Why the GQ cover of Kylie Minogue is not stunning.

I am the first person to complain when an overweight person is shown in a magazine and being glorified.  I'm the first person to say I have no issue with skinny models and that size zero doesn't exist, that it's actually a size 4/6 rebranded as a 0 so that people feel better about their physical appearance. 

Tonight though, I came across an article on the New Zealand Herald website with the headline, "Kylie Bares All on 'Stunning GQ Cover".  I actually had to do a double take when I saw the image.  The image has been so badly Photoshopped (and don't get me wrong, I use Photoshop in one of my jobs, and I love the tool but I don't do more than I need to) with airbrushing that it looks nothing like Kylie.  How can an image of an airbrushed woman who doesn't even look like a real woman, let alone 46 be stunning?  Now don't get me wrong, there's a difference between choosing skinny, naturally tall and skinny models and photographing them as they are, and completely modifying someone who already looks good.  To be honest though, I've always thought Kylie looks a bit fake, love her music but don't like her, my favourite sister has always been Dannii from her Home and Away days in the late 80s.

A quick Google search took me to this picture, amongst hundreds of others of Kylie.

Now in this picture Kylie looks truly stunning.  Yes, she has a couple of wrinkles but she looks like a real human being.  If we search for an unedited image of her without make up, this is what comes up.


Now, can someone please tell me what is wrong with this natural image of Kylie?  She doesn't have any make up and she still looks good.  Here's the thing, good looking people are always going to look good with or without make up.  And without excessive airbrushing like in the GQ image, which is actually awful.

Yes, of course men don't buy magazines for how real they are.  They buy them to live a fantasy and that is fair, but why bother with a fantasy that doesn't even exist?  Not even Kylie Minogue looks like the picture of Kylie Minogue in the cover photo.  Doesn't that show you that air brushing has actually gone too far?

Airbushing someone's face is different to showing obese models because everyone gets wrinkles and unless you take good care of your skin, nobody can avoid it.  Wrinkles are simply a part of being 46 and given the photos I've shown you, the first of which shows Kylie as she is at 46, she's doing bloody well.  Whether or not she has had Botox injections is her business and if that's how she wants to age, that's her choice.

Showing obese models however sends an unhealthy message that not looking after your weight and health is a good thing, and could lead to women further developing eating disorders.  Yes, even over eating is an eating disorder as is obesity a symptom of it.

The bottom line is that airbrushing has gone way too far when the photo of the woman on the cover of the magazine doesn't even reflect the person being photographed.

It's time we struck a balance between health, and beauty.  At present it seems it's one or the other, but the reality is, if you have a BMI of between 18 - 25 and eat 3-5 pieces of fruit and veges a day, the chances are you will be healthy.  It is also recommended that you exercise for at least 150 minutes a week, you can increase that for extra health benefits.

Below is the image of Kylie which looks nothing like the real person, Kylie Minogue.