Pixelated Perplexities: 40+ Editing Attempts That Missed The Mark

By Louise P

In the ultra-artificial and superficial world, we live in today, people will go to extreme lengths to get that perfect shot to post on social media for likes and followers. Challenges like “planking” and the “Kylie Jenner lip challenge” have put some people in real danger, all in the name of vanity and their 15 minutes of fame. Other people take the easier and less dangerous option and go for good old-fashioned Photoshop, but it takes a real pro to edit and change pictures without anyone noticing. There are plenty of amateur photo shoppers out there, and these folks think they have us all fooled. These are the peeps who will photoshop everything from their faces to the food they eat and even the cars they drive, all in the hopes of portraying their picture-perfect lives. Sorry guys, we aren’t fooled and can see right through your filters and face-tweaks; better luck next time!

Curves in All the Wrong Places

Wow, look at those mountains! No, not those mountains… The normal-looking lovely green mountains. The ones who are perfectly happy with their natural appearance. And then we have the lady sitting front and center… Girl, what on earth were you thinking?

Image Courtesy of Reddit/ Dope_username

From the looks of it, you already have a pretty synched waist and a lovely figure. Why’d you need to go and blow it all out of proportion? And also, just for future reference, wood isn’t a liquid, you kind of gave yourself away there.

Who’s That Guy?

The 2020 Darwin Award had to go to this guy; he decided to start the “Corona Challenge” and lick toilet seats during a global pandemic. Honestly, pandemic or not, that is literally NEVER a good idea. Luckily, he “disguised” himself behind a filter.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / ratboi213

When he went on national TV to defend his case, viewers were shocked to see that he had aged backward into the body of an awkward teen. So not only has he been idiot-shamed, he has been exposed behind his filter too!

Give This Girl a Sandwich

This is so wild; it looks like a failed attempt at a magic trick or something. “At the count of three, all my organs will disappear.” The only thing that disappeared is our respect for you, ma’am. Love your body the way it naturally is!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Little_Kazoo

She is a perfectly attractive lady with a killer fashion sense but a severe lack of Photoshopping skills. Hang up your editing hat and just exceed at being naturally beautiful, please. We know you will be really good at that!

E.T. Phone Home

These two just got beamed down from the planet Plastitis, where you obviously don’t need a nose, and your cheekbones are so pointy you can take someone’s oversized eyes out with it. The official uniform is also matching fake Gucci apparel, apparently.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / AlternativeSonGoku

Come on, guys, who do you think you are fooling here? We understand a little tweak here and there; we all have our insecurities. But a full-on alien face is a bit much. Let’s tone it down next time, ok?

Rambo, That You?

Man, this is one tough guy. His perfect beard, his bulging muscles, his intimidating uniform, his extra arm taking a selfie while driving… Wait, what? Excuse me, sir? I think there is a demon in your glasses! Either that or you need to go to Photoshop school.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / bblackwalker

This photo is actually so confusing with the many layers of lying going on. What is even real anymore? Is that really a cellphone? Is the grass even green? Are you even in the army, or is that a costume?

You Can Run but You Can’t Hide

Objects in the phone are younger than they appear; users be warned! On the left, we have a lovely lady looking too good to be true (because it isn’t true). On the right, we have the same lady, yes, the very one and the same, showing her true face on TV.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / chookitty_o

They say that the camera adds 10 pounds, but they never said anything about it adding 10 years! The ultimate claim to fame is to have been on TV, but unfortunately, for this fame-hungry influencer, she can’t hide behind a filter on TV.

Filter Fail

Technology is getting more and more advanced, and we can’t even keep up anymore. This filter has the ability to give a girl a full makeover with the flick of a switch! Breast lift, facelift, hair extensions, nose job, you name it, she got it.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / ladymental

But o dearie, when that filter fails, you are in for a surprise. We aren’t saying there is something wrong with the way she looks; we are just saying there is something wrong with the way she lies to us!!

Puncture Warning

There are many things that can go wrong with plastic surgery and especially breast implants. Leakage, breakage, asymmetry, scars, all part of the territory. So photoshopping yourself should be a safe alternative, right? Wrong! You eliminate most of the risk except for the asymmetry part.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Ilikeualottt

This poor girl worked so hard on the right side, she completely forgot about the left! Honestly, she might have been able to fool us if she put in a little more effort. But we still prefer the natural look, to be frank.

