In defense of Beyonce

Despite a self-titled album discussing the issues of beauty and her definition of what it means to be a feminist, Beyoncé fell victim to a recent Photoshop scandal.

Last week, The Beyoncé World released photos of Beyoncé during a L’Oreal photoshoot, showcasing how the singer looks without touch-ups. But after receiving strong backlash from fans, the website took the photos down and released an apology.

“Due to the disdain of the BeyHive, we have removed the photos,” the statement read. “We were just posting the photos to share the fact that our queen is naturally beautiful, at the same time she is just a regular woman.”

Right before Beyoncé’s untouched photos were leaked, an image of a 2013 Cindy Crawford photoshoot was released on Twitter.

Both leaks show women we consider beautiful with flaws, from sagging skin to blemishes.

But what confuses me is the backlash these women received, reawakening the continuing debate on fooling the public with touch-ups and edits. Isn’t it common knowledge that everyone is flawed?

Beyoncé’s message in “Flawless” isn’t that she is perfect but rather how her confidence motivates her. The comments I saw about Beyoncé pretending to be more than she is or being fake infuriated me.

Why do we put celebrities on such high pedestals? There is such a fascination with fame and wealth that people try to live vicariously through their favorite stars to get a taste of what it feels like.

Why else do tabloids exist, if not to continue fueling the fire for more?

I’m not saying airbrushing is a good thing. It isn’t healthy for children to grow up and only see flawless models in magazines, TV or movies. But at the same time, this obsessive fascination with celebrities needs to stop — especially with women.

This expectation is impossible for anyone to reach, and it’s unfair for the public to assume Beyoncé and Cindy Crawford are perfect. We need to stop subjecting women to such heavy criticism.

I’m tired of seeing rude or mocking comments about actresses or female singers who aren’t wearing makeup or some glammed-up outfit.

Stop trying to pin these women down with unrealistic hopes and instead focus on their work, their art or their craft. I don’t love Beyoncé because of her face but because of her music and what she stands for.

I wish people would realize that everyone is human. We cannot just blame the media for all these unrealistic goals about beauty. This endless cycle of bashing people occurs on every level, and it’s not just shallow — it’s also incredibly harmful.