Nicole Kidman for V Magazine

Not only is she unrecognizable in this, but it screams of desperation. I could see Madonna doing something like this but I would have never imagined Nicole Kidman doing this.

She’s been photoshopped to a fare-thee-well.  There is no reality in these photos.  And yes, agreeing to a layout like this smacks of desperation, but then if the photos look nothing like the real you, what difference does it make?

Actually, I wanna SEE that man editorial, when it finally happens.  Nicole looks amazeballs, but photoshopped so much she might just as well be an entirely digital rendering.
The cover?
No, Nicole.
Just. Plain. No.

Woah. What happened to her poor hair?

I’m having a really ambivalent response to this. On the one hand, it seems undignified, sexist, and exploitative – and as TLo note, a male actor of this caliber would NEVER be asked to, nor would he agree to participate in, such a shoot. On the other hand, I want to acknowledge her agency in this situation as a woman and a sexual subject. I’d be curious to know her own reasons for doing this.

The images tie into her latest film role which I can only assume is the reason for this spread.

¿Does she look like Meg Ryan to you?

It looks like a tie in for her next movie where she plays a southern wild woman on the lam with young lover Zac Efron. 

She sort of looks like an Ann-Margaret/Meg Ryan hybrid in a few of these pics.

Yes, this photo shoot is a bit of head-scratcher. The only thing I can figure is that she is trying to keep the industry and audiences thinking of her as young, so she doesn’t have to default into the typical roles offered to women over 40.

Crotch fondling, photoshopping so she looks like a robot, generic cliche poses–I guess this is sexy (sadly) to some but give me some reality, age,and fierceness instead.  When I saw the cover I understood where this was going and, though that behind looks sexy–it just seemed sad.  I felt sad for her–and angry that this is what actresses are expected to do as they age. 

I love this editorial.  Why can’t Nicole be sexy as hell and well-respected?  Who says it has to be one or the other?  This editorial is colorful, fun, skanky, trashy, and through provoking and good for her for being willing to take a leap.  I’ve always thought that Kidman had some serious balls on her (see: Fur, To Die For, Eyes Wide Shut, etc.) and this editorial doesn’t seem like a step away from that image, it seems like a reaffirmation.  

OH GOOD GOD!!! Sad to see an accomplished actress resort to this

That green crotch makes her look part water-lizard. Amphibian-like, not a good look, no, no. For anyone, really. This looks like porno someone was doing with their Barbie.

it might have to do with her new movie “The Paperboy”, where she romances somebody way younger than her…. (i forgot the name of the actor, one teen heart throb)…  Her character has just that hair and wardrobe… I’m guessing that is the rationale behind the photo shoot….
it could also be some kind of middle life crisis… and she is doing it as a wife, mother and entertainer!

Oh dear. Oh, oh dear. And the sad thing is how clear the motivation behind doing a shoot like this is, and how angry it makes me.

oh for heaven’s sake… I just want to shake her…WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??

The only forgivable part is it’s kind of in character for her upcoming movie. I assume that’s the justification.

I don’t think the sexfulness of the shoot is a problem per se, it’s the fact that she looks like Ke$ha that’s got my jaw on the floor.

Her head/hair is not that big… what is that? a puppy?

Americans are such prudes.  Why are the buttocks inherently desperate?  Show this spread in Paris and people would say, “C’est normale.”  If Nicole wants to be a sex pot at 45, she should be able to do so without being called “trashy”.  ”Objectification this” and “smacks of desperation” that…Oh, please.  Get a fucking grip, bitches.  She looks great and wants to show off her body in a provocative way at age 45.  Why can’t you just take that for what it is?  She’s obviously not a desperate, struggling actress.  Nicole has always had an unabashedly sexy side if you were paying attention.  The fact that you schoolmarms add the “Oh how SAD!”  subtext is the real problem with these pictures.  If you’ve got it, flaunt it!  You work that hot ass, Nicole!

