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"Sex and the City" and the Photoshop

by
Dorothy Snarker

As the Sex and the City movie fast approaches (May 30, have you circled the day on your calendar with a big red pen yet?), new photos of the fabulous foursome have been released to promote the premiere. The ladies look like no time has passed since they first began sipping cosmos together on-screen a decade ago. Ah, Hollywood magic. Still, some news outlets are expressing surprise that the actresses may have been digitally enhanced in the promo pictures. Um, duh?  

U.K. newspapers the Telegraph and Daily Mail both had pieces “exposing” the airbrushed shots. Help me out, British AfterEllen.com readers: Do people not use Photoshop across the pond? Or have we Americans been so conditioned to expect extreme reality makeovers that we no longer notice a digital nip here or computerized tuck there? Heck, even the women's original Sex and the City photo shoot for the TV show 10 years ago was retouched. See:

Today the fab four are all in their 40s and beyond: Sarah Jessica Parker (43), Cynthia Nixon (41), Kristin Davis (43) and Kim Catrall (51). But from these new solo shots, I‘d put their ages somewhere between 28 and mannequin.

As much as I'd love it if the marketing departments let some wrinkles shine through, I'm not shocked at the women's perfect, ageless skin. This is sadly just par for the course. In fact, it's not even among the worst airbush atrocities out there. Talk to Faith Hill, Demi Moore and Kate Winslet, and then get back to me.

But the papers seemed so shocked that they even quote an airbrushing expert to affirm what anyone with eyes can already see. Chris Bickmore, an airbrush artist, said the faces had all been retouched: “None of them have any eye bags or crow's feet around their eyes in this P.R. shot. Their faces are all now really perfect when women of their ages would have some wrinkles and facial detail.”  

The retouching, while unfortunate, really only strays into beyond ridiculous with Kim's photos. In fact, she actually looks like the victim of botched plastic surgery with her squinty eyes and sharpened chin. Also, her skin tone is way off from the rest of the ladies. Did they let the intern handle this one or what?  

The irony, of course, is that all the women look amazing on their own. Red carpet pictures of all of them in the past few months confirm the fact that even without digital intervention, they all still look better than at least 95 percent of the rest us any day.

So, love the photos? Hate the retouching? Still can't figure out why Kim Catrall looks vaguely seasick? Discuss.

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    • Submitted by
    Dorothy Snarker
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:00pm.
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    siobhan's picture

    In the UK.

    Submitted by
    siobhan (96 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:20pm.
    As a UK resident, my guess would that perhaps airbrushing is not yet an unquestioned practice over here. Whilst it obviously happens ALL the time over here, it's perhaps not yet glued into our minds as a given whereas perhaps it is in the US. I think we probably airbrush our British celebrities a little less. We dont really have that Hollywood polished look in our TV and sometimes our film stars. I mean it goes on..but maybe we're just a couple of miles behind...catching up quickly.
    Charlie's picture

    British AE reader here..

    Submitted by
    Charlie (75 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:22pm.

    Yep, Photoshop is used in magazines and newspapers over here too; but it never seems so obvious as the American photoshoped pictures. I hate that they make girls thinner or have a bigger chest (for example Keira Knightley.)

    All the ladies of SATC look 10x better in there red carpet pictures.

     

    flashmx's picture

    even 10 years after

    Submitted by
    flashmx (23 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:32pm.

    they still hot, and whatever if there is retouching or not!!! I love those pictures and especially Kristin Davis !!!! I hope only that my GF still hot when she get 50!!! I'm bad I know :p

    Lesbian for the best and for the worst!!!

    Linda77's picture

    Picture perfect

    Submitted by
    Linda77 (52 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:32pm.
    If the Brits really are surprised at this, well, then picture this: In Europe it is pretty common to send a picture of yourself along with your CV and application letter. If you really wanna get the job, let the picture be brushed over. It's what everybody does these days. I still look like shit on my pictures though.. ;)
    Sabriel's picture

    To be honest I don't think

    Submitted by
    Sabriel (33 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:45pm.

    To be honest I don't think us brits ARE surprised at it. In fact we've had a lot of these articles before. I think the media are starting now to try make a point about airbrushing so that young people don't see pictures in mags as how they want to be. Radio 1 did an interesting post on their site where a selection of the DJs etc chose a part of themselves they disliked and then they got it photoshopped lol. One guy for example who is bald got given hair... it's just the media trying to get the message across really that it IS fake. Plus media here always seems to give the same news over and over if they are running short of stories ;)

    My girlfriend lives in Germany and explained that it's very common to have to send pictures with their CV as people will hire based on looks quite often?! When I first had a CV sent to me at work whilst we were hiring people, I was shocked to get a picture from someone - I'm thinking hey we just want you to work for us, I don't want to date you!!

    P.S - we're in Europe too!

    Nelfy's picture

    airbrushed application picture

    Submitted by
    Nelfy (443 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 5:03pm.

    in austria (europe), it's also common to send a picture with your application, but I've not heard of someone airbrushing their picture - yet. but, I also haven't thought of someone hiring/not hiring me because of how I look like. these things make me sick, I'm not less smart/hard-working... just because I don't look like a model/actress. BUT, studies have shown that good-looking people generally tend to earn more and also sell more, so I guess most people are shallow sometimes or oftentimes.

