Oh no not you too Hannah, this isn’t true! Lies! How dare you doctor these shots Alan, even for you -this is too far!
Let me put some clothes on you Hannah, there you go, sweet virginal back, shelter those shoulders from hungry eyes…what a horrible day this is turning out to be.
um, the big deal is that a 15 yo shouldn’t look like she just had great sex. come on alan you are way better then that. come back miley from the dark side!!! our preteens need you!
Sexualizing a youth icon is a big deal, for society and for her career. Can’t we try to, as a society, get away from the constant barrage of sex? Especially for our children?
If you had daughters, Alan, would you want them to be the subject of sexualization like this? I know, it’s supposedly “artsy” but it’s sexually suggestive.
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Artsy..yes….suggestive..you could say that. But consider that many girls her age already have had sex and some have babies. And many are dressed worse normally than she is in a photo spread. I think we are worrying about a whole bunch of nothing. She’s got enough worries being the leader of the “clean cut white girls in America” so cut her some slack for this one.
This is not shocking as some folks said on the news. What I find most shocking is flag-draped coffins. That doesn’t seem to be covered on your station, Alan.
It is only “sexually suggestive” if you think of sex when you look at it. Perhaps some of you have issues that need addressing?
It is a picture of a young woman, or girl if you prefer, covering herself modestly, while being photographed by one of the great artists of the last century…
How immature we are sometimes on this side of the Atlantic. How quickly we forget what it’s like to be young, on the cusp of adulthood…and how we would grab any chance to look more mature - more adult.
Shame on some of you for reading “sexuality” into this. For God’s sake it’s a portrait of a young girl…the subject of art for the last 10 centuries!
I suggest a trip to visit the great art museums of Paris and Rome this summer…rather than another 7-day drunk down in Cancun…
Annie Leibovitz is an inspiration. If this ends that annoying girls career, or helps lead her down that path, good. As long as she’s no longer famous and a nuissance with her crud. Annie deserves an award.
Alicia, if your name is supposed to have a homepage with it, it’s not working for some reason. The pointer doesn’t turn into a hand, and clicking on it doesn’t help.
Directorpooh~ we’re “worrying about a whole bunch of nothing”? Wow. Well, we’re all entitled to our opinions.
Annie~ Alan DOES discuss our “flag draped coffins”. Now, I don’t listen to all the conservative radio shows in full but I do catch them when I can. I have yet to hear any of this pro-Iraq war cons read the names of our dead. Alan does it EVERY week. I listen to Glenn Beck everyday, never heard him do it. I catch most of Hannity’s show, and as much of Rush as I can stomach (about 10 minutes). Correct me if I’m wrong, but those guys spend more time bashing liberals than honoring our dead.
Bad Mr Frosty~ How can you NOT think of sex when you look at this pic? I think that Annie said it best, it looks like this MINOR just had great fucking sex. Shit, I wish that I woke up looking satisfied like that every morning. (lol, I’m so serious though)
This is a beautiful portrait, but not appropriate for her age. She looks like a 12 year old posing for a porn shot. There’s no way in hell I’d let my 17 year old sister take a pic like this. Some of you will hate me for saying this, but I’d feel the need to slap my sister if I saw her do this. I wouldn’t slap her though, I’d talk to her about why she feels her beauty would have to be connected to sexually… why she thought this was an appropriate picture… other poses, and CLOTHING, she could have worn to take a more tasteful pic.
speaking of word press, I really wish they’d not give e-mail addresses away. Since I e-mail Alan he’s seen my addy, so it’s not a big deal here, but when comments are left for me, the e-mail addresses of the commenters is clearly visible in the notifications.
So is pornography sexual unless you think of sex? That could be considered art. Where is the line drawn? And I think that nudity has been completely sexualized in our culture.
It’s not “shocking,” it’s just a little inappropriate. So, Alan is probably correct when he asks “what’s the big deal”? No big deal, just questions about propriety.
So…..who wants to get a pool going on when she’ll jump on the rehab bandwagon? What father would let their 15 year old daughter pose in such a way?
