We’re so old we remember the controversy over TIME magazine darkening O.J. Simpson’s mug shot for its cover, eliciting accusations of racism. And then there’s that photo of the Capitol riot they always use that makes it look like the building’s surrounded by flames. Altering photos is pretty sketchy business.
We did a post the other day about the TODAY Show’s piece on transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, but we’d missed this among all of the enthusiasm the reporter seemed to show for Thomas’ chances. Somebody noticed it, though, and now we can’t unsee it. Why did NBC News put a soft filter on Thomas’ face?
im crying why did NBC Today airbrush the FUCK out of this picture lmaooooo pic.twitter.com/YDwuVU3Cj3
— Perfect Sweetie Pagliacci (Devilish!) (@NeoPagliacci) March 19, 2022
I know, right? Compare and contrast… pic.twitter.com/yQq5e5KnEY
— Sandieannie (@Sandieannie1910) March 17, 2022
It’s pretty damn obvious. Here’s the video direct from TODAY’s Twitter feed, in case you thought someone had messed with it:
Lia Thomas, a swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania, will compete to become the first Division 1 openly transgender athlete to be crowned a national champion. @ReporterBlayne reports. pic.twitter.com/LahSBHZj4w
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 17, 2022
Just an even closer look….. pic.twitter.com/ym7MwqMMra
— Pi♤n○Dentℹst 🟥🏴 (@PianoDentist86) March 18, 2022
Cause girls love filters, lol
— Chris Barr (@Barsky42) March 19, 2022
Recommended
Close. Soft filter. Used a lot in 50s early 60s movies on women.
— 🇺🇸 LGBTQ Pastor ✝️ Dawn🏳️🌈 (@LGBTQPastor) March 19, 2022
Those old movies are fun when it’s really obvious; watch as the camera cuts from the female actor to the male actor — suddenly everything’s in focus.
You know why Anna
— J.P. Hacksworth (@WhiteFunk89) March 19, 2022
Gotta soften that jawline lol
— grumblepantsmcgee (@awkwardwhitee) March 19, 2022
Wtf 😂😂😂😂
— Catherine (@321_cheese) March 19, 2022
Is this to give the “feminine” glow 🙄 pathetic
— Elizabeth (@Eliznic) March 18, 2022
To look less manly ? Too bad you need more than airbrush to conceal other stuff
— 🔮✨ (@clevergirlmf) March 19, 2022
Exactly. They need to airbrush his vulva.
— Imgur is a leftist cesspool (@NickKao13) March 19, 2022
I don’t know. Let’s ask them. @NBC why did you falsify them images?
— TweetTee (@TCTWTS) March 19, 2022
— CornPop ☭ (@RealC0rnP0p) March 19, 2022
— sarainitaly 🇺🇸🇮🇹 (@sarainitaly) March 19, 2022
Yes, and nice job too, totally looks like a woman now 🙄
— La Plunking Otter (@PlunkingOtter) March 19, 2022
That's like what Rolling Stone did to the Boston Bomber when he was on their front page. He looked like glamor model.
— kwispymind (@kwispymind1) March 19, 2022
Journalists used to get fired for airbrushing news photographs. Now they're airbrushing Lia Thomas (for obvious reasons) and apparently that is journalism.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 19, 2022
I’m over it. Title IX has become a joke.
— Howard Steele (@HowardSteele5) March 19, 2022
It’s weird because NBC News seems to have used the unaltered photo as well, and the thing is, someone had to put time into this — it didn’t just happen.
Related:
TODAY does a segment on the ‘transgender swimmer controversy’ surrounding Lia Thomas https://t.co/dGENzOKtU8
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 18, 2022
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