Where in the world is Angie's C-section scar?

As part of Allure's annual feats in airbrushing artsy nude celebrity issue, Angie Harmon, Gabrielle Union; Jill Scott, Zoe McLellan (of ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money"); and Ana Ortiz ("Ugly Betty") all doffed their clothes in the name of body love and promoting self esteem.

That's great! Show us real bodies! Show us Jill Scott in all of her full-figured, powerfully-voiced glory. Show us Angie Harmon - how did she get that insane body back so quickly post-baby?

Well, here are some of the pictures, the models tastefully concealed by nature's luckiest branches and flowers.

Here's a quote from Angie :
"The hardest part was when the robe came off and I was like, 'And now I'm… naked.' You wonder if they can see your Caesarean scar."

Um...nope - looks like that got photoshopped away!

I will say, it appears they kept the notion of her being full-figured in tact, though she may have been slimmed overall a tad. Admittedly, I can't help but wonder, where are her nipples? On such an admirable pair of breasts, surely they can't be totally obscured by two little baby's breath flowers?) Says Jill in the magazine: “Nobody ever celebrates women whose bodies are bigger than a size 8. But here I am, naked in a magazine at size 16. I hope that I can be an inspiration to all women. We’re all beautiful, each and every one of us.”
Like it.

And, for even more viewing pleasure, Gabrielle Union:

She said something about amping up her workout before the photo shoot but I recycled my magazine already so if you have the quote, please do leave it in Comments!

Your thoughts on all of this? Is it a move forward to show strong, healthy women baring (almost) all as a testimony to their self-confidence and appreciation for their bodies? Or does the impressive amount of airbrushing cancel out those good intentions? Isn't that kind of like a doctor counseling a patient to stop smoking, then sneaking a cig out back by the ambulance entry?

Oh! Speaking of nude photos, what do we all think of this?

Comments

your comment about the nipples cracks me up! Yes, where are they?!

I think the whole photoshop process takes away from the entire message. Where are their flaws?

and wasn't that grass uncomfortable?!

I read in an old shape magazine i have that angie harmon does not work out, she just "chases her kid around." Thats fine, but should she really be on the cover of shape then?

Anyway, I love how the Jill Scott (I dont even know who that is. Oh, God, am I showing my young age?) picture is way more covered up than the others. And i dont get how being airbrushed and naked is supposed to make people feel good about themselves? I will now somehow have the courage to frolick naked? I want to know what these girls look like under florescent lights, like we are all stuck with. especially in dressing rooms-i feel like Im in an operating room. Why do they do that?

I knew you were going to mention the Miley thing. I dont so much take offense to her bare back but the fact her lipstick is smeared all over her face like a cheap hooker.

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I think it's great that a range of sizes were shown, but can you get more digitally altered? To me the pictures look less like, well, pictures, and more like CGI representations of the people. Basically, they look totally fake.

I have to agree that the good intentions of the women photographed is kind of just cancelled out by the blatant airbrushing. It's too bad. That first photo of Angie Harmon is almost robotic-looking.

Even so, at least they HAVE made the effort to try to lay it all bare. I do find that admirable and perhaps in the future we'll see more celebrities celebrating their health in this way and sending out a positive message (minus the airbrushing!).

OK, the thing that pi**es me off about the Mylee(SP?) Cyrus thing is that she is 15!!!! And WHY, WHY WHY WHY do these girls have to take their tops off in order to be taken "seriously" as an adult?! This is the ONLY industry where a woman has to get naked to be seen as a grownup. Which, BTW, she isn't. She's 15.
As for other other photos, they're all beautiful women, but way too airbrushed. It takes away from the good intentions. (Why NOT show Angie Harmon's scar? It's from childbirth, it's a beautiful thing!)

Um, I don't see Angie Harmon? Just 2 pics of Jill Scott. Although I'm sure she's lovely nekkid.

My thoughts exactly about the (lack of) nipples.

