Monday, August 17, 2009

Where Kelby got it wrong

This is ANOTHER person's blog post about that Kelly Clarkson cover that was retouched.

Scott Kelby, an industry expert on photoshop, wrote about all of the aspects of professipnal portrait photography (lighting, makeup, etc) on his Photoshop Insider blog. His point was that retouching is one step of many.

I was right with him until he dropped in the phrase "her battle with weight". Which is the real point .... She has said MANY times that she DOESN'T battle, and she likes herself no matter what number pops up on the scale.

Yet in this cover-model crazy country, that can't REALLY be true... Of COURSE we all want to look skimpy and perfect, right?

I am a size 14 now, and believe me when I tell you that it is not my # 1 priority to get back down to the 12 I have worn most of my adult life. It's not even priority #2, or 3 or 4.

(If you're keeping score, they are "get a job so I can sleep through the night, take care of my kids day in and day out, have fun with them, and get them ready for the upcoming transitional school year. ")

Do I want to be healthy? Yes. Is there at least one person who knows me IRL who will privately think that I SHOULD "want to" lose weight? Absolutely, and I could name names. Eff them.

Do I want to be skinny? Not really.
The reality for my frame is that I will NEVER be a size itty-bitty.

Do I want to be healthier so my doctor will stop kvetching at me? Yes.

Do I get hit on regularly by men who seem to really like the curves I have ? Hell yes. My last boyfriend absolutely made me feel beautiful no matter what numbers I was charting. He just wanted me to enjoy life, be healthy, and fool around with him as much as possible.

(Can we not mention that previous paragraph to Mr C? Okaythanks. )

Every day there are people in my life who tell me I'm beautiful right NOW, just as I am, crazy and funny and sentimental and everything else that makes me ME. And some of the people I love most in the universe are beautiful RIGHT NOW because they are funny and empathetic and supportive and sometimes deliciously snarky, and I don't give a shit what they weigh, just that they're still alive to be a part of my life.

The tossaway remark that Kelby makes, assuming all curvy women "battle" day in and day out, to be beautiful according to ONE, ironically "narrow" definition, well... It makes me crazy enough to post a long rant at almost 5 am.

Insomnia sucks.



Carly(via Blackberry)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen sister.

onescrappychick said...

screw them.. I think you are just beautiful.

Anonymous said...

The real irony is the name of the magazine in question is Self. Obviously not named for self-confidence or loving oneself!

markhudson75 said...

Well said, Carly! And for the record, I've always thought you were beautiful no matter what.

alicia said...

Isn't this a blog that YOU wrote where you are asking someone to "do something about your arms" ?!
http://goingon40.blogspot.com/2009/07/friends.html

Yes, Kelly has said that she likes her weight. However, it becomes a battle when you diet, then stop dieting, then diet again, etc. This is something she has also admitted to doing.

I don't think its fair to attack the program or person doing the retouching. It is a problem as a whole in this country.

BTW, I'm not attacking you and I think you are just lovely (and there isn't anything wrong in that picture of you!!). I just didn't want people reading this to think that Mr. Kelby is a bad guy because of his choice of words.

Carly said...

Oh dear, Alicia, I DO think you are getting a jab in at me, aren't you? (Way to be anonymous, so I can't have an actual conversation with you.) At least you didn't have to read very far down in my blog to find some of my words to try to twist against me.


And I never said Scott is a bad guy. I said he doesn't get the whole POINT of the debate about KC. It's not "oh, those evil retouchers"... its a thwap to the side of the head to all of the people who think Kelly can't REALLY be happy at whatever weight she's at, because she needs to worry about what other people think of her. And my statement is that I care less and less about people who disaprove of how I look.

Carly said...

By the way, you might like to read this.

http://kateharding.net/2007/11/27/the-fantasy-of-being-thin/

Things will get better... right?

I distinctly remember a day in... maybe February?  I remember the moment, but not what day it was. I was sitting at work thinking about plan...