Back in skinny jeans

Are Full Face Shots the New Cover Trend, and Is That Better?

Angelina Jolie is the cover girl for November's Harper's Bazaar UK, and what caught my attention right away was the fact that it was just Angelina's face.

Now granted, this cover is definitely photoshopped to make things like her eye color pop and her skin flawless, but I was trying to remember the last time I saw a women's magazine cover that was only face and no body. My memory is hazy and I couldn't recall any. Can you?

So, then I got to wondering if the full face shot would be the newest trend in cover shots, and would that be better, worse, or make no difference in terms of the beauty illusion that the mag covers keep trying to brainwash us with. Here's my thoughts:

Upside
Faces are interesting. You can read much in a person's eyes especially when it's close up. You can get a huge smile, and just see smile. A face can convey way more emotions. The face/headline combo could emphasize more the "this is what we think" image kinda like the bubble sayings we add in a scrapbook. Focuses less on what a woman's body looks like. Opens the door for more models who have a beautiful, interesting face but not necessarily the perfect sub-size 4 body that editors tend to pick.

Downside
Focusing on the face just gives women something more to nitpick and compare themselves to. "Now I gotta worry about how perfect my face looks because it's all about the face." Full face shots of perfection are just going to catapult women to buy more anti-aging and anti-wrinkle cream out of fear.

No Different
Doesn't matter if it's face only or full body shot, it's still selling unrealistic standard of beauty. No one has perfect flawless skin like that, and has a face that looks like near perfection. Preference will still go to those models and celebs who fit a certain look and standard of magazine cover beauty.

Now then, what do you all think?

Why did Italian GQ choose this startling Helena Christensen cover?

This September Italian GQ cover really troubled me. I would like to know what the Editor-in-Chief was thinking when he/she approved this shot because the skeletal image is frighteningly unhealthy on so many levels. Is it a cultural point of view of beauty? Is it the fashionista view of Helena through distorted goggles? Do men in Italy really find this look sexy?

The pictures inside the magazine of Helena are better although a couple have that American Apparel flavor to it. At 39, it's great that the Italian fashionistas will feature older models beyond the typical teen to 20-somethings. However, GQ could have gone with a much wiser shot than this. You think that US GQ would ever go with a cover like this, yes/no? Although, US GQ is not totally without crime because they did photoshop to the nines Kate Winslet without her permission and she let them have it.

When Thinspo type images like this appear on a men's magazine do you think it does more damage to perceptions of beauty and body image than say if it were the cover of Vogue a woman's magazine, or it wouldn't matter because it's unhealthy either way?

Cool or TMI: Angelina Jolie on the cover of W magazine breastfeeding

On the cover of the newest issue of W magazine is Angelina Jolie breastfeeding one of her baby twins. The picture was taken by Brad Dad, and there are more pictures in the magazine.

I think the picture itself is beautiful but on the cover of W is a bit odd to me although it is the "Art Issue" so I guess that would be fine. The placement has a slight taste of "anything with Angie and baby will sell millions of copies." On the other hand too, I find the naturalness of the shot refreshing as opposed to looking at yet another coutured up model with dead eyes or some glamed up celeb with her baby on a set. Perhaps too, I'm just thinking way too much about this, but what the heck, it's good Friday fun bits.

So, I'm curious, what do you all think of this shot as a cover picture for fashion magazine W, cool or too much information?

Source: Daily Mail

Set Your Tivos today: Christina Applegate shares her healing journey from breast cancer on Oprah

This is a must see today! I will be glued to the set. Christina Applegate is going to be the guest on Oprah today, and she will share the real story behind her healing from breast cancer, as well as why she choose to have a double mastectomy, and how she is now cancer free without chemo.

I believe hearing Christina's perspective will be a particularly growing experience for BISJ readers because many of us tie so much of our self esteem into our beauty and what we think beauty is. Here we have an actress who's had the bulk of her career based on her hot looks having to make a decision to let go a part of her that was tied in so much to her allure (as far as the casting couch goes).

The audience too will be filled with other breast cancer survivors who share their stories. Indeed, this will be a very inspiring episode!

Role (or Not) Model Stylist: Is Rachel Zoe really a "pox on humanity?"

As you can tell, I'm playing catch up. The NY Times had a rather scathing review of Rachel Zoe's new Bravo show The Rachel Zoe Project, calling the celeb glam stylist a "pox on humanity" further elaborating "Ms. Zoe is exploiting an aesthetic of dissipation, invading our collective consciousness and spraying it with dummy dust." Yikes! Scratch some eyes out girl.

Via reruns, I finally checked out the first two episodes of Zoe & Co and I can see the "dummy dust" part, but I wouldn't call Ms. "That's Bananas" a pox on humanity, but maybe more a pox on cable TV, and even then her show is not as sickening as some of that horrifying stuff on the FOX network. I do give her credit for this, Rachel is most definitely a master at creating that Cinderalla look for her clients. The looks she picked for Joy Bryant and Debra Messing were stunning.

