This year may go down in television history as the one when HD was finally accepted by the mass media as both an inevitable and positive fact of life (after a few years of uncertainty and apathy from the mainstream press). HD's well-known penchant for detail was at the heart of the lead question in Parade magazine's widely read Q & A Personality Parade in its Nov. 27 edition. The question involved the "flawed skin" of some "aging actresses" that is not noticeable in regular old analog.
The Sunday newspaper insert, one of the most widely distributed publications in the United States, quotes a Beverly hills dermatologist as saying he treats actors (presumably of both genders) with non-invasive "micropolishing and laser toning" to combat the unforgiving detail of HD lighting and cameras.
"Even young stars worry about HDTV, which shows every pore, wrinkle and spot," said Dr. Harold Lancer. The Parade item notes that Hollywood makeup artists and lighting designers are devising new techniques to help stars look better in HD close-ups. Heather Locklear is used as an example of an actor in possession of good skin for HD, considering she's now the ripe-old age of 44. Some less-than-charitable Web sites also track how well or poorly aging TV actors fare when confronted with the new reality of HD detailing.
