Demi Lovato warns that celebrity photos retouched to fit influencer aesthetics are harmful: 'Be careful'

·2 min read

Demi Lovato is calling out edited images that “reinforce impossible beauty standards.”

Responding to a recent social media trend that shows celebrities retouched to fit current influencer aesthetics, the singer shared a message to her fans on Instagram that “sometimes fan art can seem harmless, but be careful if you’re constantly editing your idol’s pictures.” She continued, “Reinforcing impossible beauty standards onto your favorite actress/singer/model not only rude, dumb, [and] harmful to your own beauty standards and ideals.”

In addition to her own commentary, Lovato shared more context from journalist Danae Mercer featuring before and after retouched images of Margot Robbie.

“PHOTOSHOPPING accounts are popping up EVERYWHERE - making already stunning celebrities ‘MORE BEAUTIFUL’ or transforming pieces of art to fit today’s FACETUNED AESTHETIC. And more of these kinds of accounts are appearing by the day,” Mercer wrote. “The images of the FACETUNED CELEBRITIES feels jarring. The same goes for the ‘enhanced’ art. But we see these kinds of edits every. single. day.”

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PHOTOSHOPPING accounts are popping up EVERYWHERE - making already stunning celebrities ‘MORE BEAUTIFUL’ or transforming pieces of art to fit today’s FACETUNED AESTHETIC. And more of these kind of accounts are appearing by the day. There is so much to unpack here, So much to process, But my main takeaway is this: Be careful on the internet. Be careful when looking at the world through a lens that is filtered in so many, many ways. The images of the FACETUNED CELEBRITIES feels jarring, The same goes for the ‘enhanced’ art. But we see these kind of edits every. single. day. In fact, celebrities have RESHARED some of these edits. Popping them up on their own accounts without mention of the extensive photoshopping. And why wouldn’t they? It’s the norm. In magazines. In movies. On social media. Everything is increasingly filtered and curated. So again, let me just remind you: Be careful with your heart, Your mental health, And the content you consume. Because YOU are wonderful. You are amazing. And you, my dear, deserve to believe it every single day. x Side-by-side images of celebrities with/without edits are pulled from @boredpanda (they pulled it from one of the photoshopping accounts). The other profiles have their watermarks in the images, but please remember kindness even as we educate ourselves. #instavsreality #realityvsreality #selflove #bodyacceptance

A post shared by Danae | Angles + Self Love (@danaemercer) on

Mercer also issued a warning to social media users not to look at the world through a “lens that is filtered in so many ways.”

Fans commented on Mercer’s post expressing concern along with their own experiences with the photoshopping and filter trend on social media.

“I get annoyed that every “beauty” filter wants to turn my brown eyes blue. Like wtf? I can’t have brown eyes now?” one person said. “Thank you for calling this out, I’ve been seeing it a lot lately and it really bothers me,” another person wrote. “Horrible... imperfections are unique and beautiful,” someone commented.

With social media putting more pressure on women to adhere to certain beauty standards, celebrities like Lovato have publicly discussed their struggles with body image. In February, Lovato spoke with Ashley Graham on an episode of her podcast Pretty Big Deal and opened up about her extreme dieting prior to her overdose and how she was still learning how to love her body.

“I would love to be in a place where I could say I’m super confident in my body,” she said. “But the reality is I’m not. I just am not.”

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