Now, even though I don't think Rachel "Shut it Down" Zoe is a pox, I don't necessarily think she is the best of role models either. She has a serious skinny distortion filter, exemplified when she says stuff like, "it's already 7pm and I've only 'had coffee and a grapefruit' all day" or "Truthfully, I've never seen myself as being too thin" when Bazaar had to reverse photoshop her and bulk her up from a 0 to an 8.

Wearing thin also {pun included} is the "blowing superficial things out of proportion" filter like when she equated a puddle in her studio to some Katrina-like flood which could have totally ruined her relationships with the designers because the hems got wet. Um, I'm thinking you could rip the couture to shreds and the designers would still send you stuff because hello, they want a red carpet PR gem with an A-list celeb.

I like Brad and her hubbie Roger. The men on the show seem like the only grounded ones. Why Taylor is so mean to Brad is beyond me, but every reality show has to have the high maintnence drama mixer-upper.

The Rachel Zoe Project is worth at least checking out if 1. You want to see the fashions RZ has to choose from, and they are pretty fashionista amazing, and 2. You can put your reality judgments in check for a moment, and remember the context in which RZ works in, nada on spiritual or soul depth but just good old fashioned fairy tale red carpet moments. It's like those moments you take a break from your organic no processed food diet and go eat a Twinkie. Just enjoy it for what it is, nothing more.

Set your Tivos for Medal Frenzy: Olympians show off their shiny medals on Oprah

Check out the hotness that is Dara Torres and her shiny Olympic medals with Oprah. These women rock my world!

Dara joins her fellow Olympian champs with their medals on Oprah's season opener which is tomorrow, Monday (9/8). And yes folks, over 175 US Olympic medalist all together in one place is a frenzy in a most goose-bumpy way so this show is a MUST watch.

Like Dara, l think female Olympians like Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Lisa Leslie, Misty May-Treanor, and Kerri Walsh remind us of the amazing levels of strength, commitment, and power women can reach. I particularly resonate with Dara Torres because she reminds us that "old schmold" is all mental in our youth obsessed culture, and that if you can kick ass, you can kick ass no matter what. Dara inspires me on many levels.

For a quick preview, after the jump, here's some other behind-the-scenes shots of the Olympians with Oprah including yes the astounding Michael Phelps.

Thoughts: Is curvaceous a trend? Calvin Klein thinks so

Get ready for Calvin Klein's "Seductive Comfort" underwear featuring ads with curvaceous Eva Mendes. Tom Murry, president and chief operating officer of Calvin Klein Inc. says of the new campaign:

"This is a departure from more slender body types that have typically been used in Calvin Klein Underwear ads. But this is not so much about a trend of being more curvaceous. This [bra] product is made for a curvaceous woman."

First thought in Steph's head: So Tom, really, insert foot in mouth. More Seductive Comfort ads with Eva.

Thoughts folks?

Gisele Bundchen wants me to take global destruction seriously as her tooshie hangs out

Yesterday, pictures of Gisele Bundchen in her new spread for V magazine came out along with tidbits from the accompanying interview. I don't know what was worse to me, the fact that the ripped faded jeans look is coming back from the grave or that Gisele is trying to convince us of her convictions while she poses practically naked in clothing that makes no sense at all.

I have no doubt that Gisele is a smart, bright, caring and competent young woman. She does speak five languages, is world traveled and that's very impressive. However, there's a place and a context to discuss certain topics, and in this case, the execution is all off. I know I said I was going to talk less about stuff like this, but I just have to say something because this really gets under my skin. Here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head on certain parts of her interview:

Gisele: Only Mario [Testino] could make me take those pictures. Ah! The only person that can get me to do stuff like this is Mario.

Steph's head: And I'm sure getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars is quite motivating too.

Gisele on her thoughts on the aggressiveness of the Paparazzi: Believe me, if I had my way I would go around punching people.

Steph's head: Agreed that the paparazzi is annoying and pain in the arse but saying out loud in print that you'd go Naomi Campbell is so not role modelish.

Gisele on fashion: I work in fashion but I’m not really a fashion person. I don’t follow trends. I couldn’t tell you which designer made that shoe or that bag.

Steph's head: Oh please! You are the highest paid model in the world because of your multiple business pursuits all related to fashion which makes you a savvy business person, and everyone who is savvy in their field knows exactly what the trends are and who is hot. For one second, I don't believe you don't know your industry.

Gisele on her  job role: I just do what is expected of me and become the persona they want. When I’m there (at a photo shoot) I’m not Gisele—’cause believe me I have opinions about everything—I’m a canvas. I’ve accepted that.

