# Pageant photos shouldn't look so creepy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398 "2008-05-23T18:47:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/1 "2008-05-23T18:47:03Z")
So I **stumbled** upon This website. I have no issues with the site itself, just with the add in the upper right corner for a site called [pageantphotoretouching.com](http://pageantphotoretouching.com). Hey, the site may be great but that picture just looks…wrong. Wrong on so many levels, from the head being the wrong size to the over the top hair to just looking like something out of a bad '50s clip art illustration. Of course, that could be a description of child beauty pageants in their entirety, i suppose. On review I find the ad in that slot changes, so you might not see the pic I was looking at. If you do, you’ll know what I’m talking about. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/2 "2008-05-23T18:52:06Z")
Was it one of the photos on the [actual website](http://pageantphotoretouching.com)? Cause those are creepy enough. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/3 "2008-05-23T19:01:12Z")
That site has been discussed here before. Creepy as hell. Especially the “doll eyes.” It’s funny, that site - it’s like she read one tutorial on how to retouch “magazine style,” decided she was an expert, and put a webpage together. What she’s doing is technically correct - putting the image on two layers, heavily blurring the top layer, unsharp masking the bottom layer, and then masking the detail areas to blend the two images. Adding layers of digital rouge and blurring them… etc… Ordinarily, though - you would set the opacity of these layers much lower, so the effect would look more-or-less realistic – instead of making the kids look like they’re made of vinyl. Yecch. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/4 "2008-05-23T19:13:13Z")
What’s particularly creepy is that Alycia CAN do a more traditional airbrush cleanup shot, but is offering the doll-eyes look as an extra level of product - suggesting that pageant people and/or parents actually WANT that look. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/5 "2008-05-23T19:13:17Z")
Yikes! [Website Disabled](http://naturalbeautiescontest.homestead.com/retouch1aaaa2.html) Also, this girl looks like Chucky: [Website Disabled](http://naturalbeautiescontest.homestead.com/retoucha.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/6 "2008-05-23T19:27:55Z")
As if pageant culture wasn’t creepy enough… _shudder_ There’s really something quite disturbing about the idea that someone would actually take the time to retouch a baby photo to “remove dark circles” and “remove drool”. Og forbid the baby actually look alive or anything - makes you wonder if these pageant moms ever evolved past the stage of playing with dollies. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/7 "2008-05-23T19:42:25Z")
Isn’t there an island for these people somewhere… in mid-ocean, frequently swept by storms? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/8 "2008-05-23T19:45:44Z")
They turned that second kid into an American Girl doll, fercrissakes. Sorry…I’m creeped out. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/9 "2008-05-23T19:46:36Z")
With the lip gloss she looks like Little Debbie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/10 "2008-05-23T19:51:07Z")
That’s not so bad. I was expecting a link to [this.](http://www.kelsphotocreations.com/beforeafter_roll.htm) Living Bratz dolls! :eek: I don’t know why they even bother taking photos of the kids. It’s all photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/11 "2008-05-23T19:52:49Z")
[QUOTE=MagicEyes] That’s not so bad. I was expecting a link to [this.](http://www.kelsphotocreations.com/beforeafter_roll.htm) Living Bratz dolls! :eek: I don’t know why they even bother taking photos of the kids. It’s all photoshop. [/QUOTE] Mouse on, mouse off…I can’t stop torturing myself. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/12 "2008-05-23T19:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] With the lip gloss she looks like Little Debbie. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Please, don’t besmirch Little Debbie. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/13 "2008-05-23T19:59:10Z")
[QUOTE=MagicEyes] That’s not so bad. I was expecting a link to [this.](http://www.kelsphotocreations.com/beforeafter_roll.htm) Living Bratz dolls! :eek: I don’t know why they even bother taking photos of the kids. It’s all photoshop. [/QUOTE] It’s not even good photoshop, either. Kel’s Photo clearly doesn’t know jack about proper shading. I’ve seen more realistic art than that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/14 "2008-05-23T20:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Please, don’t besmirch Little Debbie. [/QUOTE] Have you seen the amount of [makeup](http://www.littledebbie.com/about/brief_history.asp) the little tart is wearing nowadays? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/15 "2008-05-23T20:25:15Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] Mouse on, mouse off…I can’t stop torturing myself. [/QUOTE] It is quite addicting. Mommy, mommy, mommy…I wanna look like a bad cartoon! Please, mommy, can I? Huh? Please, pretty please? ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/16 "2008-05-23T20:27:53Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Please, don’t besmirch Little Debbie. [/QUOTE] Oh dear. Too late. Sorry. ☹ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/17 "2008-05-23T20:29:11Z")
Ooh does this mean I can post my parody again? [Before](http://pics.livejournal.com/opalcat/pic/0009ery4) [After](http://pics.livejournal.com/opalcat/pic/0009h5bq) Those websites scare me :X ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/18 "2008-05-23T20:42:28Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Have you seen the amount of [makeup](http://www.littledebbie.com/about/brief_history.asp) the little tart is wearing nowadays? 🙂 [/QUOTE] That’s not makeup, that’s frosting. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/19 "2008-05-23T20:55:16Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Ooh does this mean I can post my parody again? [Before](http://pics.livejournal.com/opalcat/pic/0009ery4) [After](http://pics.livejournal.com/opalcat/pic/0009h5bq) Those websites scare me :X [/QUOTE] OK, that almost made me snort Diet Coke through my nose and all over my keyboard. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398/20 "2008-05-23T21:37:38Z")
If I were fem and found out my parents had done something like that I’d be lining up a team of lawyers for emotional distress. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pageant-photos-shouldnt-look-so-creepy/450398.md?page=2)