Billy Ray,Billy Ray….tsk tsk
Flap~ I agree that many connect nudity with sexuality. I don’t. I see nothing but sexuality in this picture due to her tossed hair, light make up to draw attention to her plump red lips, smooth satin bedsheet draped across the front of her body and held innocently near her breasts, and the bare skin of her back that is covered loosely by that satin sheet at the top of her butt. This isn’t just an almost nude pic, it’s an almost nude sex pic.
Sometimes I connect nudity with sexuality and sometimes I don’t. Obviously it depends on the situation. I use to go to a nude beach many years ago. Believe me, after doing so, you will find it EASY not to connect sexuality with nudity. LOL!
That photo was very carefully designed and I’m sure it took a lot of time to do so. Annie Liebowitz who I love is known for taking unusual photo’s that are sometimes very erotic or sensual. I think she did a great job. It’s a beautiful pic.
Epiphany, I totally agree. It’s a great picture, but highly inappropriate for her. Secular sexuality is exactly why there are so many pregnant teenagers, and why my generation has this “hook up” culture that says that sex with no strings attached is no big deal. I’m all for expressing your sexuality, but not before you should. Who’s to say when you should? Well, I say that experience says when you should. Experience has shown us that the age of sexual consent is right about 18 (some states at 16 or 17).
As Media Matters notes, this is the top story the corporate media is covering instead of the NYT article about retired military analysts being used as propaganda mouthpieces for the Pentagon. Oh, yes, and wall-to-wall coverage of Reverend Wright instead of the disaster in Iraq, our failing economy, and the climate crisis. What has become of the Fourth Estate?
15 is too young for this sort of thing, but I think she’s ready to transition from Disney to Hollywood and this picture was a decision to change her image.
Disgusting? Perhaps, after all, if she wanted beautiful provacative pictures she’d have no problem getting them, publishing them nationwide, of course, is entirely different.
I wish somebody pay me a for silk wrapped ribcage expose.
Alan when you have some morals and have children then please feel free to comment. Liberals don’t condemn any bad behavior and that has destroyed the fabric of this great country. Next ti me just say your clueless and keep your opinion to yourself.
I am an old liberal feminist, and I strongly obect to the photo.
I want my daughters to become doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs, not little sex kittens.
If she is an adult and wants to do this, fine, but she is young enough to be manipulated for cheap publicty and regret it later.
Actually, I didn’t even know who she was before, but she looks sooo young, the picture looks almost pedophilic.
By the way, It’s amazing to me that the right demonizes the ACLU, but has no problem, running to them, like their buddy Limbaugh did when he needed help with his drug crimes!
I didn’t pay much attention to the Limbaugh oxy whatever issue, so please forgive my ignorance, but when did Limbaugh run to the ACLU? My understanding is that they sided with him, but I don’t recall hearing that he ran to them.
“The Palm Beach Post reports: “Arguing that privacy rights of all Floridians are under attack, Rush Limbaugh’s attorneys asked a court Tuesday to return the talk-show host’s medical records and ban prosecutors from using them. Limbaugh attorney Roy Black also accused prosecutors of deliberately circumventing state laws to get those documents, rather than the standard procedure of using a subpoena, first notifying Limbaugh and giving him a chance to respond, according to documents. Limbaugh’s attorneys were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union in their arguments to the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach”
From :
Backing Limbaugh, ACLU goes to court
AP/ The Boston Globe
“It may seem odd that the ACLU has come to the defense of Rush Limbaugh,” the state chapter’s executive director, Howard Simon, said in a statement. “But we have always said that the ACLU’s real client is the Bill of Rights, and we will continue to safeguard the values of equality, fairness, and privacy for everyone, regardless of race, economic status, or political point of view.”
because the democrats never get anything done of course they stand up to Bush by not doing what the commander in chief says and if all these liberals were republicans they would do everything their chief tells them to HOWDY
Old Lefty~ with all due respect, I say screw the ACLU. I won’t ever use them to come to my rescue for ANYTHING. But I agree with your point on Rush the Fatty. He’s a hypocrite.
