An experiment in vanity...
There is so much in the media about celebrities and their appearances. People are lambasting Heidi Montag for getting plastic surgery. Granted, I think she's not so smart and was pretty enough already, but actually I think she looks fabulous now.
I don't know. It's just started to bother me. Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I like those magazines. I like perfection. I expect perfection. I don't know. I was raised that you should always put your best foot forward. I take the time to put make up on. I get my hair done religiously. I like to wear decent clothes. And, TRUST ME, finding good clothes that fit my body is laborious and hard.
So I thought to myself - are the pictures online representative of me in real life? I don't know! Do I put forward the REAL me or a puffed and fluffed up version of me? I don't know!
I can tell you this much though, I take a lot of pictures! I fiddle with finding the right light and getting a good angle and cropping out the weird stuff and hey, if you own photoshop you better use it right?!?!
So, I said it last post and I'll say it again this post - FULL DISCLOSURE! I got nothing to hide so here's me, in the raw. Not so pretty now, eh?
What would you do if photographers were following you at every moment? Seeing even that middle one makes me want to have at least 18 different surgeries and that's what I friggen look like every day!
Which would YOU want to on a magazine cover? Ummm, PhotoShop just became my new BFF. Of course, I purposely didn't smile and that's not even a good picture with good lighting. In fact, that was straight window sunlight which is very unflattering... but anyways.
It was just a little experiment. What are your thoughts? What would you do?
5 comments:
This post makes me sad. I'm planning on responding to the underlying message in a blog of my own. But for what it's worth, I like the makeup pic best. The photoshopped one looks weird. And I'd prefer the no makeup one if you were sincerely smiling in it. In any case, the white balance in all of them is off (webcam?) giving you a bluish tint, so you look rather dead in all three. Cheers!
~Conlan
I believe I admitted to the poor picture in general, it was just taken w/ my iPhone and the lighting was all off. And I know I sorta went a bit TOO porcelain in the photoshop one, I know - I know.
But why are you sad??? You can click around and see pics of me. Hell, you can watch my cooking show and see me talk. I've actually met you in person. I don't think I'm ugly. I'm not starving myself or having plastic surgery* because the media portrays an unattainable view of women or anything.
But I am curious what you think my underlying message is. Maybe I don't know what my message is. I {THOUGHT} it was more me asking questions than it was saying something. I look forward to reading your post - I think. You're not going to make fun of me and make me cry are you? ARE YOU?! OMG!
*yet - ha ha - hey those Double D's don't grow themselves, you know!
Personally, here's my stance: the more we support altering people's appearance, the more society will strive for an image of perfection that is not real. More money will be sunken in to plastic surgeries and cosmetic procedures and people with the money to do that will be the only ones considered beautiful enough. And even then, they'll probably still photoshop themselves. I think people who take good care of themselves, their bodies, their skin, etc. will glow with a healthy beauty and that that type of beauty is something earned through diligence. You can't just go and buy it, if that makes any sense. All in all though, I think there is far too much focus on outward appearance and that it has become something of such high value that we're forgetting beauty is only skin deep. There is SOOOOO much more to life than looks. (I'm not saying that you think it's all about looks, I'm just commenting on general society's obsession :-))
~Natali
Thanks for commenting! I so agree with taking good care of yourself. It's a lot of work that most people aren't willing to do!
I also agree that there is more to life than looks! I'm going to reflect on those things tonight.
Question though: (and not directed at you, you sweet thing) Since when did taking pride in yourself and your appearance and working at presenting yourself in the best possibly way become a sin? Hating on a person for getting plastic surgery to fix a problem area is like frowning at people who get braces. EVERYONE who can scrape together the means gets braces, I mean c'mon, it's your face, everyone sees it!
This is of course a broad generalization and I am NOT condoning the "I wanna look like a cat" lady or even someone who gets lippo as an easy way out of going to the gym.
Anyways, just rambling, but thanks for chiming in!
I think Heidi Montag looks good in that one photograph post-surgery, but did you see her interview?
She literally cannot move her face out of that position! She was pretty before, and naturally so.
I don't like what happens to some celebs/people after they overdo surgery. Look at Meg Ryan now? EW. Nicole Kidman is nowhere near as cute as she used to be. And Helen Mirren hasn't touched a thing surgically and she looks fantastic - but, as you said, she takes great care of herself.
As for your photos, I think you look exceptionally tired, which is unusual in most photos of you. Your lips barely need anything, and are wonderful 'nude.'
The corrective make-up you do doesn't seem like it's quite enough in the middle photo (could use more under-eye and skin).
Having said that, tho, you DO fall into the natural beauty category. I appreciate your thick luscious hair and the fact you take care of it. Your natural eye color is how we say in the biz 'fetching.' I love your non-matched eyebrow shapes, you have great facial structure and a nose that should NEVER be surgically touched.
That just leaves your skin, the dark circles and a little blush to be applied, which you do. So I get the quest for 'perfection, but I do think perfection comes in many different shapes and dimensions, and you aren't so terribly far from being the perfect version of yourself.
What Montag did was to change her look completely, showing such a self-hate.
I love when people strive to be the best perfect 'them.' I feel horrible for people who strive to be something else entirely. Demi is still herself, just a little enhanced. And I've worked with The Oprah and her face is just fine for what it is...but those upper arms??! Whoo, brothah.
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