Ever since the advent of high-definition television (HDTV), viewers see on-screen details in a much sharper and more realistic fashion than is the case with regular TV. Unfortunately, for some celebrities, HD also reveals how they look in real life, which means blemishes, wrinkles, puffy cheeks, baggy eyes…and all manner of features that are usually covered up by the fuzzy, grainy look of standard definition television (much like the airbrushed celebs we see on magazine covers).
Well, after days and nights of watching nearly every Blu-ray disc and Oscar telecast we could get our hands on to pick out the celebs who don’t fare well in HD, we found a few doozies. We also talked to Phillip Swann, president of HD news site TVPredictions. who has been analyzing the high def experience and mailing lists of who looks great and who looks awful in HD for years. Here’s what we found.
Cameron Diaz-
“Once upon a time Cameron Diaz was regarded as one of the most beautiful women on the planet,” says Swann. And who among the male population didn’t agree after seeing her in ‘There’s Something About Mary’ and ‘Charlie’s Angels?’ Well, unfortunately for Cameron, things changed with better picture quality. On last year’s HD Oscar telecast, her puffy cheeks and dark-circled eyes stuck out; this year was no exception, as Diaz also looked a wee bit tired and overly tanned in the Academy Awards HD telecast. “She’s had acne issues since high school, a lot of pock marks on her face and it’s really visible in high def,” says Swann. Perhaps that’s why her biggest role these days is the voice of Princess Fiona from ‘Shrek’.
Britney Spears
It’s obvious now that she’s a disaster, but a few short years ago, Britney Spears was still at the top of the hottest celebrity lists. “In 2004, she was in HD for the first time during a concert from Miami,” says Swann. “I thought she would look great but she looked horrible . Her skin was ruddy, she had a lot of wrinkles. She looked like a 24-year-old going on 34.” The same sorts of unflattering features were undiscernable on the fuzzy, grainy standard-definition broadcast of the same concert, like so much celebrity airbrushing.
Brad Pitt
Though men in Hollywood are allowed, unfairly, to age more gracefully than women, many male stars are affected by HD in that the subtle facial indicators that reveal personalities are more apparent. George Clooney, for example, comes across as very natural. “His face is very relaxed and unlined for a guy in his mid-’40s, and his charisma just shows through,” says Swann. Unfortunately, the same isn’t true for his ‘Ocean’s’ series costar, Brad Pitt. According to Swann, “He’s had acne issues over the years, so you can see those pock marks in high def. The other thing is he’s always had this vacant-eyed look on his face and in high def it’s real clear.” Still, how many women would really care?
Steven Tyler
Many musicians prefer to age naturally, often spurning surgery and makeup just because they don’t care. Even some of the harder partiers – Keith Richards, for example – don’t seem concerned with how they’ll look in HD. But then there are ones like Steven Tyler, who try to retain their youth but end up looking worse. “I see him in high def and I think of the Aerosmith song, ‘Dude, Looks Like a Lady,’” says Swann. “He’s had some weird work done on his lips so it looks more feminine, more like Liv than Steven.” In contrast, Paul McCartney has aged well and is flattered by the HD cameras. Says Swann, “I’m not saying he looks like he’s 30, but he looks younger than his years in high def. It’s clear he does a lot to look younger and it has its benefits.” So, rock stars, it’s time you’re influenced by the former Beatle in a whole new way.
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