I also agree with your statements about Miley Cyrus. That pick REEKS pedophilia. I don’t care how artsy a job Ms. Lieb did, she should’ve done it with a grown woman. Especially with Miley’s role in our country for teen girls.
RC~ homeless orphan looking for middle-aged man to bankroll her? Yeah, I see that too.
RC, I’m with you, actually: it looks kind of tragic and bleak. Sort of classical, too. Less like someone who just had great sex, and more like a refugee. Albeit with a satin sheet.
And cheryl, why is she instantly looking for a middle aged man to bankroll her? What if she’s supposed to be looking at her teen-aged lover? (again, not what I see in the picture)
Why is it so often assumed that sexually active teenage girls are conniving little sluts? Maybe they’re sweet kids who are just really, really in love. And often they’re really, really in love with someone their own age, in which case I ,for one, have no problem with it.
And if she’s a “sweet kid”, why’s she taking a pic like this?
Sheesh, it’s just a matter of interpretation.
And most of us interpret it in a sexual context b/c it looks like a sexual context type pic. I don’t care how “pretty” or “artistic” the pic is. I’m sure that pedophiles have beautiful pics of naked 5 year olds that they think are quite pretty and artistic.
Hey, we all see things differently, that’s normal. I just take exception to being judgmental. I can see it from your point of view, of course. I do hope you can see it from mine…
Still, very “Les Miserables”, I think.
And some of us do have naked pictures of our own 5-year olds that ARE beautiful and wholesome. There’s nothing wrong with the human body. The wrong is in the twisted minds of some adults. Or suggestive poses, of course.
You don’t have to have a twisted mind to recognize that the photo is an erotic interpretation of a 15 year old girl. Let’s get real here.
I don’t know a single person in my real life who would say either that I am a prude or that I have a twisted mind. Well maybe a little twisted come to think of it lol. But you know what I mean. I also have plenty of erotica in my home.
It just is what it is. A lovely and artistic photograph but never-the-less an erotic one as well.
And the bottom line of course here, is to sell something. I am overdosing on how women and sex are exploited continuously for the sake of the all mighty advertising dollar. But when that kind of exploitation includes kids and teenage girls it can have the effect of making my skin crawl.
I have lots of images of “Collette” from Les Miserables as it is my all-time favorite musical. Huge difference between the two images.
And no there is nothing wrong with beautiful pics of naked children. As long as they remain in the hands of the parents who aren’t selling them to make a buck.
The U.S. has got to be one of most sexually repressed and guilt ridden countries on the planet. And also one of the most sexually exploitive. Money Money Money!
Sky~ I can see it from your point of view. And for the record, I was mostly kidding with RC. The bloggers here tend to be very funny, and I enjoy being a part of the humor.
I don’t really understand why you consider me ‘judgmental’? We all took a look at the pic and made a ‘judgment’ about what we thought the pic was saying. With this kind of issue, it would be an error to say that any one opinion is totally right or wrong.
I’ve got about a dozen naked pics of my 3 year old son that I’ve taken over the years. I love them all! I haven’t gotten them developed though, b/c someone told me that I could be reported. They’re probably just paranoid, but I still haven’t taken them to a shop. I just print them on my printer, and they only go to direct family members who would see it the way I see it.
Epiphany~ I’ve got some erotica, too. Although I call mine “porn”. *giggle* I picked up TIME magazine’s latest special edition (they have a new ’special edition’ every other week, lol). This one is for the year 1968. I’m 26, so I missed the beginning of the feminist movement. But there’s a GREAT PIC in there of a woman holding 2 large posters at a Miss America Pageant. The first says “Welcome to the Miss America cattle auction”. The second is of a butt naked woman sitting on her knees, back and butt to the camera. There are lines drawn on her body showing ‘rib’, ‘arm’, etc.