The Truth Revealed

Ever wonder how influencers get their clothes to look like it has been poured onto their bodies? Well, now you know. Just follow the “deceit method,” and you are good as gold. This is less of a “Photoshop fail” and more of a “caught in the act” moment.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / scoff9

This also explains why clothes never look the same on our mere mortal bodies as they do in the advertisements. We feel personally victimized! Or maybe we should just all get a personal stylist that walks around all day pulling and yanking on our clothes to make them fit.

Mirror, Mirror on The Bathroom Wall…

This girl forgot that she isn’t a vampire and that the mirror reveals all. On the one side, she has a lean and lanky frame, and on the other, she is looking rather curvalicious in that stunning gown. So, which one to believe?

Image Courtesy of Reddit / icryfishsaucetoo

The worst part is, many women would kill to have a booty like hers (the pre-edited version). Learn to love yourself, ladies! And for the love of all that is good and natural in this world, LEAVE THE EDITING TO THE PROS!

You Want WHAT Whitened?

Just when we think we have seen it all, some girl decides she needs whiter eyeballs! Talk about unrealistic beauty standards. The sclera (look at us getting all technical) of your eye is a pretty stock standard part of your body.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / escaping_khaos

Maybe a little yellow or red if you are sick, but that’s a nifty little health gauge, thanks to mother nature. But making it whiter? That is just a whole new level of wrong. Even more, we can see that she is a stunning girl all on her own!

 Beam Me Up, Sissy.

Finally, a nice, normal, natural-looking girl… Oh wait, nope, we see it. This one is obviously a witch or a superhero. There is just no other explanation for her astonishing ability to curve sunrays like that. We stand amazed!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Liquid_Padpo

She clearly didn’t use an editing app to tweak her nose ever so slightly to make it thinner on the bridge. Who would ever want to do that? Sorry sweetie, if you paid more attention in science class instead of taking selfies, you wouldn’t have made this mistake.

Take My Strong Hand…

This is a pretty bad-ass photo and the kind of thing that will blow your Tinder profile up. It might even fly on Instagram if someone is using an iphone3 with a cracked screen. But anything newer than that will be a dead giveaway.

Image Courtesy of Reddit/ crackc0kane

Those hands are a disaster! The one looks no bigger than that of a Barbie doll, while the other is slowly morphing into a monster claw! Half sex goddess, half paw patrol. Girl, you are stunning! Who needs hand Photoshop when you look like that?

Jessica Rabb-It’s Not My Real Face

Being a curvy girl has become celebrated and beloved the world over, and beautiful ladies like this need not hide in the shadows any longer. That’s why it is such a let-down when they do still decide to cake on the filters a little too thick.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / korabdrg

This girl’s “before” image is true goals and could inspire women to flaunt what they have. But unfortunately, she succumbed to the pressures of the net and filtered her face beyond recognition, and tried to knock off a few pounds. Shame on you!

I Said Angel Face, Not Angle Face!

When will these girls ever learn where the line between normal and alien features is? Human chin=good, Arrow chin=not good. It is pretty black and white. She looks more like the villain in the next Avatar movie than the beautiful lady she really is.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / AccomplishedAioli

If you really have a hard time *facing* yourself in a photo or the mirror, you don’t need to edit it; there are super easy camera angles and poses you can use to still look human and show off your best side!

Is There Something on My Lip?

Piercings are quite the commitment—a literal hole in your flesh that might never close back up again. But by the looks of her stretched ears, this girl has no problem with committing to piercing her skin. Or are we missing something?

Image Courtesy of Reddit / idahopotatow

Fine, if you just draw on a piercing with a Sharpie for yourself to see what it looks like. But posting it for all the world to see in the hopes that your bejeweled bamboozlement fools them is taking it a bit far.

Big Brother Is Watching

Aaaa, the classic “posing with a car that’s not mine” pose. Who has ever looked at one of these and gone, “Wow, that person really owns that super expensive car in the photo, they are soooooo cool”. This lady took it even one step further.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Liquid Padpo

Not only is she faking that she owns the luxury car, but she is also faking, well, her whole body! Luckily there was a keen eye observing from above that was able to show us the truth behind this ultra-disproportionate photo.