Steph's head: Will add comment after next statement

Gisele on young girls and gossip magazines: The other day at the airport I stopped to buy a magazine—I like design magazines, like Architectural Digest—and saw this little girl, maybe 15, who had five magazines, all gossip magazines! I wanted to ask her mother, “Why is your daughter reading this garbage? What do you think it’s going to inspire your daughter to be in her life?”

Steph's head: Well Gisele she aspires to be like you, a model who makes millions of dollars selling fantasy. She like many other girls wants to become world famous because they're a model just like you. Girls want to date cute rich celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady. These girls want to be canvas like you because that's how young girls become millionaires and get showered with attention nowadays through their bodies and beauty. What have you been doing Gisele to enrich the minds and souls of young girls? What have you been doing to help young girls realize that there is more to them than being just a pretty face and hot body in a pair of low cut Daisy Dukes? How can you yell at the problem if you are contributing to the problem that pays you millions of dollars?

Gisele on what good works she has been doing: In the last three years I’ve been donating proceeds to protect local water sources and replant forests. Look, I have a huge concern for so many other things going on in the world. I paid for a study about violence that is being edited into a book at the end of the year; we researched for three and a half years with fifty sociologists. While everyone is going around saying crazy things about my life I’m concerned with the destruction of our planet. Why don’t they talk about that? Or, forget about what I’m doing altogether, why don’t they talk about what’s going on in the environment in these magazines?

Steph's head: Because Gisele gossip magazines are designed to sell gossip like fashion magazines are designed to sell clothes, shoes, and purses. And it is because of those gossip rags that your "it" factor stays on the rise which helps you get paid more millions. So in a way, you are kinda spitting on the plate that feeds you. Plus has it dawned on you that many of the fashions which you model are made in factories polluting the planet, and are made by companies taking advantage of cheap labor in poor countries.

But besides that, how are we supposed to take you seriously about the destruction of the planet when you're half naked and your ass is hanging out of your shorts. When you start showing up in places like Time or Green Living with some decent clothes on, then I'll start taking you to heart. Show me some consistency. But for now, if you're going to do shoots like this V magazine spread, just stick to telling us about how you like Mario and how fabulous the clothes are. And seriously, I hope to goodness that ripped faded denim is NOT coming back. Please say it ain't so!

She's alive! Dr. Elle creates Franken-Mariah

This August Elle cover of Mariah Carey is right up there in photo-franken tricks like Gywenth Paltrow on Vogue. You'd think that Elle would at least put Mariah's head on right. It looks she is literally trying to screw her head back onto Keira Knightley's body.

At least she is not in a bikini, finally. Elle was nice enough to save the bikini shots for inside the magazine. I'm so grateful because frankly I've gotten Mariah bikini fatigue. It's nice to see her in a full outfit that isn't, her of late, hoochie-wear.

So, I'm fiesty today.

Calling hypocrisy: It's okay to call male actors "fat" but not the ladies

Here's a different kind of double standard. Matt Damon has gained weight for a movie he is filming now, The Informant, and somehow it's okay to call him fat and a fat geek without sending the Internets into an uproar like what happened with Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

"But Steph, that's different. Matt got fat for a movie. He did it on purpose, and he is fat. Tyra and Jennifer are not fat they just gained a little weight and it was mean."

So, why should it be any different male or female to call anyone "fat" on a media site because they have gained weight for whatever reason? Let's take this example, Jezebel says, "We Are Definitely Not Fucking Matt Damon" and puts up a picture of Matt in swim trunks where he has obviously gained weight, and looks un-doable to the fat critics because he's doesn't have a Jason Bourne bod anymore. Yeah Matt has gained weight but he's no Jabba the Hut.

Now, what if a shot of a heavy Charlize Theron when she gained weight for her Monster role went up on Jezebel and read, "We Are Definitely Not Fucking Charlize Theron." Commenters from around the land would be spit firing and vilifying Jezebel. But here's the thing, they would never do something like that to Charlize but yet somehow they found it okay to do it to Matt. That is so grossly two faced, and really to me it is no different than what the blogs did to Tyra Banks.

Seriously, Jezebel needs to put themselves on their own MissDemeanors list but for MisterDemeanors, for being jerks to Matt and eating their own hypocrisy sandwich. How can you preach about how the media is mean to female actresses about fat issues, and then turn around and be mean to a guy because he's gained weight for a movie role. And in January, Jezebel, didn't you announce a policy where you said, "We take special care not to criticize the weight, wrinkles or cellulite of the women we feature" because you said that it is considered girl-on-girl crime? But now, it's okay to criticize the weight and get Perez Hilton-like if it is a man? What you did to Matt is equally "not right." 

And I'm also pretty shocked that PopSugar called Matt fat since PopSugar.com started because of her love of all things Matt Damon, and they would never label any female celeb, "Fat but still powerful." With that same headline you could swap out Matt's picture for Oprah's, and if they did that watch the shit storm hit the fan. But again, Pop would never do that to a female actress.

I'm shaking my head in disbelief here. Thoughts people?