In today’s society, it seems like every celebrity and model has been touched up and airbrushed to perfection. Gabriella Cilmi, the talented singer-songwriter, is no exception. But what happens when the pressure to look flawless takes a toll on one’s self-esteem and mental health?
Photoshop has become a common tool used to enhance images in the media industry. It’s often used to erase flaws and create a flawless appearance, leading to unrealistic beauty standards. Unfortunately, many celebrities fall victim to this practice, including Gabriella Cilmi.
While it’s no secret that the entertainment industry values perfection, it’s important to recognize the harmful effects of excessive photoshopping. Gabriella Cilmi’s experience serves as a reminder that even talented and beautiful individuals can feel the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. How does this impact their mental health and self-perception? Let’s dig deeper into the issue and explore the consequences of photoshop on individuals like Gabriella Cilmi.
Gabriella Cilmi has enjoyed an almost rags to riches fairytale in her rise to pop stardom. Discovered at the very young age of 13 while singing at a local festival in Melbourne, Gabriella had a worldwide top ten hit with “Sweet About Me” when she was just 16. Now 18, Gabriella has undertaken what appears to be the chosen rite of passage for young pop princesses and has posed in a lingerie and topless shoot for a UK men’s magazine.
While Gabriella is clearly an adult at this age and can do with her body as she pleases, I do wonder with such a young fan base, (my 11 year old Stepdaughter being one), what sort of message this sends. I think it likely Gabriella was not necessarily choosing to send any particular message to young fans, more that she has done this as a way of showing she is ‘a woman’ – “I’m not a little girl anymore. I’ve grown up, and I’m ready to fight to get what I want.” Fair enough, but is it necessary to pose topless for a men’s magazine to prove you are an adult and have grown up? I don’t think so. To me, Gabriella has always seemed so terribly grown up anyway which I think is pretty evident in this clip for “Sweet About Me”, produced when she was 16.
I should qualify that I am in no way a prude and in fact have posted a number of positive stories at Beautiful You where women have posed nude for magazines. The difference with these stories has been these magazine spreads have been about promoting body diversity and highlighting what a famous model looks like without retouching. They haven’t been for the gratification of men who buy magazines like FHM to get a sexy soft porn fix.
I do feel for Gabriella now that the story has broken regarding the shoot, as she has already stated she would never do it again and is disappointed with how things have turned out. This is chiefly due to the magazine feeling it necessary to enlarge her breasts courtesy of the wonders of Photoshop.
“They’ve given me bigger boobs than I have anyway. So, I guess you get like a free boob job or something. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I look at them and I laugh at them, because I know that they’re not very representative of me, and who I am as a person, and what my music’s about.”
Clearly as a young woman this must be upsetting, not to mention potentially damaging to her body image and self esteem. The message that has been sent to Gabriella by FHM is very clear. Your body is not good enough. We need to do some work on it before we consider it acceptable for publication. What all of this actually has to do with Gabriella’s music though, still escapes me. I can’t see the connection at all. Maybe Gabriella’s less than positive experience here may make other teen and young pop singers think twice about posing for men’s magazines. It seems in this case no-one has walked away with a great outcome.
Gabriella Cilmi, like many others in the spotlight, has experienced the effects of photoshopping. This practice not only distorts reality but also sets unrealistic standards for beauty and body image. By shedding light on these issues and encouraging discussions, we can strive for a more authentic representation in media. Your thoughts and comments are valuable – let us know how you feel about this topic and join the conversation. Together, we can promote body positivity and embrace individuality.
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