The Mirror Strikes Again

This girl got the first rule of photo edit right: Pose in front of a plain wall so that you don’t distort the lines. Let’s see if she complied with the other rules, shall we? Rule 2: Keep your proportions realistic. Fail.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / pestpec

Rule 3: Don’t pose in front of a mirror, or be prepared to edit your mirror image—double fail. You obviously have a-rockin’ bod and can pull off that dress in a heartbeat. Why all the editing! You are better than this…

A Little White Lie

There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s get right to it. First, why are you driving with open cups of hot liquid? Secondly, you guys must be really thirsty because between the frozen drinks, Starbucks coffee, and Christmas mugs; you guys consumed a lot of liquid.

Image Courtesy of Imgur.com

Then, why is it snowing inside your car? You need to get that checked out. Also, aren’t you a little old to watch Frozen in the car? Lastly, YOU ARE ON FREAKEN TRAIN TRACKS!! Girls, green screen is obviously not your strong suit; opt for some cozy lounge photos next time.

The Beard Makes All the Difference

Is it his beard that makes him look younger? Perhaps the shiny bare chest? Is it the wavy hair? Nope, it’s all just a filter. You could basically just say that it is two different people. Catfishing, if you will.

Image Courtesy of reddit.com/r/Instagramreality

The question is, why go through all that trouble if the final edit doesn’t even resemble you? No one is going to be happy if you send them that photo, and then you come walking into the bar, Sir. You should rethink your strategy.

Look Closely

This is a beautiful picture, and any couple would be happy with this. Heck, some would even go as far as to frame it and hang it in their home! The couple looks perfectly put together, and she is holding some lovely flowers in her hand.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / wine4cats

And then you see it… Where is her foot! What would be the purpose of this kind of Photoshop? We all need feet, girl! And by the looks of it, your feet are probably perfectly manicured, and you are donning some designer shoes, as well, so what are you ashamed of?

Bang, Bang

Curly girls want it straight; straight girls want it curly. We know how it goes. Why can’t we all just make the most of what we have? You don’t need a keen eye to see what this Facebook fibber has done to anger us so.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Liquid_Padpo

Not only did she try to create fake waves in her beautiful hair, but she also pasted some bangs on to boot! And very badly, if we might add. Yes, bangs are a scary leap to take but either do it or don’t. Don’t make half-assed attempts like this!

Warp Alert

This lady has gone so far with her editing it is starting to look like she used a fish eye lens to recreate the cover of Harry Styles’ “Fine Line” album. Well, lady, there is a fine line between reality and what you have served up!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / LadyMental

Actually, this photo’s angles leave us a bit queasy if we stare at it for too long. How are your feet so much bigger than your hands? And how on earth is that a natural angle for your butt? And you should go easy on the teeth whitening next time, too, while we are at it.

This Photo Is a Crime

This is a first. A photoshopped mugshot?! Lady, before you edit your mugshot, maybe you should try to edit your criminal record! It will serve you better in the long run. And believe us, prison jumpsuit-orange isn’t a good color on anyone, no matter how much you edit it.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / iaimtomisbehave151

Honestly, mugshots are never pretty. But somehow, you pulled off the impossible and made it look quite good the first time around! Why tamper with it even more? Not that we are condoning mugshots at all… Stay in school, kids!

Even Celebs Do It

If you thought celebs were naturally flawless and confident, think again! Kylie Jenner has been constantly put on the spot for her non-stop photoshopping of her social media posts. Often the changes are so small she could have even gone without them!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / eelliisseee

She is very vocal about loving her body and even flaunting the scar on her upper thigh. Her body-positive outlook feels a bit insincere when she is caught out for making edits like this on perfectly beautiful photos of hers.

Let Me Just Get My Sunglasses

One way to make a Photoshop fail SUPER obvious is only to edit one person in the photo. Rookie mistake! If you are going to give yourself a diamond cuff and otherworldly teeth, at least give the lady some swag too!

Image Courtesy of Reddit

There is also something about his eyes; they make him seem more like a suspect on Dateline. But we see the method behind the madness of his shiny cuff. We are too distracted by it to notice all the other fails in the photo. Genius!