Does anyone else think that Mylie looks like she has tuberculosis in that shot?? I know I should be all upset about the nakedness (but after Vanessa Hudgens & Lindsay Lohan and all the other underage nudie pics, I just roll my eyes and move on) but I'm really bothered by the fact that they made her look DEAD.

When the page refreshed with my comment, the angie harmon pic appeared like magic!! (Leslie magic;) Yep- no scar. No pubic hair either - must've got a pre-shoot brazilian. Or do they have an on-set waxer? Or do they airbrush that out too? 'Cause that would be the awesomest job ever - I'd be tempted to leave one little curly hair. Kind of like a shout out, you know? Somehow I think Alyssa will know the answer to this one;)

Angies scar might be lower down.

I was at the Los Angeles Times book festival (lots of authors signing books and giving lectures) and got to see Padma Lakshami (a model and Top Chef host, also Salmon Rushdie's recent ex). She had a big (yes, big) scar on her arm that she says she tells producers to not edit out. she was so open about talking about her weight yesterday (promoting her new cook book) and said that she's happy yo be a "model" foodie. She did look great, not too skinny and it was refreshing that she wore a revealing tank top of her scar.

Waif - I am OBSESSED with Padma. I think she is so incredibly gorgeous and her scar story is uber-empowering. I saw her on Top Chef last week eating dessert after dessert in this slim pencil skirt and was, like, how does she eat so much and maintain that incredible bod? B/c she doesn't strike me as the crazy workout type.

If the magazine is going for the attempt of showing real beauty and showcasing self esteem, I'd like to see more averaged sized women, not Hollywood average with the token full figured woman.

The way Jill Scott's body was covered just screams the magazine/media's ideas and uncomfort including a full figured model. With the quotes, it seems like Ms. Scott was the most confident about the shoot, yet her body was the least celebrated, how about them apples?

I think the most disturbing thing about the Miley Cyrus picture is that she looks like a starving heroin addict. She's a very pretty girl but this picture doesn't show that at all. If she's gonna pose nude (or nude-ish) okay, that's between her and her parents and Disney. But at least don't make her look dreadful...

As for the Shape pictures...it is vaguely nauseating to see airbrushed pictures promoting self-esteem. Um. What? Yeah, these ladies are beautiful. But come on...they're not average at all. Not by anyone's definition. And whatever average-ness they may possess is carefully edited away. So to me, that's not really any different from any other pictures I've seen of them...

V.

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well leslie, i just posted the picture i took of her yesterday on "this waif cooks" (click on my name). I dont think you can see her scar though but she displayed is shamelessly, kudos to her for that!

Hmm it seems to me that they let the lovely lean ladies laze about in their birthday suit, but when it comes to the 'fat' chick, they cover her up with a big old bush (pardon the pun..). What's up with that?

Yeah, the whole thing elicited a massive eye-roll for me. "Time to celebrate the female form, folks! Let's photograph gorgeous actresses in the buff with a Vaseline-smeared lens and then photoshop them til they look like video-game characters! Oh, and the fat chick? Here's a plastic tree -- you know what to do."

I love my Allure, but please.

Leslie,
What about Padma makes you think she does not work out? how can you possibly know that just by looking? I read a very interesting interview with her in Time out NY and she says she gains 10-12lb every season from all the eating but as she's so tall you cant tell. I think she said she does work out too, cant remember.

When i saw Padma on sunday, she said she DOES work out and that they keep a jump rope on set (jokingly, but i got the idea). she said she's not one of those gym fanatics but does engage in regular activity. she also said the costumer keeps a "bigger" sized wardrobe for later on in the season.

I think I'm either really oblivious, or way too European, but I don't see anything sexual in that picture of Miley Cyrus.. I see a little girl that just came out of the bath tub.
(That might embarrass her as well.. :S)

I think the most disturbing thing about the Miley Cyrus picture is that she looks like a starving heroin addict. She's a very pretty girl but this picture doesn't show that at all.