The point of that example is that I basically agree with your last paragraph. We are a country that paradoxically represses sexual freedom, but commercializes sexuality to the point that a woman’s image of beauty is forced to fit this cookie cutter Maile Cyrus type ideal… thin, long hair, and white. Maile’s only 15! Preteens see these images often enough, and now they’re seeing it from her, too.
We’re adults debating what WE see in this pic, but what’s most telling is what our teenaged girls see.
For those questioning my cookie cutter ideal that included the descriptor “white”, I defer you to THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. A personal example from my life, when I was 4: I sat on my bed with a brush and rubbed the brush over my legs and arms repeatedly. By doing so I forced my sin to get that dry, “ashey” look. My mom came upstairs, saw me, and asked what I was doing. I told her I wanted to be white.
Why do I remember doing this? Because she picked me up from the bed and beat my butt.
Okay, I understand what you mean about the effect on teenagers of this picture. I don’t know what it’s being used for, so I don’t know, I guess… Just as a photo, I don’t have a problem with it, but if it’s being presented to kids it’s not so awesome. Rather inappropriate for kids, yes.
But as an artistic piece, it doesn’t offend me.
And: I hear you on the racial thing: it bothers me a LOT. Did you know Disney has never had a dark-skinned princess? Every other race has been “done”.
Interestingly, my blonde/blue-eyed little dude is spending a lot of time in the sun lately, trying to get a tan so he can turn “dark brown” like his best friend.
But I know there’s more hurt behind that issue on the other side.
Don’t get me started on the issue of America’s image of fashion and beauty lol! From the moment you’re born, females are programmed by the fashion and beauty nazis that you’re supposed to look a certain way. And that experience ain’t a pretty thing. I am white but I have an olive complexion, don’t look like the girl next door and neither am I a size 2! I grew up during the 60’s and 70’s and rarely did I see women in fashion and beauty magazines that looked anything like me.
I’ve also heard similar experiences and feelings that you spoke about from black girlfriends of mine. They were encouraged by what was out there, growing up, to feel unacceptable in terms of beauty. Very very sad. Things, thank God, are changing as one can now see more black, hispanic and other kinds of female images in the media which is damn healthy. I also see images of women who are size 12 plus as well. And older women too. Good for them. Finally.
So much for my growing up with Barbie dolls. And “Miss America” is no longer carried on the mainstream broadcast channels. A little progress in that regard but we still have a long way to go.
Sky~ Right on, girl. Your son sounds cute. Epiphany and I both had the opinion that it was a beautiful pic, just that it was inappropriate.
Epiphany~ I TOTALLY thought you were black! You have a really open-minded perspective, few people do. But when you grow up with a huge mix of kids from different races, that’s usually how it ends up. Sounds like that’s what happened to you. I grew up with a lot of white kids, so I’ve always understood the emotion on both sides of the fence. It sounds like Sky encourages her son to be open-minded, that’s awesome. Kids and people shouldn’t see color as anything more than that- color, with no stereotypes or prejudiced attached.
Too bad suntan and jerrysrollin didn’t have parents who taught them that.
Oh no not you too Hannah, this isn’t true! Lies! How dare you doctor these shots Alan, even for you -this is too far!
Let me put some clothes on you Hannah, there you go, sweet virginal back, shelter those shoulders from hungry eyes…what a horrible day this is turning out to be.
um, the big deal is that a 15 yo shouldn’t look like she just had great sex. come on alan you are way better then that. come back miley from the dark side!!! our preteens need you!
Sexualizing a youth icon is a big deal, for society and for her career. Can’t we try to, as a society, get away from the constant barrage of sex? Especially for our children?
If you had daughters, Alan, would you want them to be the subject of sexualization like this? I know, it’s supposedly “artsy” but it’s sexually suggestive.
What’s the big deal. The ACLU protects the rights of NAMBLA. It’s only you uptight prudes on the right that think sex is only for adults.
Doesn’t Annie Lieb always shoot her subjects in some kind of provocative manner? Whos idea was it anyway? Daddy’s, her agents or Annie?