Increasingly, the PR machine for upcoming films seems to require photo shoots where the star poses “in character”. Considering these photos, and pre-release buzz about “Paperboy”, I would say Nicole is working the shiz out of this role.

Ridiculous.

Be a lady. WWMD? What Would Meryl do?

If she wasn’t TOPLESS with her ASS hanging out, i’d be more inclined to give benefit of the doubt. That first shot could easily be in Playboy.

Maybe she’s working on a new movie role- you know, “The Melanie Griffith Story”.

I’m definitely a feminist and this kind of thing gives me a sad…. still I like the last head shot… shades of Elizabeth Montgomery…

I think it’s fun!  She is just channeling her character from “The Paperboy”.  I don’t find it desperate at all.  Actors have been doing editorials as their characters forever-she did it right! 

I give this a grade of D for Desperate.

i’m no prude but don’t really get this either. she’s so talented but always talked about wanting this normal life.  so she marries a country star, moves to rural tennessee, a super-bible-belty area, and has two babies with religious names.  it all kinda fit together.  she must be really bored or something.  but i still love her and yeah of course she’s hot.

Is this an attempt to publicise “The Paper Boy” where she plays a pneumatic blonde? Her boob job looks good here, that’s about the only nice thing I can think of to say.

You are too good for this Nicole. I haz a sad.

Poledancing for The Paperboy I presume?

Her hair.
sweet baby Jesus no.

 unrecognizable. Cant blame a girl for trying to show the youngins but  lit and filtered to the point of cartoon shows no one anything except that you have  a lot of flaws to hide.

testing

Oh Nicole, you shouldn’t have let those seedy Glamor Shots you had made for Keith be leaked to the press!
Sad, and I’m sure her kids are thoroughly embarrassed by these.  What a disgusting 180 from the gorgeous Harper’s Bazaar Australia cover you did in June.  Sad and desperate, and I would like to think she only did it for a boatload of money to support her kids education. 
 I know there’s a lot of mature ‘actresses’ who, when they pose for stuff like this think they’re being edgy and sexy and blowing off a little steam, but really, anytime one poses with their hands near their privates, it’s nothing short of soft porn. 
This is shit.
Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor never did this shit. If she thinks this will get her more serious, meaty roles, I think she’ll be disappointed. It’s a sad, sad commentary on how women are still treated in Hollywood and a sadder on Kidman’s self esteem.
The ‘clothes’ are totally fugly too.

Rod Stewart x AbFab x ‘The Locomotion’ – this totally ruins the Nicole brand for me, suprised and not at all convinced.

i think nicole kidmen looks great people’ are just jealous ! couse they dont look as good as nicole kidmen …nicole is great at every thing she does so eat your heart out world…i think she looks HOT and she sure as hell dont need any one to tell her… how good she looks !!!!!!…she is beautiful !!!!…i love every thing about her…i even love her husband big fan of his…you go nicole lookin great as always…!

I don’t know. Tacky as hell, but it also looks like she’s channeling her character from “Paperboy” – not so subtle promotional work?

Such a small minded and trite depiction of what womanhood is.  Why Nicole, why?

This is why I come here – under the incisive and witty critiques lies a very humane sympathy for your subjects. I hate seeing my favorite actresses fall off the screen when they hit a certain age, bumped by the upcoming crop of 20-something stars, while actors’ careers last decades longer.

This is awesome!  She is promoting a film where she plays white trash.  Woman in her 40′s being sexy for a themed photo shoot gets called ‘desperate’ and ‘too mature’ – Typical.

I have to find myself some sequined panties, STAT!

Olivia Newton John called: she wants her hair back.

Yup, thanks for pointing this out: ”
Oh, what are we saying? OF COURSE a male Oscar winner in his 40s would NEVER even be asked to do something like that, let alone agree to it.”

Your assessment is well taken, but I take pleasure in this for the simplest reason that I’ve been waiting years for her to wear her hair loose and loopy with bangs. Big improvement over the pinned back straightened-within-an-inch-of-its-life hair with the seven finger forehead we usually get from her.