Self editor Lucy Danziger went on the Today show and Good Morning America this morning to defend Photoshopping Kelly Clarkson for the September cover. Here you see a photo of Clarkson from May, and the cover, which was also shot in May. Clarkson has obviously shed a few pounds. Danziger is still unable to explain how doing this fits with Self’s message to women, which is “You can be happy, healthy, fit, and your best self at any size.” She says this photo captures Kelly at her “personal best,” whatever that means. Danziger also said:
“A snapshot is different than a cover. A cover is a poster. And the thing about a poster is you want it to capture the essence of you at your best. So we’re saying to women, ‘Look, everyone can love who they are from the inside out and want to achieve their goals.’”
And if you’re Kelly Clarkson, clearly one of those goals would be weight loss, which she can achieve through digital photo manipulation? Well, no. That’s not a goal of Clarkson’s, who has said she’s happy with her body just the way it is. That is Self’s goal. “The one thing we say at Self is, be your personal best,” Danziger continued. “No one can make you feel bad. Only you can feel bad inside yourself. Kelly feels great about who she is.”
Danziger fails to make a compelling case for herself, but Kelly Clarkson has largely been left out of the conversation. Kelly’s people have only said, “We love the cover.” That is not a great example for the kids. Either she’s happy the way she is, or she desperately wants to be twenty pounds lighter. If she’s truly happy with herself, why can’t she come out and say she has no desire to look the way she does on the cover? Which is what Kate Winslet did when she appeared with fake noodle thighs on the cover of GQ a while back. The more Kelly hides, the more awkward she makes all of this for herself.
Self Editor Says Photoshopped Covers Capture “Essence Of You At Your Best” [Jezebel]
Earlier: Self Editor: Photoshopping Is Like Deleting Bad Vacation Photos
