Kerry Washington posted an Instagram that let us all know exactly how she felt about her Adweek magazine cover.
So…You know me. I’m not one to be quiet about a magazine cover. I always celebrate it when a respected publication invites me to grace their pages. It’s an honor. And a privilege. And ADWEEK is no exception.
I love ADWEEK. It’s a publication I appreciate. And learn from. I’ve long followed them on Twitter. And when they invited me to do a cover, I was excited and thrilled. And the truth is, I’m still excited. I’m proud of the article. And I like some of the inside images a great deal. But, I have to be honest…I was taken aback by the cover.
Look, I’m no stranger to Photoshopping. It happens a lot. In a way, we have become a society of picture adjusters – who doesn’t love a filter?!? And I don’t always take these adjustments to task but I have had the opportunity to address the impact of my altered image in the past and I think it’s a valuable conversation.
Yesterday, however, I just felt weary. It felt strange to look at a picture of myself that is so different from what I look like when I look in the mirror. It’s an unfortunate feeling.
That being said. You all have been very kind and supportive. Also, as I’ve said, I’m very proud of the article.
There are a few things we discussed in the interview that were left out. Things that are important to me (like: the importance of strong professional support and my awesome professional team) and I’ve been thinking about how to discuss those things with anyone who is interested, in an alternate forum. But until then…Grab this week’s ADWEEK. Read it. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for being patient with me while I figured out how to post this in a way that felt both celebratory and honest.
XOXOXOX
This isn’t the first time that the actress has been the victim of problematic photo editing. Her InStyle cover last year warranted the same kind of response and fans made it clear that they weren’t pleased with the way that editing lightened Washington’s original skin color.
Instyle, with no choice but to rebut, made a statement saying,”We are super fans of Kerry Washington here at InStyle. To feature her on the cover of our March spring fashion issue is both an honor and a delight. We have heard from those who have spoken out about our newsstand cover photograph, concerned that Kerry’s skin tone was lightened. While we did not digitally lighten Kerry’s skin tone, our cover lighting has likely contributed to this concern. We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt. We are listening, and the feedback has been valuable. We are committed to ensuring that this experience has a positive influence on the ways in which we present all women going forward.” Adweek is now in the same predicament.
Jim Cooper, the editorial director for the magazine sent this tweet in response to Kerry Washington, not long after her Instagram post went up.
Happy @kerrywashington was proud of her Adweek profile, sad cover misses for her. Added volume to hair for dramatic effect. No disrespect.
— Jim Cooper (@jcoopernyc) April 6, 2016
Photoshopping on magazine covers is an extremely common practice in the industry, especially when it comes the skin tones of Black people and other PoC. However, as time passes the consumers and, often, the subjects of the photos are making a point to speak out and make it clear that there is a line and it should not be crossed. Hopefully, this will be an example for other companies in the future to be cognizant of that.
What do you think about Kerry Washington’s Adweek cover? Let us know in the comments.