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Artsy..yes….suggestive..you could say that. But consider that many girls her age already have had sex and some have babies. And many are dressed worse normally than she is in a photo spread. I think we are worrying about a whole bunch of nothing. She’s got enough worries being the leader of the “clean cut white girls in America” so cut her some slack for this one.
This is not shocking as some folks said on the news. What I find most shocking is flag-draped coffins. That doesn’t seem to be covered on your station, Alan.
The big deal is she is only fifteen.
It would have been understandable at 30.
It is only “sexually suggestive” if you think of sex when you look at it. Perhaps some of you have issues that need addressing?
It is a picture of a young woman, or girl if you prefer, covering herself modestly, while being photographed by one of the great artists of the last century…
How immature we are sometimes on this side of the Atlantic. How quickly we forget what it’s like to be young, on the cusp of adulthood…and how we would grab any chance to look more mature - more adult.
Shame on some of you for reading “sexuality” into this. For God’s sake it’s a portrait of a young girl…the subject of art for the last 10 centuries!
I suggest a trip to visit the great art museums of Paris and Rome this summer…rather than another 7-day drunk down in Cancun…
Annie Leibovitz is an inspiration. If this ends that annoying girls career, or helps lead her down that path, good. As long as she’s no longer famous and a nuissance with her crud. Annie deserves an award.
Alicia, if your name is supposed to have a homepage with it, it’s not working for some reason. The pointer doesn’t turn into a hand, and clicking on it doesn’t help.
Directorpooh~ we’re “worrying about a whole bunch of nothing”? Wow. Well, we’re all entitled to our opinions.
Annie~ Alan DOES discuss our “flag draped coffins”. Now, I don’t listen to all the conservative radio shows in full but I do catch them when I can. I have yet to hear any of this pro-Iraq war cons read the names of our dead. Alan does it EVERY week. I listen to Glenn Beck everyday, never heard him do it. I catch most of Hannity’s show, and as much of Rush as I can stomach (about 10 minutes). Correct me if I’m wrong, but those guys spend more time bashing liberals than honoring our dead.
Bad Mr Frosty~ How can you NOT think of sex when you look at this pic? I think that Annie said it best, it looks like this MINOR just had great fucking sex. Shit, I wish that I woke up looking satisfied like that every morning. (lol, I’m so serious though)
This is a beautiful portrait, but not appropriate for her age. She looks like a 12 year old posing for a porn shot. There’s no way in hell I’d let my 17 year old sister take a pic like this. Some of you will hate me for saying this, but I’d feel the need to slap my sister if I saw her do this. I wouldn’t slap her though, I’d talk to her about why she feels her beauty would have to be connected to sexually… why she thought this was an appropriate picture… other poses, and CLOTHING, she could have worn to take a more tasteful pic.
fyi: i’m cheryl in fredericksburg, i got a wordpress thing so that i could track my comments
speaking of word press, I really wish they’d not give e-mail addresses away. Since I e-mail Alan he’s seen my addy, so it’s not a big deal here, but when comments are left for me, the e-mail addresses of the commenters is clearly visible in the notifications.
So is pornography sexual unless you think of sex? That could be considered art. Where is the line drawn? And I think that nudity has been completely sexualized in our culture.
It’s not “shocking,” it’s just a little inappropriate. So, Alan is probably correct when he asks “what’s the big deal”? No big deal, just questions about propriety.
So…..who wants to get a pool going on when she’ll jump on the rehab bandwagon? What father would let their 15 year old daughter pose in such a way?
Billy Ray,Billy Ray….tsk tsk
Craig, lol.
Flap~ I agree that many connect nudity with sexuality. I don’t. I see nothing but sexuality in this picture due to her tossed hair, light make up to draw attention to her plump red lips, smooth satin bedsheet draped across the front of her body and held innocently near her breasts, and the bare skin of her back that is covered loosely by that satin sheet at the top of her butt. This isn’t just an almost nude pic, it’s an almost nude sex pic.
how long do we have to wait to see Mariah carey this naked??
