It all started when Jane went under. Jane, the only women’s magazine that seemed to report on more than the standard how to please your man/lose 10 lbs/find jeans to fit your body drivel of Cosmo clones. I’d been a loyal subscriber to the snarky mag for years, and I’d even hoped to work there one day, ’til I got a little card in the mail telling me that Jane was going out of business and they’d be sending me Glamour instead. Thanks, Conde Nast.
When I received my first issue of Glamour, I was actually a little excited to see Ugly Betty star America Ferrera on the cover. But when I looked closer, it was pretty obvious that the picture had been doctored. The article was called “Surprise! She’s a bombshell (and you can be one too!)” and made a huge deal about how she’s become a star despite her “curvy” figure (“America Ferrera, star of Ugly Betty, is climbing Hollywood’s A-list — and she’s ignoring the unwritten rule that says stars must be blond and Twizzler-thin,” the article reads.) According to the cover, it was Glamour‘s first annual Figure-Flattery Issue. How progressive!
Obviously I’m irate about this, because I think that she’s adorable (even in a poncho) and there’s no
reason she should have been photoshopped. When Glamour asked her about “being the newest spokeswoman for curvy figures in Hollywood,” she said she considers herself a regular-sized person, at size 6 or 8. Which she is. It’s disturbing that the Glamour people thought it neccessary to shrink and stretch the photograph. I wonder if it upset America as much as it did me.
Update: Glamour wrote back to me:
“Dear Erica,
Thanks so much for your letter about our October cover photo of America Ferrera. Let me assure you, we did not digitally slim her; as she mentions in the interview, she wears a size 6/8. You are seeing her as she actually appeared at our shoot in June. That said, we deeply value your feedback, and your letter has been read by our Editor-In-Chief and other senior staffers. Be sure to take a look inside at the photos of America and let us know what you think.”
I still don’t buy it, and neither does anyone else, judging by a score of other blogs.
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