Britney Spears Cover Sparks Digital Manipulation Debate
The January/February 2015 cover of Women's Health. Photo: Courtesy of Women's Health
Britney Spears has been in comeback mode for the past few years: She ditched Kevin Federline, grew her hair out, scored a Las Vegas residency, and has become a full-on “Work Bitch” by taking control of her finances, family life, and career. Now, at 33, the singer is showing off her efforts on the cover of Women’s Health. Her frame might be fit, but her face? Well, it doesn't look much like Britney.
Wearing a sporty Lisa Marie Fernandez bikini underneath a black blazer, the ‘90s-era darling doesn’t look like she has aged a day since “Hit Me Baby One More Time." Spears has been very vocal about getting back into shape, so her abs aren’t what’s so shocking. "After I had Jayden, it was real easy for me to get back in shape," she said in the issue that hits newsstands on Dec. 23. "But five years later, I started noticing changes in my body. My hips are a little bit wider because I’ve had kids. So it was crucial for me to be continuous with my exercise. Consistency is key."
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Yet, as her fans point out, lines beneath and around her eyes are non-existent, her cheekbones a bit higher than normal, jawline more chiseled and defined, and even her neck looks thinner.
Magazines using excessive photo manipulation on their cover subjects isn’t anything new. Lena Dunham’s Vogue feature prompted Jezebel to offer $10,000 for the original unretouched images of the shoot. Demi Moore had her left hip cut off (along with about 20 years of her life) on W magazine. A before-and-after GIF of Jennifer Lawrence on Flare magazine has been the source of endless fascination. The list is endless: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Stewart, Kim Kardashian, and more celebrities have all had their bodies digitally poked and prodded by computer programs.
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The fact that these types of tools are employed isn’t necessarily the problem. Publications, Yahoo Style included, want their original photography that is being seen by millions to look great and feature their subjects looking their absolute best. But perfection should only be obtained or strived for to a certain point. Beautiful women like Spears shouldn’t be changed so much that they look unlike themselves (or like they’ve discovered time travel).
Interestingly, there has been a backlash against changing people’s appearances recently with many publishers even showcasing individuals in their completely natural states. Jessica Simpson showed off her beauty in Marie Claire wearing no makeup and sans retouching, Kerry Washington did the same for Allure, and 42-year-old Cate Blanchett displayed every line and wrinkle of her beautiful face on Intelligent Life’s cover. Lorde, 17, even accused a mag of some post-production plastic surgery that she appeared in.
Spears’s treatment is especially disappointing considering the hard work she’s put into bouncing back from challenging times. Following a few tumultuous years, the pop star is back on top — and wanting to shout it out — yet the blatant retouching doesn’t celebrate the real her.
