Anyone who saw the Féria hair color ad in this month’s Elle (pictured, left) might have had to do a double-take to make sure it was really Beyoncé, and not the long-lost twin of the light-skinned model on the product’s box. Today, in a NY Post report cheekily headlined "O, RÉALLY?," L’Oréal reps deny altering the singer’s features and skin tone. The chairman of the media-monitoring committee of theNational Association of Black Journalists even chimed in, arguing that "magazines have to besensitive to perceptions that light-skinned African Americans are moreacceptable."
By now, most of us are used to pretty much all commercial images of celebrities getting the Photoshopped-into-oblivion treatment. But shouldn’t there be some sort of line here? We don’t know exactly what or who is responsible — severe makeup? odd lighting? digital alteration? too much time indoors? — for making Beyoncé practically unrecognizable. Whatever the culprit, whitewashing a well-known face in the interest of selling hair color (that is wrong for ‘yoncers anyway) takes the "anything for a great shot" argument a little too far.
What do you think — does the ad offend you, or is this sort of "optimized" commercial image safe in the plasticine land of Fictionarnia we’ve all come to generally accept at this point, and therefore unworthy of a second thought?
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Just out of curiousity, what IS Beyonce’s shade anyway? I mean, I have seen pictures and movies where sometimes her skin shade (due to foundation and or photoshop)has been either lighter or darker. Rhianna is light skinned, and she even admitted that when she went to school in Barbados, she was often taunted because she was lighter than the rest of the girls. But even she’s not as light as the picture on the left. That picture looks ridiculous. Bottom line, if you are marketing a product for women of color, leave the skin tone alone. It should not matter at all.
Any photo I see these days (unless I take it myself) I asume the person has been digitized, lightened, darkend, enhanced, amped, stretched, augmented and generally enahnced to sell whatever. Bottom line? Non-issue.
For whatever reason, neither of them really looks like Beyonce to me. But if I guessed, I would have said the lighter skinned one, even though she’s far too light. The other Beyonce looks darker than I think of her.
I thought I knew what Beyonce looked like, but apparently I have no clue.
They don’t look alike to me. Maybe the same makeup and eyebrows, but I wouldn’t think they were twins or that one had been lightened (though I’m sure other PhotoShopping had been done).
Oh please. As a dark-skinned Black man, I can tell you I’ve seen pictures of myself that vary widely in complexion. It’s just one of those things. Heck, I’ve noticed the same thing with Whites. Some photos look darker than others. This is way overblown. (And I’m not even a Beyonce fan.)
I didn’t think the darker picture looked like her either!
i think they both look like horrible pics, not a fan but to be honest she looks 10 times better in the lighter shade….
Beyonce’s hair has always been blondish in color – looks great on her. So the dark picture isn’t really her either. But I do say some photos on magazine covers are so changed I don’t even know who the cover is until I read it somewhere at the bottom of the 1st page.
I don’t buy that anyone did this on purpose. I mean seriously, we’re talking about BEYONCE here. Yes, it’s commonly thought that lighter skinned african-american models are more accepted… but this is no ordinary case. It’s BEYONCE! You know, sold millions of records, starred as Mike Meyers love interest in an Austin Powers film… Are there any ad execs who can possibly think she wouldn’t be accepted? What would be the argument for all of her previous success? That nobody had ever noticed how dark she was before? It’s stupid. This is a fake controversy.
I am so way over this story….. I mean if they had darken a white persons skin, as they often do, to give the person would anyone be screaming about it. This says more about the people that are complaining than anyone else. All this talk of being lighter being more “accepted”, accepted by whom and why does anyone care whether random people accept them and think them beautiful. I mean come on… does this affect career/education, ability to own a business, buy/rent a house or in anyone prosper.
I saw the picture on the left and instantly knew it was Beyonce. The picture on the right looks odd to me…
you know what i noticed more, is how they fix the left part of her lip in the lighter picture. that’s the thing that i found offensive. LOL
THIS IS DUMB
The ONLY bad thing about this “advertisement” is that Bey wears a wig and that’s a wig in the advertisement. EVERYONE knows Bey wears a wig so whoever would go and buy Lo’real because Bey is in it would be crazy anyway.
