Read all about it! Read all about it! Mariah Carey did a shoot with Terry Richardson, and GUESS WHAT? Her photos were photoshopped. But why on earth would anyone feel the need to photoshop one of the most talented singers in history? Surely it doesn’t matter what she looks like. Right?
Of course we can expect some rude comments from some of the men out there, but us girls understand each other because we all face the same pressures, and suffer the same complexities and insecurities. We’re in it together, right? Right? Hello? Girls? Are you still there?
Tell me Kate from London, do you put up unflattering photos of yourself on social media? Or do you pick the ones that make you look your best? And Suze UK, it’s nice of you to take the time out of your toned and perfect life to let us all know what you think of Mariah's image.
Seriously, why should Mariah need to feel insecure about the way she looks with comments like that? A 44 year old mother of 2, and larger than she was in her twenties when she was recognised as one of the most beautiful women in the world. I wonder WHY she feels compelled to make herself look good?
But maybe these girls have a point because she DOES look better in the photo that’s been photoshopped. And yeah, she could spend her money on a personal trainer, as some of the comments suggested. She should be comfortable in her own skin and not feel the need to be photoshopped, as we all come in different shapes and sizes and curvier women should be proud of their assets. That’s what we’d really like to see. I mean just look at Kelly Brook! Instead of altering her image she’s been spotted at the gym LOADS recently working hard to stay in shape. Men would bend over backwards to have a girl like her on their arms, and us girls, well we wish we had her figure! Don’t we?
Oh but look… here’s a nice one:
She may look good but she is obviously dumb. OBVIOUSLY. Because holding her own on live television, as well as being an actress, pin up model (still), and having her own successful clothing range forces us to question her intelligence. I wonder how she will feel after reading these comments? Maybe from now on she’ll just get the photos photoshopped to stop all the nasty comments? Oh wait…!
I recently got photographed on the beach and it ended up featuring in the press weeks later, without my knowledge. “Don’t read the comments”, my boyfriend said. “Have you seen what people have been saying about you?”, my mum rang to say.
The most worrying thing about these comments is that I’m a UK size 8. I’m in my 20s, and my boobs are real. I eat healthily, and I try to go to the gym as much as I can, but I have a busy lifestyle, and I love food. I struggle with the area on my hips and thighs - I’ve been told in the past that I need to tone it up for work. I always hated my boobs - they’ve always attracted unwanted attention and prevented me from wearing beautiful lingerie and bikinis that you see on the high street, but I’m learning to accept my body. That doesn’t mean those comments don’t sting. Like anyone, there are days when I feel gross. There are parts of me I wish I could be taller, thinner, or less flabby. We all do, no matter what shape or size we are.
Let me ask you this, if you were to do a photoshoot and there was an option to get rid of the lumps and bumps that make you feel insecure, would you?
If you were walking along the beach in your bikini and girls kept approaching you to tell you you looked fat, needed a boob lift, or clearly needed to spend more time at the gym, how would you feel? What would you think of those girls?
So why is it ok when it’s written down? And what makes Mariah Carey or Kelly Brook any different to the rest of us? A lot of people say they’ve signed up to it by choosing the career they have and by being in the public eye. Does that mean a waitress deserves to be spoken to rudely by customers?!
I’d like to state that both are beautiful women, and clearly very intelligent to have succeeded in their respective industry for so many years. Women come in all shapes in sizes - some of us will wish we looked like Kelly Brook, and others will wish we looked like Kendall Jenner. But do we need to be nasty about each other? Are we that perfect that we have the right to criticize another woman? And what do we achieve if we do? Will it make us feel better about ourselves?
We can’t all be ‘perfect’. We can’t all be the image of beauty that is shown to us in fashion and beauty magazines. We can’t all be like Kendall Jenner… Although it seems it wouldn’t be any easier if we were:
We can’t all look the same, or have the same ideal of what makes the perfect woman. But what we can all be is nice. Kind and supportive of each other. What happened to girl power?
Have you ever thought that maybe these beautiful women post so many professional or altered photographs of themselves because they are trying to prove their beauty, or want to be made to feel good about themselves? Perhaps they are crippingly insecure largely due to the amount of abuse they receive from other women on social media and in the press. Is it any surprise that photoshopping takes place? And are you sure you wouldn’t do the same?
So let's all praise Colbie Caillat for bearing it all in her new video, and take inspiration from it.
Recently I was told about a little girl at school who was being bullied. She said to her teachers:
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will break my heart”
Do you disagree with her? So whether you describe yourself as fat, skinny, curvy, flat, or busty… let’s just remember that it’s nice to be nice. And as my Dad says, “if in doubt, say nowt.”
Until next time... x