Beyonce Accused Of Skin Lightening In New Album Promo Ad (PHOTOS)

Is that you Beyonce?

The Grammy award-winning singer who just gave birth to Baby Blue is being slammed for looking too snow white in her new promo ad.

In the photo, which is being used to re-promote her album "4," Beyonce is pictured lying across a leopard print couch, flaunting her enviable figure (shot pre-pregnancy. Thank goodness!) in a crochet bodysuit and appearing much lighter than her normal skin tone.

In recent months photoshopped ads and magazine covers have come under fire for their blatant misrepresentation of reality. But Beyonce's photoshop fail isn't just skin deep. Hiding blemishes (and hips) is one thing, but changing the color of a model's skin is another.

White-washing scandals aren't new for the 30-year-old superstar. In 2008 L'Oreal was accused of digitally lightening Beyonce's skin in a Feria hair color ad.

The New York Post called it "shocking" and there were countless blog posts swagging their finger at Beyonce for not representing her African-American ethnicity.

But Beyonce's fairer skin and honey blonde hair are ideal for companies looking to appeal to a wider audience. Though she is a black woman--white women can also identify with her.

"Colorism is unfortunately still an issue today. Dark skin is considered less than light skin in the in the minds of many in our community and in the media," Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, co-directors and co-producers of the documentary "Dark Girls," recently told The Grio.

But is this a case of digital skin lightening or simply a lighting issue? We hope it's the latter. Check out this collection of Beyonce ads and album covers from over the years. Is she a cameleon or keeping it real?

Quick Poll

Do You Think Bey's Skin Is Digitally Lightened In The Ad?

Totally!

Kind of.

No!

VOTE

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[loryncello]

12:47 PM on 11/06/2012

I'm not judging this on anything but whether or not it appears to be digitally lightened. Looking closely at the objects around her to see if it simply was a matter of the lighting for the shoot, I don't see anything that would support that. It does appear that her skin was digitally lightened. I have made these kinds of changes simply to increase contrast and get a better photo. I think this was an artistic decision, not a political statement.

[Michelle Faison]

10:02 AM on 07/24/2012

I distinctly remember that when Beyonce first began promoting L'Oreal True Match, she was shown as color 8C in the point of purchase display. It was a deep caramel color. If you look at the displays today, she has magically become 6C, a much lighter shade. I have no doubt that she has gradually lightened her skin over time - probably with hydroquoinone.

[Richard Arce Herrera]

02:28 AM on 05/18/2012

People keep forgetting or never knew in the first place that Beyonce IS PART WHITE, which is why she was born with lighter skin. Yes, both her parents are African American, but her mother is Creole from Louisiana. Creoles are historically of European, Native American, and African descent. And for her to have light skin means that her father also has Caucasian ancestry because light skin (like light colored eyes and hair) among mixed race people is a recessive gene. That is why her father is also of partial Caucasian ancestry. The majority of African Americans have varying degrees of White ancestry, and the majority of White Americans have varying degrees of African ancestry, though this is unknown to many people because many light skinned Blacks who were white enough to pass often did due to historical racism and slavery. Please watch The Human Stain with Anthony Hopkins and Wentworth Miller, or Queen with Halle Berry, and you will understand it more. How moronic that the only way many people can be educated is through movies and television. It’s basic Human Biology and science. Stop watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians and go to the library and read, America.

[Jewels Dumas]

09:42 AM on 01/28/2012

Stop picking on light skinned women. As alight skinned woman, guess what I'm lighter in the winter and darker in the summer! Ever thought of that?

[Staffy owner and a paren]

05:07 PM on 01/26/2012

Do the people who really thought this would be news be as equally quick to post about one of the white "it" girls that "black up" I mean "tango up" all the time? Half of them look like oompah loompahs. Beyonce has done nothing like skin bleach, just camera lighting!

[Richcrafter]

09:48 PM on 01/25/2012

Trying on some white! CrAzY!

[japama]

06:44 PM on 01/23/2012

WOW, that is a beautiful picture of her no matter as to how they did it.

[imuham1093]

12:28 PM on 01/23/2012

Lighting can make skin color look different. Shoot I have pics of myself, family and friends where there are drastic differences in our skin and hair color depending on where the pic was taken, time of day, color of clothing, ect. What bothers me is that woman doesn;'t look like Beyonce. I don't know but the eyes look so different. Maybe it's the bleached eyebrows that are throwing it off for me.

[Joaniejaye]

08:14 PM on 01/22/2012

This picture does not look like Beyonce, is that really her?

[Rhonnybay]

11:20 AM on 01/22/2012

I don't expect anything different from Bey. Her look hasn't really changed AT ALL. I doubt she'd ever go natural like her sister. This is Beyonce.

[director717]

01:22 AM on 01/22/2012

Are we still stuck on "the tragic mulatto?" Bey is a beauty, in any color. Black is beautiful, in any color. Read Silver: Currents of Change, by Beax Rivers. You'll love a light-skinned black girl who swears she's the "blackest black chick you'll ever meet!" The e-book, on amazon, is only $3.99.

[JosephCRProgram]

12:35 AM on 01/22/2012

Its the Marilyn Monroe look! Which has recently been rejuvenated by the release of a new Hollywood film, "My Week with Marilyn Monroe", where Michelle Williams, relaunches the Marilyn, blond, light skin glamour. Obviously, Beyonce is seeking to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Apparently, Color still does matter it terms of demographic audience. This is where Beyonce is broadening her audience, which equates to popularity and in theory, increases like-ability and appeal among a broader mainstream fan base. At least, theoretically speaking.

[Swinger Style]

04:52 PM on 01/21/2012

And who's getting paid to entertain? Bey always looks great in what ever ad she poses for... I could care less about the lighting, tones.... Bey.. Do you....keep-$$$$$$$$ criticism will always follow....

[iamaqueenb]

01:35 PM on 01/21/2012

Great, yet another attack on one of the most successful black women in the entertainment. Can you do better? Find something else to report. Crime, hunger, murders and what WE can do to stop the madness. Seriously, her skin... Wow. No news worthy reading here...

[Staxx]

05:59 PM on 04/25/2012

Is that why you wear fake hair?

[Peaceisnecessary]

08:27 AM on 01/21/2012

Beyonce has tried changing her features to look more European with the nose and lip plastic surgery. She looks totally different than when she first came out. She was beautiful but had African American features. It is odd how Angelina Jolie is admired for her full lips while Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez have had plastic surgery to make their lips narrower. It has worked because they are referred to as one of the most beautiful women in the world. It is true beauty when it is due to plastic surgery? The blonde wigs do not promote her African heritage either.