Shrinking waistlines, wrinkle-free faces, ripped abs, and long, long legs seem to be everywhere on Instagram, Twitter, magazine covers, and other platforms. Celebrities are fixated about their physical appearance.
“Ripped,” “jacked,” and “insanely fit” were some of the adjectives used by social media outlets to describe Nicole Kidman’s arms, abs, and overall toned physique on the lifestyle magazine cover photo.
American actress Blake Lively, who was featured on the cover of the May issue of lifestyle magazine, stressed that “It’s so important for young people not to compare themselves with what they see online. It’s our job as actors and/or models to be in shape. We have access to gyms and trainers and healthy food. And on top of that, 99.9 percent of the time the images are Photoshopped. I’m guilty myself of being at a photo shoot and saying, ‘That looks terrible on me.’ And they’re like, ‘We’ll fix it’.”
The art of finetuning
While it’s no secret that magazines and advertisers use heavily retouched photos, the introduction of simple apps like Facetune means that celebrities can take matters into their own hands. Some celebrities are avid Photoshop users and have been known to edit their social media images to appear flawless.
“Everyone wants to be in the news, and everyone wants to have that one day of fame on social media. In fact, everyone, and that includes all of us, is putting out their idealised version of themselves here.”
I believe that celebrities and influencers work extremely hard to look a certain way and achieve their current physical state, and yes, some editing on social media does occur, which is why there is an editing tool here,” says celebrity fitness trainer Kunal Rajput.
“Media, fashion houses, and brands thrive on creating shock value by releasing never-before-seen images of celebrities, influencers, or the most perfect versions of themselves, and in order to do so, they take the creative liberty of editing an individual’s physique or face, which is a very common practice,” says Kunal adding, “It’s simple: everyone wants to be the talk of the town, and because these brands crave attention, they end up doctoring photoshoot images far more than we can imagine.”
A prop for self-worth
Because the entertainment industry is so superficial, many stars associate their self-worth with their physical appearance. Celebrities, like everyone else, are vulnerable to feelings of insecurity and frequently turn to social media for validation of their worth.
Harshvardhan Rane, an actor, fitness enthusiast, and travel enthusiast, believes that fitness influencers should be more open with their followers about how they choose the looks for their photos, because this prevents people from having unrealistic expectations of what their bodies should look like. “What they’re trying to achieve isn’t even real. Instant gratifications and shortcuts can never last long,” he says and adds, “Nowadays, the public is smart enough to see through everything and they are more aware.”
“Given the demands of the showbusiness and the effort and time required to actually look a certain way, Photoshop and image editing appear to be the way to go. Because they naturally want to imitate and look like their favourite movie stars, ordinary people are unavoidably negatively impacted by this. They don’t realise that if they actually want to look like their idols, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. And frequently, they are unaware that these images have been edited,” says Swetha Subbiah, co-founder Sisters in Sweat and one of the 4 Nike-certified instructors in the country.
To photoshop or not to photoshop
In a world where perfection is applauded and social media holds sway, there is constant alteration and manipulation of photographs. “Sometimes it can be more than just a tweak here, a filter there — it could be gross changes to the point of being unrecognizable. Some celebs have been vocal about this. Lady Gaga expressed disdain for Photoshop after she posed on the cover of a leading magazine, saying the pictures didn’t even look like her. Zendaya did the same and it led to the magazine pulling down the photoshopped picture,” says Dr Era.
Truth or tweak?
It is important to acknowledge the significant effort and dedication that go into working on one’s appearance. “Most celebrities slog hours to achieve a desired look — it involves hours of gym sessions, maintaining a healthy diet, and undergoing intense and rigorous training,” says Dr Era, adding, “Behind the scenes, there is a team of professionals who contribute to how individuals look, including makeup artistes, skilled photographers, dentists ensuring perfect smiles, as well as dermatologists taking care of skin and hair. Therefore, it is crucial not to take what is seen at face value, as there is a considerable amount of background work involved in the process. It is important for young people to be aware of the potential impact of celebrity pictures on social media and to develop critical thinking skills and media literacy.”
