Shocking Natural Cate Blanchett in Intelligent Life

Cate Blanchett did the unthinkable in the realm of Hollywood style and glamour; she went completely natural on the cover of The Economist's "The Intelligent Life" magazine (the lifestyle and culture publication). Her face all hers, her image was not retouched in post-production or overly made up. The editor of the magazine, Tim de Lisle explained the decision to represent her in this manner on his blog, saying:

When other magazines photograph actresses, they routinely and up running heavily Photoshopped images, with every last wrinkle expunged. Their skin is rendered so improbably smooth that, with the biggest stars,  you wonder why the photographer didn't just do a shoot with their waxwork...

Cate Blanchett, by contrast, appears on our cover in her working clothes, with the odd line on her face and faint bags under her eyes. She looks like what she is - a woman of 42, spending her days in an office, her evenings on stage and the rest of her time looking after three young children. 

It's ridiculous that this has become news today because this is what every celebrity should show the world: their natural beauty. Cate Blanchett is a stunning woman, with or without makeup, and she is so versatile and talented that it really shouldn't even matter how beautiful she is. She resembles an actual person and it is refreshing that magazines are starting to get back to what it is that makes us attracted to celebrities in the first place: their humanity. I'm a huge fan of her work and her courage should be rewarded by other celebrities following this trend in kind. It is absolutely frightening and sick that we show plasticized faces on the covers of billboards, ads and on TV and then wonder why our children develop complexes because of the way they look.

What is most incredible to learn from Mr. Lisle's blog entry is that Cate Blanchett turned her back on Hollywood to run her own theatre company. In more ways than just appearance, she has escaped the clutches of the vapid consumerism that drives Hollywood where stars have be come mannequins who stand for nothing other than to promote jewelry, clothing and perfumes.

What do you think of the "Intelligent Life" magazine cover?