SA celebs fight back against excessive Photoshopping

29 May 2016 - 02:00 By GABI MBELE
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South African celebrities are fighting back against extreme Photoshopping by magazines.

Radio and TV personality Lerato Kganyago is the latest to speak out about over-the-top airbrushing, following the release this week of before and after pictures of her cover shoot for True Love magazine.

Other victims who have publicly raised the alarm include actress Khanyi Mbau, presenter Boitumelo "Boity" Thulo and author Lebo Mashile, while on the international scene, model Cindy Crawford, musicians Fergie and Avril Lavigne and actor Brad Pitt have also fallen foul of Photoshopping gone wrong.

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In South Africa, True Love magazine has come under fire as being one of the main offenders.

Mbau, who was on the magazine's cover in December 2015, said she was made to look like "Angelina Jolie's character in Maleficent".

"I don't deny having Botox or massive surgery on my face but I looked like some alien on that cover, it was ugly," said Mbau.

Thulo, who was featured in the magazine last month, said her skin had been made darker.

"I wasn't offended because they had a feature about dark makeup, which I assumed was the reason for making me darker," said Thulo.

But she added: "I am definitely considering the idea of getting my agent to sign a contract before even agreeing to do the cover so I can have final say on how I am portrayed by magazines in the future."

In 2009 True Love issued a public apology after Mashile's curves were flattened and she was given a thinner frame on its cover.

And it's not the first time Kganyago's looks have changed dramatically on a magazine cover. In August 2015 she featured on the cover of Bona magazine with her right arm Photoshopped to make it bigger than her left arm.

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The 33-year-old Live Amp presenter, who features on the cover of True Love's June issue, received massive support from women across South Africa this week after she was "body shamed" by the magazine when she complained about the image of herself on the cover.

The incident began after the cover was revealed. Kganyago took to her Instagram page and wrote: "Nick Boulton is one of the most amazing photographers in the country. He captured me beautifully. It must be disheartening even for him to have his work continuously retouched (Photoshopped) to a point of no recognition."

Hours later, the magazine responded with a statement on its website from its editor, Dudu Mvimbi Leshabane, accompanied by unflattering images of Kganyago before and after being retouched, with the hashtag #JudgeForYourself.

Said Mvimbi Leshabane: "As a brand that stands for women empowerment, True Love would never intentionally do anything to compromise women and their public profile. We have a responsibility not to tarnish our cover star's image, to produce authentic content for our readers and to uphold the brand's integrity."

Kganyago said this week: "I am not angry, but I am disappointed and feel really bullied. It's as if they were asking people to judge my body, which is not fair. Should I be ashamed of my body? Why would they ask people to #JudgeForYourself?"

Reshaping bodies digitally can harm a star's image, said image consultant Tracy Gold.

"It's always key for celebrities to get their agents or managers to negotiate their publishing standards with magazines, where they can demand that they have a final say over what is to be published."

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On Tuesday Kganyago filed a complaint against True Love with the Press Ombudsman. She hopes she will get an apology.

"I don't want money, I just want them to acknowledge what they did was wrong and apologise. This was certainly the last time I do something with that magazine," she said.

Several South African magazine editors approached for comment this week - including Destiny magazine's Khanyi Dhlomo, Bona's Linda Mali, Good Housekeeping's Sally Emery, Glamour magazine's Pnina Fenster and Mvimbi Leshabane of True Love - did not respond, while Marie Claire's Jackie May declined to comment.

Former Marie Claire editor Aspasia Karras, who is publisher of magazine supplements at Times Media Group (which publishes the Sunday Times) said "nowadays it would be inaccurate to blame only magazines for the body-perfection pressure".

"Everyone is Photoshopping. The standards of what people consider beauty have become absurd. That is why people have responded negatively to the True Love incident.

"In the 1930s photographers spent eight hours in daylight trying to get the perfect shot. Now this is all done in post-production. Photoshop has become part of normal society, even, through social media. That is why there are filters."

mbeleg@sundaytimes.co.za

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