“Why can’t we see Jill Scott with her double-chin? She’s still the most gorgeous women in the world.” Frugivore

Technology has a way of unifying people. We tote our laptops around incessantly; make ourselves look cooler via instagram, and feel compelled to share the latest gadgets with each other. But technology also has an unsuspecting way of dividing us.

Tools like Photoshop and other correcting software are beginning to inundate our reality, with more magazines slimming celebrities down to almost unrecognizable.

Unfortunately, often the level of truth is so distorted that when people are trying to emulate what they see, it drives them to an unhealthy obsession. That obsession divides us, rather than motivating us.

Images like Kimora Lee Simmons, Beyonce, & Kim Kardashian are often photo shopped to perfection,with little to no blemishes, enhanced facial lighting, and a slimmed down physique that offers stark contradictions to how they look.

What are other examples of horrible photo shopped magazine covers?

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19 Comments

  1. There’s a HUGE problem with this post. Jill’s Essence photo is a dead-on camera shot. The concert photo is from angle and caught Jill while she was making a face. Not saying she doesn’t have a double chin but this was not the photo evidence to support the claim. And as we have all taken photos, we know how to stand and position ourselves to look good without photoshop. We also had some of the worst photos taken from an unflattering angle, while positioned awkwardly, etc. And one cannot discount that she had lost weight or gained weight by the time this photo was published. I’m going on because I think we focus to much on photo images especially within industries (music and fashion and tv specifically) notorious for manipulating images. If you’re holding your camera phone at a certain angle to get a good self photo of yourself to post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or your blog…know celebrities do the same thing with better tools. If they look perfect in a photo, it’s probably been touched because no one looks perfect in real life.

  2. Honestly, give some credit to the photographer who is skilled in portraiture and to Ms. Scott who has been doing photo shoots for quite some time! Go to the mirror & strike a pose & smile as if someone was taking a snapshot. You might cock your head to the side or pull your chin inward creating a double or triple chin with a disappearing neck. Now a skilled photographer would tell you to push your chin forward & then down. Stand straight up in the mirror & try it. I guarantee that for many it will reveal a jaw line AND reduce or eliminate their double chin. I’m not disputing the use of Photoshop because I believe that a soft hand is best in portraiture. But honestly a bit of smoothing on Jilly from Philly makes me feel no less connected to her nor do I feel less than. Yes some of the images of the famous are Photoshopped to death & that CAN be problematic particularly for our young girls and women with wavering self-esteem. But this is where we encourage each other to do the hard, necessary work of self-love & true introspection into defining our own personal brand of beauty unique unto ourselves. Just my take as a photographer & a systemic-thinking Marriage & Family Therapy grad student & plus-sized, grown woman with a double chin of my own.

    **Chin Forward & Down!

    • this article sucks, and so do some of the ignorant commentators that believe one cant just take a good picture. I’m 5’5 240lb + and have a natural double chin. I have had it my whole life even when i was measly 150.
      And this all boils down to how the picture was taken. I shoot and have taken LOTS of pictures and depending on the way i’m standing,facing or the way the camera is angled. I can can look all of 200 lbs with no fat on my face. Also makeup makes a big difference.
      But do I think her fat chin should be displayed in every picture Jill takes..NO! I feel they should make her look they way SHE (jill) wants to look. which i’m sure is at her best.

  3. I agree with everything that has been said thus far, even someone who’s a size 00 can have a double chin if they are photographed from “below” instead of head on. I think she looks equally beautiful in both pics- with her voluptuous curves and rocking her natural hair!

  4. How about a non-issue since these are two completely different pictures. An above angle shot will ALWAYS be more flattering than one done from below. Why do you think you see some many teeny-boppers and bathroom celebrities on Facebook with the same kind of shot?

  5. Agree w everyone that has posted so far. Also, not sure how old the concert photo was taken. Maybe she lost a few pounds since then or maybe she was bloated in the concert photo. I don’t get what the issue is. If the cover photo was unrealistically altered then I’d see the point of the article.

  6. WOW! So much denial. If you look down in a straight shot the double chin will be viewed. All you have to do is go to Jill Scott-esque physique and see a similar pose and you’ll see the double chin. It’s crazy that most of the comments on here are terribly delusional. I agree it is a smart camera angle but damn, Jilly from Philly is a big girl and needs to be celebrated for that

  7. This is true>>>>>>> “Images like Kimora Lee Simmons, Beyonce, & Kim Kardashian are often photo shopped to perfection,with little to no blemishes, enhanced facial lighting, and a slimmed down physique that offers stark contradictions to how they look.”

    This is NOT TRUE ABOUT JILL Scott. Great point. Not so great example. I think women of all sizes, especially plus size are generally considered sloppy looking even when they are pulled together well. So even if you “smeye” in front of the camera, you are manipulating a face to a degree. I think there can be a flag on the play when its over-the-top-dot-com but not for this instance.

  8. You know what….even FACEBOOK users are in on the jig!!! Imagine my confusion when I run into a high school classmate only to find she is much paler, gawkier, and aged in person than her photos would suggest. She is always going on and on about her camera and she likes photography, so she saw no problem editing her *candid* photos to look like Beyonce 2.0. Add to that, her recommending these expensive cameras to everyday folk who do the same thing….believe half of what you see ladies. And love it anyway. I don’t blame her. I don’t put all that energy into doctoring my photos, which might boost my self esteem. I HATE photos of myself!!

  9. All print and digital ads have been touched up to the point of fiction honey

    • @OSHH: they are all morons. OF COURSE they PhotoShopped her, they PhotoShop 6′ tall size 00 women (plural, woman is singular) so obviously they PhotoShopped a big girl. Nice try fools EVERY image in print is edited. Every single one.

      • @brittany: Bingo! Like have some of these people seen candids pics of Victoria secret models….now talk about enhancing! 99.9 percent images you see as you and OSHH mention are edited in someway. Hell even picture that claim they are makeup free are edited.

  10. Jill Scoot is 5’6 200 pounds in glam shot and 5’6 240 in that other live photo. Let’s all keep it 1 billion percent, she’s a big beautiful woman

  11. Let’s be honest. Most photos of Jill are designed to minimize her bigness. Regardless of the camera angle, Jill is a big–not voluptuous–woman. Sure we should love ourselves no matter the size, but why are we photoshopping the truth? What is wrong with openly acknowledging her bigness or others’ imperfections? Until, we our honest with ourselves the duplicity in the media will continue as well.

  12. I would love to see jill work the weight watchers program (and get paid like jessice simpson)..

  13. Why should she go to Weight Watchers? Does she need or want the money? What is this obsession with programs that stars endorse?

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