Now…I’m not going to deny the heavy handed use of Photoshop throughout my Etsy shop and beyond. But there is such a thing as going too far and Elle Magazine has done just that.

By whitewashing the stunning Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the publication has stooped to an all-time low by forcing its homogeneous ideals on Bachchan and readers alike.

Above is Elle‘s Cover with a photoshopped inset that I created with Aishwarya’s more natural skin hue.

As mentioned, I’m not one for finger pointing, but this latest development has really stricken me with grief as it’s clear that our color-blindness continues in international media. There’s nothing more breath-taking then representing beauty of all races, ethnicities, sizes, and shapes – and Elle, along with many other mainstream magazines continues to evade this ideal by reinforcing ‘white is right’ stereotypes.

If this burns you up as much as it does me – take a moment to sign the following petition asking for Elle to fix and republish the issue with a formal apology:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/elle_magazine_apologize_for_trying_to_whiten_indian_skin