Edit 0.5 Vs Edit 2.0

This blond bombshell had some professional photos taken, and the photographer did an amazing job. That’s not difficult, given that she is a gorgeous woman. The photo on the right shows the image she was given after the shoot. But that wasn’t enough.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / DudeWheresMyCare

Vanity and societal standards stepped in, and she edited the heck out of the photo even more. From her eyes and lips to her breasts and hips, not an inch of her body was spared. If women that look like this feel the need to edit, what hope is left for the rest of us!

Different Kind of Ball on This Court

This is one of those “surely you can’t be serious” photographic moments. Which part of this are we supposed to be believing. The overly shiny make-up? Nope, we don’t believe it. Her over-the-top and perky “assets”? Not for a second.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / DamianWayne413

“Maybe they will fall for my super voluptuous and oddly high derriere.” Not today, girl! Photoshopping leaves onto those dead trees would have been more believable than what you have got going on in this photo. Better luck next time, girlfriend!

Expectation Vs. Reality

The sad truth is that we still see unrealistic depictions of women with tight bodies, flawless skin, and perfect hair everywhere you look today. Yes, models and celebrities do come from the better end of the gene pool, but they are still human.

Image Courtesy of reddit / mahboilucas

They do get breakouts, have a few lumps and bumps, and look less than perfect some days. So, it is shameful to still find photos like this where the woman doesn’t even have pores, the most basic part of your skin!

16th Century Photoshop. (Painthingshop?)

It seems like unrealistic standards and low self-worth has been a problem long before the dawn of social media. It looks like picture editing dates back more than 500 years and can be seen in this example from the 1500s.

Image Courtesy of Reddit /avacadospaceship

This portrait of Isabella De’ Medici, daughter of the grand duke of Tuscany, was painted over to hide the less than flattering original portrait. After hundreds of years, historians restored the painting and discovered how the image really looked! So, is the Mona Lisa REALLY that beautiful, or is it a mere trick of the brush?

The Irony Is Strong with This One

This is a print commercial for a roll-on underarm deodorant. “What is the one thing we will need in this ad?” the marketing team might have asked themselves. “Underarms perhaps?” the intern suggested from the corner. The marketing team looks horrified.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / aceaxe1

“Don’t be crazy! You’re fired,” they yelled at him. This is a totally real scenario we see going down, because how else will you explain the total lack of armpit in a deodorant commercial! Also, why is the product so small? Or does she perhaps have giant hands…

Don’t Do Drugs Kids

It’s not only women who are guilty of horrible Photoshop fails and catfishing. Guys are equally as self-involved and egotistical, if not more so. This guy is a prime example of this kind of trickery. Let’s look at exhibits A and B.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / behindthearmory

The guys in these photos are clearly not related, right? They might not even be from the same planet. Wrong! They are, in fact, very much the same guy. This poor unfortunate soul went on TV, and his true image was exposed to the world.

Watch Your Step

This is a perfectly natural and un-posed photo. Not! Her added curvatures make her look like the yin-yang symbol rather than a curvy babe. The added curves to the stairs are also a dead giveaway. Remember rule 1: bare walls, ladies!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / ibycrts

Another question that we are puzzled with is; how can she see past her bosoms onto her phone? She must be telekinetic or something. Girl, listen up, you are STUNNING! Don’t let us catch you fooling around with this editing nonsense again.

Anime Vibes

Beauty standards sometimes border on otherworldly, with girls determined to look like anime characters rather than real people. This girl edited herself beyond recognition with doll-like eyes, huge breasts, a barely-there waist, and even whiter skin! What is next, a tail?

Image Courtesy of Reddit /  Ilikeualottt

Luckily someone posted the original photo and tagged her so we can all see how pretty she really is. She rocks those teeny shorts without any editing needed, and honestly, we would much rather befriend the girl on the left than the robot on the right.

Keeping Up with Another Kardashian

Khloe has always been the most “real” of all the Kardashian sisters. No matter what people said about her looks, weight, or height, she always kept her head high. But after one too many breakups, she decided to get a revenge body.

Image Courtesy of Instagram/@dylanhafer

Her transformation has been spectacular, and she is looking more beautiful than ever. But these days, she keeps popping up on our feeds, looking more like a stranger. She should really ease up on the editing and be true to her beautiful self!

