Photo retouching has become pretty commonplace when it comes to fashion and celebrity photographs. It’s nearly impossible to look at any magazine cover or photo spread without seeing the magic of Photoshop. But that hasn’t stopped fans from being shocked at newly released photos of Mariah Carey, which are alleged to be unretouched and paint a surprisingly different picture of what Carey’s body really looks like.
Jezebel recently released gifs of a photo spread of Carey posing in black lingerie, shot by famous photographer Terry Richardson for Wonderland magazine’s summer issue. The gifs flash between the clearly retouched photos that were placed in the mag and the unretouched photos which show Carey with a wider and more realistic waist, a fuller face, and less voluminous hair.
The site commented on the photos, saying, “what’s supposed to be so remarkable about Richardson’s signature style is how his otherwise amateur methods, when used to shoot high-profile celebs, create uniquely candid portraits that appear to be at once documentary and aspirational. His bare bones sets and harsh flashes suggest a spontaneity that is meant to imply the authenticity of that particular moment. But this doesn’t seem very authentic at all.”
This isn’t the first time Carey has been involved in a Photoshop controversy. Earlier this year, fans blasted the singer over her obviously Photoshopped, Me. I Am Mariah … The Elusive Chanteuse album cover, which showed her looking noticeably thinner and tanner.
Regardless of the controversy, it’s worth noting that, for a 44-year-old woman, Carey’s body looks quite good, and somewhat regular, without the Photoshop. Unfortunately, it’s now become weird to see celebrities with bodies that are anyway similar to that of us regular folks. – nicholas robinson