Sometimes I connect nudity with sexuality and sometimes I don’t. Obviously it depends on the situation. I use to go to a nude beach many years ago. Believe me, after doing so, you will find it EASY not to connect sexuality with nudity. LOL!
That photo was very carefully designed and I’m sure it took a lot of time to do so. Annie Liebowitz who I love is known for taking unusual photo’s that are sometimes very erotic or sensual. I think she did a great job. It’s a beautiful pic.
But sorry TOTALLY inappropriate.
tax paying fool~ lol, man.
Epiphany, I totally agree. It’s a great picture, but highly inappropriate for her. Secular sexuality is exactly why there are so many pregnant teenagers, and why my generation has this “hook up” culture that says that sex with no strings attached is no big deal. I’m all for expressing your sexuality, but not before you should. Who’s to say when you should? Well, I say that experience says when you should. Experience has shown us that the age of sexual consent is right about 18 (some states at 16 or 17).
As Media Matters notes, this is the top story the corporate media is covering instead of the NYT article about retired military analysts being used as propaganda mouthpieces for the Pentagon. Oh, yes, and wall-to-wall coverage of Reverend Wright instead of the disaster in Iraq, our failing economy, and the climate crisis. What has become of the Fourth Estate?
I think the photo captures the real Miley very well. She’s a young woman. Good for her.
Noel, shut up. You know that’s not true. And it directly contradicts your first comment. I think you’ve been staring at this pic for too long…
Heh, you got me Cheryll. :(
15 is too young for this sort of thing, but I think she’s ready to transition from Disney to Hollywood and this picture was a decision to change her image.
Disgusting? Perhaps, after all, if she wanted beautiful provacative pictures she’d have no problem getting them, publishing them nationwide, of course, is entirely different.
I wish somebody pay me a for silk wrapped ribcage expose.
Nuts.
:)
Alan when you have some morals and have children then please feel free to comment. Liberals don’t condemn any bad behavior and that has destroyed the fabric of this great country. Next ti me just say your clueless and keep your opinion to yourself.
I am an old liberal feminist, and I strongly obect to the photo.
I want my daughters to become doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs, not little sex kittens.
If she is an adult and wants to do this, fine, but she is young enough to be manipulated for cheap publicty and regret it later.
Actually, I didn’t even know who she was before, but she looks sooo young, the picture looks almost pedophilic.
By the way, It’s amazing to me that the right demonizes the ACLU, but has no problem, running to them, like their buddy Limbaugh did when he needed help with his drug crimes!
I didn’t pay much attention to the Limbaugh oxy whatever issue, so please forgive my ignorance, but when did Limbaugh run to the ACLU? My understanding is that they sided with him, but I don’t recall hearing that he ran to them.
“The Palm Beach Post reports: “Arguing that privacy rights of all Floridians are under attack, Rush Limbaugh’s attorneys asked a court Tuesday to return the talk-show host’s medical records and ban prosecutors from using them. Limbaugh attorney Roy Black also accused prosecutors of deliberately circumventing state laws to get those documents, rather than the standard procedure of using a subpoena, first notifying Limbaugh and giving him a chance to respond, according to documents. Limbaugh’s attorneys were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union in their arguments to the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach”
From :
Backing Limbaugh, ACLU goes to court
AP/ The Boston Globe
“It may seem odd that the ACLU has come to the defense of Rush Limbaugh,” the state chapter’s executive director, Howard Simon, said in a statement. “But we have always said that the ACLU’s real client is the Bill of Rights, and we will continue to safeguard the values of equality, fairness, and privacy for everyone, regardless of race, economic status, or political point of view.”
__________________________________________________
Ran to them, sided with them , accepted their help:
He did NOT look at EVERYONE they EVER represented, and then DENOUNCE and REJECT them!!!
My point is that the demonizing, of the ACLU by the right, is just pablum for the audience.
I see no evidence that the actually believe it themselves.
Cheryl:
I was talking about Fox “News” in general (like Hannity and Colmes).
I’m seeing a homeless orphan.
