Sarah Murdoch's female approval rating is about to go through the roof: the already girl-crush worthy supermodel, Australia's Next Top Model host, face of Bonds, actress, mum and wife to Lachlan has gone decidedly sans Photoshop for the November cover of The Australian Women's Weekly. And she looks stunning... tiny sunspots, laugh lines and all.Weekly editor Helen McCabe tells us that despite her determination to go airbrush-free, Sarah, 37, did find it difficult "to look at the few minor imperfections that would have been easily erased by our experts" but that "she decided to take a stand after joining a committee established by federal Youth Minister Kate Ellis to tackle body-image issues among our children."
This vulnerability and humility – a willingness to show us her physical flaws, despite having built a career on her looks – is a gift to women. Sarah's spirit of generosity, which extends from her work with the Breast Cancer Foundation and Murdoch Children's Research Institute through to her new show Sarah Murdoch Hosts the Pride of Australia, is worthy of national recognition – perhaps The Weekly will catapult her to OA status? She's certainly worthy of a Covergirl Of The Year award. Some may cynically suggest that a supermodel without airbrushing is about as novel a concept as giving up chocolate for Lent, but when one's career is based on her looks – and celebrities are filtered down to an inch of their 'real selves' – this is so refreshing.
Sarah has been interviewed for the magazine by author Lee Tulloch, while next month The Weekly will be relaunching with a promising new focus on "more women, from more diverse backgrounds... artists, musicians, authors, scientists, teachers and more who might make interesting reading."
However, don't expect airbrush-free covers to become a standard at The Weekly: "I can't possibly commit to that, I'm a realist," McCabe told AAP. "There are real business imperatives why magazines have gone this way, it's a very competitive industry and I'm at this stage just taking a little baby step and seeing how this goes for now...The one point I have to make is that this is possibly one of, if not the most beautiful woman in Australia that I've done this to, so the risk is not that high."
Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel
5 comments:
And yet she hosts Australia's Next Top Model - you know, that show that's all about reality and the inner beauty...
As if AWW give a toss about women's self-esteem. It's just a cynical attempt to boost their flagging sales.
I think it's a step in the right direction. I think it's about awareness. Of course she's not the typical Australian female. She's a supermodel.
But it's showing Australian women that she's human. She's lived. She has laugh lines. Her arms crease in little folds when she moves. Her teeth aren't the perfect shade of white. She's flawed.
I love that. I don't need every magazine to be a huge dose of reality. I just need a little bit now and then to assure me that I'm okay. Nobody is perfect, including Sarah.
Props to Sarah and the AWW, I say. It's so easy to write it off (she's classically beautiful anyway, there are no doubt many retouched images inside the magazine...) but I'm keen to support anyone seen to be doing SOMETHING.
It's a start.
I think this is brilliant - the shots are still beautiful & prove that you don't have to be photoshopped to be gorgeous! Not so fussed as to whether it is about Women's Weekly or not, for me it is more about Sarah and it is impressive that someone who has created a career around beauty is taking that step!
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