Oh how the internet loves a photo-shop scandal. Out takes from a Lady Gaga/Versace ad have been leaked online and everyone has been rushing in to slag off Gaga’s pre touched up face. Heaven forbid a woman have pores and an uneven skin tone, am I right?
Published on the Daily Mail, this article states ‘Gaga is likely to be unimpressed by leaked shots from the campaign that show her pre-photoshop. The difference between the washed out model with dark circles and the glistening alabaster beauty from the finished, retouched images is truly astonishing.’ Really?
‘The washed out model’ – how nice of the journalist to imply that only the photo shopped version of Gaga is a ‘beauty.’ Archie Rice goes on to say ‘less than flawless: The shots show just how much make-up and work Gaga needed to make her campaign-ready.’ Articles like this really piss me off; they put untold amounts of pressure on women to conform to unrealistic standards and shout out to all and sundry that dark circles, pores and looking less than magazine flawless is unacceptable.
It is so damaging to read such patronising, body shaming bullshit like this. I read it, roll my eyes and get pissed off but some readers might internalise the messages. What articles like this do is transmit dominant ideologies regarding hegemonic notions of beauty; how a woman should look, behave, act.
The part I hate the most is where Rice states that the images show us ‘how much work’ Gaga needs to look ‘ready.’ This implies that her normal state isn’t good enough to front a national campaign or be seen in public. That her make up free face can somehow have a detrimental effect on handbag sales. Gaga is often heard shouting out against bullying and standing up for her beliefs in inner beauty and self love; part of me wants to think that she wouldn’t give a shit about these shots being out in the public eye.
We shouldn’t be ashamed of our ‘naked’ faces. Articles like this inspire low self esteem and body shaming in young women; they make us feel that we need a magic photo shopping wand waved over us before we can leave the house in order to feel attractive.
Archie Rice can fuck off with this misogynistic wank fest.
