2017 Photoshop Fails We Can't Forget
2017 has been one of the most progressive years yet when it comes to body positivity. But that doesn’t mean that it has been without its fair share of Photoshop fails—both large and small. There have been less-than-perfect selfie edits, covers of magazines that were certainly not in life how they appear in print, and advertisements that exhibit a heavier hand in editing than they, perhaps, should have. With Lupita Nyong’o, Kim Kardashian, and Emily Ratajkowski joining the crew of re-touching victims, find the most jaw-dropping Photoshop fails of 2017 here.
Instagram/@SelenaGomez1/12Selena Gomez
The singer posted a gorgeous selfie on social media, but it didn’t take fans long to realize that the wall on the left side of the photo seemed warped. Oddly, no one can quite figure out what it was that called for altering.
Instagram/Iskra2/12Iskra Lawrence
In keeping with the body-positive movement, the model shared these old images of herself, calling out the “heavy Photoshop” job that was performed. She wrote, “Please NEVER EVER compare yourself to images you see, many aren't real. Perfect does NOT exist so trying to achieve that is unrealistic and editing your pictures will not make you happy.”
Grazia UK3/12Lupita Nyong'o
The star called out Grazia for removing her naturally-styled ponytail, writing, “I am disappointed that @graziauk invited me to be on their cover and then edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like.”
Instagram/ @Emrata4/12Emily Ratajkowski
The model took to Instagram to bring attention to her altered figure on the cover of Madame, sharing, “I was extremely disappointed to see my lips and breasts altered in photoshop on this cover. I hope the fashion industry will finally learn to stop trying to stifle the things that make us unique and instead begin to celebrate individuality."
Courtesy of KKW Beauty5/12Kim Kardashian
In an ad for her beauty line, the reality star was criticized for her un-naturally dark skin, a fact that she chocked up to a summer tan and too-dim lighting. The ad was pulled and immediately replaced with one that more accurately portrayed her skin tone.
Courtesy of Net-a-Porter6/12Net-a-Porter
Brands are not without mishaps, as a pre-edited image was uploaded to Net-a-Porter’s e-commerce platform with notes for re-touching. The brand pulled the image, stating that the alterations did not refer to the model; rather, it was for the clothing, writing, “This image was uploaded to our product page in error and the notes refer exclusively to the garments.”
Instagram / @KylieJenner7/12Kylie Jenner
Few of the lip kit maven’s photos are without Photoshop criticism, but there was one that garnered the most attention, as fans pointed out the warped wall to the left of the image, suggesting Kylie used a reshaping tool to nip in her waist.
Instagram/ @BadGalRiRi8/12Rihanna
In a picture of her exquisite Cropover costume, Rihanna’s right hand looks like it was given a second thumbnail. Though several social media users blamed Photoshop, it could also be attributed to the photographer capturing Rihanna in motion.
Everett NY9/12Pretty Little Liars
After a promo image for the show’s first season was released, Ashley Benson was horrified by the results. Though the job was done years ago, the star shared in a recent interview that the poster was “completely crazy," adding: "Nobody looked like themselves."
Courtesy of Sports Illustrated10/12Ashley Graham
One of the leaders of the body-positive movement, Ashley Graham fell victim to magazine airbrushing when Sports Illustrated allegedly flattened her bottom for out for a beach-side photoshoot.
Courtesy of The Evening Standard11/12Solange
The singer Instagramed this original photo from a shoot with The Evening Standard, writing, “dtmh,” as in: don’t touch my hair. Though she sported a gorgeous braided halo, the publication chose to remove it altogether for their cover story.
