Be honest, have you ever enhanced a photo that you’ve shared online? From filters to color editing and even using the Face Beauty feature on your phone, the answer is most likely yes. Thankfully, most of us aren’t scrutinized for our highly edited photos like celebrities are.
In a recent Instagram post, Paula Abdul showed that she is forever your youthful-looking girl. After attending a holiday party, the singer posted several pictures and videos of the celebration. Although the “Opposites Attract” singer looked stunning in a beautiful green dress, it wasn’t her clothing that made a splash on social media. Instead, it was her obviously edited face.
The former Laker Girls was immediately slammed for her photos. As one user said about Abdul, “The first photo you like you are 12!” Another person shared, “What in the overly edited photos are these?! Ladies, this is beneath you. And a terrible example for young women.” One Instagrammer even asked, “Is that Paula Abdul’s daughter?”
After reviewing the six photos and one video in the carousel, it’s no surprise that fans have questions for the choreographer. After all, the singer is hardly recognizable in the photos. Plus, the 60-year-old star looks nowhere near her age.
The question is, are these comments fair? Should Abdul be slammed for posting pictures of herself that are heavily edited? The short answer: no!
Women in Hollywood already have enough pressure to look a certain way. In fact, female celebrities often are forced to get plastic surgery and other procedures in order to maintain a youthful glow as they age. At the very least, many celebrities have makeup artists that can easily take off several years just with the stroke of a contour brush.
Plus, should we be criticizing anyone due to how they present themselves online? From highly edited photos to branding ourselves and carefully curating images on social media, most of us noncelebrities choose how we present ourselves to the world. And yes, that includes editing our photos.
A few replies to Abdul’s post reflect this sentiment. As one person said, “You know how much makeup young women put on! Leave Paula alone. I seriously doubt this would impact someone’s life! These young women look up to the Kardashians!!” Another user simply shared, “Paula you look gorgeous!!! Forever in your 20s!!!”
We agree! Abdul and all women should have a choice in how they present themselves online. The only important thing about the singer’s photos is that she looks like she’s having an absolute delight of a time.