Mario Testino shot Keira Knightley for the December cover of Allure, which depicts her with her jacket open to reveal her breasts, one of which is definitely missing a nipple (the left one is spared this indignity, as it’s obscured by her hand). Ironically, the corresponding interview includes this quote about Photoshopping:
They always pencil in my boobs. I was only angry when they were really droopy. For King Arthur, for a poster, they gave me these really strange droopy tits … I thought, well if you’re going to make me fantasy breasts, at least make perky breasts.
Nothing about erased nipples, but pick your battles, no? She also has this to say about feminism, which is interesting:
I am a feminist, but I clearly objectify myself – so that right there is a total contradiction to feminist principles.
At least she has the balls to admit this. In a nutshell, she sums up one of the biggest catch-22s with modern-day gender politics — that women sometimes enjoy being objectified, and can even feel empowered by it. It’s common knowledge that looking great, and getting approval for doing so, feels good; plenty of men feel the same way, and are increasingly feeling pressure to emulate physical ideals in pop culture. Maybe the most realistic way to address female objectification is to apply the same standards to men and make it gender-neutral. Next up: airbrushing away man-nips, perhaps? Or maybe they’ll start with eliminating male armpit fur.