Firstly lets get something straight here. Beyonce’s hair is not her hair. It is fake extensions glued onto her scalp. Secondly, she has the last say on any pictures that are issued through advertising. It is part of the contract.
It’s the NOSE that has been altered. The bridge has been built up all the way down to look more anglo.
well… she does look pale. maybe she should have gotten some sleep the nite b4 the shoot to get rid of the darkness under her eyes lol
The pale skinned picture of Beyonce looks like Nik from America’s Next Top Model (I don’t remember which cycle it was). I don’t think L’Oreal did anything on purpose; however, we do live in a society where colorism is common so I can see why people may be upset. I’m a 22 year old dark skinned Filipino woman and I have relatives who criticize me for being too dark. However, I get compliments on my skin from those who wished they were more tan. Most of the casting seen in Filipino shows and Hispanic telenovas are those of people with paler skinned rather than dark skinned. Paler skinned people are considered more attractive in some cultures. That’s why there’s a huge market for skin lighteners/bleachers. If you want better understanding, I suggest you read “Don’t Play in the Sun” by Marita Golden.
One pic is profenssional done one the othe was taken by a normal camera, so the l’oreal pic gona look better and than the other one but at the same time i think beyonce should stop modeling for this company cuz her aint hers, she look like faith evans a few years back
Its funny how everyone here thinks they know what actually happened. None of us know if the photo was altered! Black people come in all different shades, im light skinned and at times I look lighter or darker than I usually do. Beyonce is also creole.
they took a very dark picture of her put a lighter photo of her that why this started why does it matter
It’s called lighting people. If you haven’t noticed, every woman who’s been in a make up/ hair color add, especally the L’Oreal and Neutrogena ads, is lighted in such a way that any imperfection their make-up couldn’t cover gets blown out and the end result is some sort of shiny, bright, unrealistically blemish free, and overall feature altered version of themeselves. It may be hard to belive, but that can all be done with lights, not computers, you just need a photographer who really knows how to use light.
Seriously…this is so stupid. Anyone who finds this “offensive” must live in a cave. I’ve seen many a black girl with lighter skin and I think they look just as gorgeous…and really…beauty isn’t about weather you’re black, white, tan, purple, green, or blue…Beyonce is gorgeous. The media is just blowing this way up and they haven’t realized that NO ONE REALLY CARES!
Should’t there be a law against all these big name brands thinking we the public are fools? black turned to white, wigs/weaves pass off as models own, fasle lashes passed off as models own etc, etc… been going on for years!
Isn’t it funny how a new shade of hair color can change the tone of a person’s skin? Never heard of that? Try dying your hair really dark if you’re blond or bleaching it if you’re a deep brunette. The effects are amazing!
Am with Helen and Sandy on this one but must add, Beyonce uses Loreal as much as Reese Witherspoon uses Avon and Coleen Rooney shops in Asda. Lewis Hamiltons latest advert is for Abby National although theres no sponser badge for Abby on the jumpsuit he wears. They take us for SUCKERS so they make big BUCKS. Don’t believe the hype.
This is blatantly racist and disgusting. It goes beyond implication; it outright *dictates* that beauty is found in Caucasian skin tone. — Beyonce Knowles is a gorgeous women: curves, ethnicity, and all. They make her MORE beautiful. — Shame on this company for not only altering her *identity* but denying their actions. I am wholly offended.
I don’t care if her skin is white or black… i love beyonce because she is a great singer i mean her voice is beautiful!!!
Asian magazines do it all the time. Look at Ash Rai and Bollywood actresses they bleach their skin all the time in ads and movies to lighten. Also it is common in Arabic and Oriental as well. So, it is also found in American ads. Why are people so surprised? However the difference between blacks and the Asians and Arabs is that as African Americans we love our dark skin (except Michael Jackson) therefore this is disgusting to us.
Beyonce wears a wig so who the hell is going to buy Loreal from her anyways. She would be a great advertisement for Jenny Craig since she looks like a fat waterballoon anyways.
This is kind of stupid. I knew the “lighter” one was Beyonce right away. Honestly, that one looks a lot more like the Beyonce I’ve seen on TV & in movies anyway.