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Reflections of a working writer and reader

 

 

The Beautification Engine

john baker, November 10th, 2008. 3 comments. Filed under politics.

Woody Allen before and after

What happened to Woody Allen? The picture on the left (credited to Steve Granitz/WireImage) was given to a computer, where a software program used a mathematical formula to alter the face into a theoretically more attractive version, on the right, while maintaining an “unmistakable similarity” to the original.

What do you think? Is the guy somehow improved? There are more photographs of men and women at The New York Times, adding fuel to the debate around the complex and sometimes disturbing questions about how we perceive beauty and a beauty ideal.

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3 Responses to “The Beautification Engine”

  1. Dick says:
    14th November 2008 at 10:18 am

    Beauty isn’t the issue here: the revised version simply looks like someone who looks just like Woody Allen.

    jb says: But woody agree, Dick?

  2. Deanna says:
    3rd December 2008 at 9:30 pm

    I’m not really sure if I see the difference, maybe its my monitor but I think Woody Allen was a poor example. Should have used someone like Patrick Swayze

    jb says: James Franco, Bardot, Brando, they’re all here, Deanna.

  3. Maria says:
    14th June 2011 at 9:49 pm

    I see a slight difference in the lips and the nose but really nothing drastically altered. I have to agree with Deanna, I think Woody was not the best choice. 🙂