Photoshop makes Reagan "Cry"

KissTheSky · Mar 19, 2007

The cover story of the new Time magazine is about the current troubles of the Republican party. To illustrate it, they've taken a historical photo of Ronald Reagan's face and Photoshopped in a tear, as if he's crying.

It seems kind of creepy to alter actual photos of people (especially recently deceased ones) to illustrate a symbolic point. I don't think this is as bad as the commercials that use footage of dead actors to sell present-day products, which is I think is really vulgar (remember Fred Astaire dancing with the Hoover?). But it's still vaguely unsettling. To accomplish the same idea they could have commissioned an illustration, and then the "unreality" would have been obvious.

Here's a story on it with the cover image:

http://www.designdrivethru.net

What do other people think of this phenomenon?

RMThompson · Mar 19, 2007

I personally don't like it, and the tear was very fake. A real tear on that type of skin would has absorbed into the skin.

On another forum, we had a post where the guy was looking for "photoshop lashes" to add to his photos. After some prying, we saw he was designing pictures of BABY's and adding TERRIBLY FAKE eyelashes and plumping lips.... eveyrone blasted him, but he insisted he sold the pictures.

dewey · Mar 19, 2007

I'm surprised Time ran that

xfloggingkylex · Mar 19, 2007

looks like tree sap, and yeah, I was a little shocked to see something like that on the cover of TIME. What can ya do? we live in a era were controversy sells.

Aquarium Dreams · Mar 19, 2007

Someone should punch the designer in the nose and then hand him a mirror so he knows what real tears look like.

craig · Mar 19, 2007

I do not mind so much. Time is illustrating a tough story (visually) on the cover. Point here is impact. I was immediately drawn to the teaser and wanted to read more. I think that is what they are looking for.

Now if we really want to have fun let us illustrate the story "How the Right Went Wrong". I will post mine in three days.

My issue with the cover is the skyboxes. I do not see the point. Maybe if I was 27 and spent a lot of time on the internet.

Love & Bass