to happen. Since most are made thinner, and somewhat ‘unhealthy’ in that direction, it goes a different way than most pictures. And I agree with you that the outcome for most of those who look at it is rather good, sad as this to say, and even though it may be insulting for the model as a person, and for the minority who is thin and can’t help it.
I agree that I’d like to see more diversity (including thin people) but I don’t think airbrushing is that insulting when
everyone
is made to look a certain way, and not as bad when the guideline is ‘average health’.
guest
she looked waaaay too thin in the first picture. but i also don’t think she looks any better in the 2nd one. they should’ve just hired a healthier-looking model.
guest
The photoshopped version looks less… disturbing. She’s way more attractive with her obscenely visible ribs edited out. Sorry girl, but like everyone else, you look hotter when you’re edited
The edit sends a better message to the readers I think.
guest
Ok, so it’s only bad to misrepresent a woman’s body if it’s “curvy”,fat,overweight,average,etc?
If you don’t like her ribs sticking out, give her a sandwich for God’s sake.I agree with islandgypsygirl, just hire a healthier looking model.
guest
they should’ve kept her the way she is with her ribs and all. she’s like a walking real life tim burton fantasy character amongst the average american body types.
guest
it seems like 8 out of 10 people are fat/out of shape nowadays, so overeating seems like more of the “problem” than undereating, but some people are naturally thin, petite, small framed, high metabolisms, etc. however, there’s still exceptions regarding how some are fat due to medical reasons,etc.
the double standard of telling someone to eat a cheeseburger, but you don’t often hear people say, “I want to smack that hamburger out of that fattie’s hand!”