WTF of the day: “The essence of you at your best”

Self magazine editor Lucy Danziger has been the target of much feminist scorn recently for the magazine’s decision to dramatically retouch a photo of Kelly Clarkson for their September issue, slimming down the curvy singer. This morning, Danziger went on “The Today Show” alongside plus-size model and “More to Love” host Emme to discuss the scandal. She was unapologetic about the Photoshop debacle, claiming that “a cover is a poster, and the thing about a poster is that you want it to capture the essence of you at your best. So we’re saying to women: ‘Look, everyone can love who they are from the inside and out and want to achieve their goals.'” I winced when Danziger proclaimed that “no one can make you feel bad, only you can feel bad inside yourself.” That kind of self-help jargon may sound good in theory. But when Self magazine’s goal is to help you feel better about your self — should they really be sending the message that “looking your best” can only be achieved using computer intervention?