    I don't really like those airbrushed pictures, even though I'm SO used to them. I think that a few wrinkles don't necessarily mean that a woman is less attractives/beautiful. I'm generally more drawn to woman who are older than me and I have to say that I would prefer most "older" actresses (sarah jessica parker, jodie foster, catherine zeta-jones, diane lane....) over the younger ones (lindsay lohan, kiera knightly, ...). I'd rather be with lorelai gilmore/lauren graham than with rori/alexis bledel. I would really prefer it if media would cut down the airbrushing a lot!! 

    "Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from." ~ Jodie Foster

    Gem89's picture

    Oh Dear..

    Submitted by
    Gem89 (22 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 3:37pm.

    That last picture of Kim Catrall was truely awful. She looked like her face had been beaten then covered up in white. As a british reader I dont know what to say, perhaps these things are still shocking??

    Lauren's picture

    I live in the UK and I

    Submitted by
    Lauren (275 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 4:01pm.

    I live in the UK and I thought they photoshopped too :S

    I don't know why our papers made such a big deal out of it.

    And I don't care if Kim Cattrall is the oldest, she's the hottest ;)

    .lamby.'s picture

    "And I don't care if Kim

    Submitted by
    .lamby. (92 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 6:42pm.

    "And I don't care if Kim Cattrall is the oldest, she's the hottest ;)"

    word. & her voice? *swoon*

    i'm not sure if airbrushing is less common in the UK than the US. i think it's mainly covered in the british media as something "those crazy image-obsessed yanks" do (hey, we have to have something to make us feel intellectually superior, right? :P) but really we're just as guilty of focusing on image...whatevs...i can't wait 4 this movie!

     

    ~i'ma pull ya closer, keep ya nikes on...u know how we do!~

    cclemoni's picture

    Pinch of salt...

    Submitted by
    cclemoni (22 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 4:02pm.

    British tabloids like the Daily Mail have one use - and that's only in the unlikely event of a national toilet paper shortage.

    The SATC girls do look plain weird so touched up but in a few days they'll be slagging off a natural picture of some celebrity because of cellulite, weight gain or god forbid... ageing!

    Don't be surprised by anything that appears in a British tabloid! Unless it's informed, intelligent journalism pertaining to current events of at least marginal relevance, of course. That would be a shock!

    Hats's picture

    Yup. I find myself rolling

    Submitted by
    Hats (142 posts)
    on April 8, 2008 - 6:22am.

    Yup. I find myself rolling my eyes more and more frequently at the headlines in tabloid newspapers over here. Heaven forbid they actually print real news for once :P

    Pages are dedicated to natural photographs of celebrities looking like crap in magazines like Heat where they get slagged to bits and now they get slagged to bits for being photoshopped. They really just can't win.

    Not that I read Heat. *ahem*

     

    cosmiccowgirl's picture

    tummy

    Submitted by
    cosmiccowgirl (892 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 4:13pm.
    It's weird that they went so crazy with airbrushing her face in that last picture but didn't get rid of the tummy pooch. I'm of course against all the airbrushing. It makes them look like freaks of nature.
    empirecookie's picture

    Anyone who has ever compared

    Submitted by
    empirecookie (6 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 4:24pm.
    Anyone who has ever compared Coronation Street or East Enders with any American soap, or any British films with American films, knows that the British don't go for the botoxed, airbrushed, plastic look. British actors tend to look like real people. But you've gotta love the SATC gals, airbrushes and all.
    Angie80's picture

    I've seen them in person

    Submitted by
    Angie80 (10 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 7:03pm.
    I've seen all of the ladies in person except Kristin Davis.  SJP and Cynthia Nixon look great without the airbrushing. Kim Catrall really doesn't look like her airbrushed Samantha self in person.  She resembles the last picture above much more in real life.  I can't imagine how I would deal with my "regular" self after getting used to seeing a made-up and airbrushed version all the time.  Don't get me wrong, a little blemish removal would be great, but some of these celebrities are nothing close to how they appear in reality.  That's sad for everyone!
    pollylee's picture

    :0

    Submitted by
    pollylee (8 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 8:08pm.

    OMG!the last photo is ...

    shedetective's picture

    Whoa boy....

    Submitted by
    shedetective (149 posts)
    on April 7, 2008 - 10:34pm.

    Ok.  That person who has so called retouched Kim Catrall's photo needs a pink slip.. That is a catastrophe.....she looks better on the red carpet than that photo.  She looks like she's been beaten and pecked on by a chicken....

    But all 4 are beautiful, untouched or retouched

     

    bean's picture

    oy

    Submitted by
    bean (12 posts)
    on April 8, 2008 - 11:32am.
    their faces are all obviously retouched since they are so devoid of lines but the most glaringly obvious retouching seems to be happening to the cleavage.  kristin and cynthia both have total digi-boob.  ew.
    Agata's picture

    The promo pictures are

    Submitted by
    Agata (31 posts)
    on June 10, 2009 - 7:49am.

    The promo pictures are great but the look so fake. None of these actresses look like themselves, especially Kim. But as a real fun of the show I'll say that t he girls will always be great and fabulous in their own ways!! 

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