Legs of Steel

Can I get the name of your gym, please? I want to go and tell them they are doing something VERY wrong! Walking must be a real struggle for this poor girl. I can hear the ground thunder just by looking at this photo.

Image Courtesy of Reddit/ girlboss93

This gives a whole new meaning to thunder-thighs! If she can wear her hair so naturally and beautifully, why would she create such a fail with her body? You are a beautiful girl, and don’t you forget it! Maybe skip leg days for a while in the gym.

Girl Power!

We have nothing against strong women, and we want to wholeheartedly apologize to the bodybuilding community for what this lady has done to your image. Girl, just like mirrors always tell the truth, so do shadows! Just take a look behind you.

Image Courtesy of Instagram / nonmatchingsocks

Not that we were believing your wonky muscles for one second, to begin with. We can see you have a super-fit body, and judging by your shadow, you have pretty strong legs already. But the two loaves of bread you are smuggling in your pants are a bit much.

Lambo Liar

Wow, what a stunner. And we aren’t talking about the fake blue Lambo in the background. This is a beautiful girl with nothing to be ashamed of. Except for her car, apparently. Because she chose to hide it with a photoshopped logo on the steering wheel?

Image Courtesy of Reddit / MIKE-WAZOWSKIS-COCK

We aren’t car experts or anything, but we are pretty sure that is not the interior of a $200k car.  Maybe this is what happens when you order your supercar from Wish.com. Just get a sugar-daddy like the rest of us!

You Are Only Supposed to Have One of Those

Taylor Swift has been the subject of much speculation regarding her belly button. Does she have one or not? We might never know, but at least T-Swift has never photoshopped her torso to stop us from guessing, unlike this lady.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / marrewerre

She straight-up superimposed a whole new torso onto her body but forgot to do a belly button check. The last time we looked, you only have one of those. Also, shouldn’t your muscles be pointing in the same direction as your body? Perhaps you need to go see a doctor about that.

The Gloves are Off

This girl gives a whole new meaning to bare-knuckling. She shows off her perfect manicure but also decides that knuckles are now also something we should be ashamed of. She all but erases her finger joints, all in the name of beauty.

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Jo_Elle_Ball

We can’t decide if her fingers look more like hotdogs or breadsticks. Either way, this Barbie-esque aesthetic isn’t doing it for us. Bring back the knuckle, we say! Also, who has such long fingers? Do you think she does the same to her toes?

Basic Beyond Measure

Cute backdrop: Check. Super cute outfit: Check. Cute pose: Check. Cute Starbucks Cup: Disaster strikes! How are people supposed to know how basic I am without a Starbucks cup! But wait, she has a brilliant idea… They will never know!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Joanoa

Ooooh, girl, we see you. Trust us when we say nobody gives a damn what you are drinking! It is a bigger sin that you are using a disposable cup than the fact that it is not a Starbucks cup. Mother Earth sheds a tear.

Cloudy with a Chance of Manipulation

As if traveling the globe is not enough to evoke jealousy amongst your followers, you have to try and make the photos beautiful beyond measure. But this girl has gone one step too far. Sky Replacement is a whole other level of sorcery, and we are not ok with it!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / your-missing-mom

There is always the slight chance that it might be her pet cloud that loyally follows her on her global travels, but we doubt it. The funny thing is, these apps have 100s of skies to choose from! Why stick to the exact same one?

Seeing Double

Forest Gump described his time in the rain so beautifully when he said: “Little bitty stingin’ rain… and big ol’ fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways.” But he never said anything about rain that gets your shirt soaking but keeps your hair perfectly dry!

Image Courtesy of Reddit / ashlitty

The logical explanation is that this is magical rain that only highlights your abs. That, OR, he is promoting a new hair wax that we need a bucket full of, stat! Notice we said, “he”? Ye, it’s the same guy. Fooled you, ey?

Picass-no

Now, this is a girl that really uses her talents! Her talent for manipulation, that is. She regularly posts photos of herself painting some interesting art pieces, but there is one thing that remains unchanged throughout. Do you see it yet?

Image Courtesy of Reddit / Zannarael

Let’s give you a hint. It’s big, and brown, with colors all over. The same colors every time. Yep! Her artist’s pallet remains unchanged in every photo and any artist will tell you, that is impossible. We also love her use of crimson in the middle image… O wait that’s not right?