And you guys are all seeing sex?
because the democrats never get anything done of course they stand up to Bush by not doing what the commander in chief says and if all these liberals were republicans they would do everything their chief tells them to HOWDY
Old Lefty~ with all due respect, I say screw the ACLU. I won’t ever use them to come to my rescue for ANYTHING. But I agree with your point on Rush the Fatty. He’s a hypocrite.
I also agree with your statements about Miley Cyrus. That pick REEKS pedophilia. I don’t care how artsy a job Ms. Lieb did, she should’ve done it with a grown woman. Especially with Miley’s role in our country for teen girls.
RC~ homeless orphan looking for middle-aged man to bankroll her? Yeah, I see that too.
RC, I’m with you, actually: it looks kind of tragic and bleak. Sort of classical, too. Less like someone who just had great sex, and more like a refugee. Albeit with a satin sheet.
And cheryl, why is she instantly looking for a middle aged man to bankroll her? What if she’s supposed to be looking at her teen-aged lover? (again, not what I see in the picture)
Why is it so often assumed that sexually active teenage girls are conniving little sluts? Maybe they’re sweet kids who are just really, really in love. And often they’re really, really in love with someone their own age, in which case I ,for one, have no problem with it.
I gave an example of one of several different ways to interpret this pic. So what?
And if she’s a “sweet kid”, why’s she taking a pic like this?
Sheesh, it’s just a matter of interpretation.
And most of us interpret it in a sexual context b/c it looks like a sexual context type pic. I don’t care how “pretty” or “artistic” the pic is. I’m sure that pedophiles have beautiful pics of naked 5 year olds that they think are quite pretty and artistic.
Hey, we all see things differently, that’s normal. I just take exception to being judgmental. I can see it from your point of view, of course. I do hope you can see it from mine…
Still, very “Les Miserables”, I think.
And some of us do have naked pictures of our own 5-year olds that ARE beautiful and wholesome. There’s nothing wrong with the human body. The wrong is in the twisted minds of some adults. Or suggestive poses, of course.
You don’t have to have a twisted mind to recognize that the photo is an erotic interpretation of a 15 year old girl. Let’s get real here.
I don’t know a single person in my real life who would say either that I am a prude or that I have a twisted mind. Well maybe a little twisted come to think of it lol. But you know what I mean. I also have plenty of erotica in my home.
It just is what it is. A lovely and artistic photograph but never-the-less an erotic one as well.
And the bottom line of course here, is to sell something. I am overdosing on how women and sex are exploited continuously for the sake of the all mighty advertising dollar. But when that kind of exploitation includes kids and teenage girls it can have the effect of making my skin crawl.
I have lots of images of “Collette” from Les Miserables as it is my all-time favorite musical. Huge difference between the two images.
And no there is nothing wrong with beautiful pics of naked children. As long as they remain in the hands of the parents who aren’t selling them to make a buck.
The U.S. has got to be one of most sexually repressed and guilt ridden countries on the planet. And also one of the most sexually exploitive. Money Money Money!
Sky~ I can see it from your point of view. And for the record, I was mostly kidding with RC. The bloggers here tend to be very funny, and I enjoy being a part of the humor.
I don’t really understand why you consider me ‘judgmental’? We all took a look at the pic and made a ‘judgment’ about what we thought the pic was saying. With this kind of issue, it would be an error to say that any one opinion is totally right or wrong.
I’ve got about a dozen naked pics of my 3 year old son that I’ve taken over the years. I love them all! I haven’t gotten them developed though, b/c someone told me that I could be reported. They’re probably just paranoid, but I still haven’t taken them to a shop. I just print them on my printer, and they only go to direct family members who would see it the way I see it.
Epiphany~ I’ve got some erotica, too. Although I call mine “porn”. *giggle* I picked up TIME magazine’s latest special edition (they have a new ’special edition’ every other week, lol). This one is for the year 1968. I’m 26, so I missed the beginning of the feminist movement. But there’s a GREAT PIC in there of a woman holding 2 large posters at a Miss America Pageant. The first says “Welcome to the Miss America cattle auction”. The second is of a butt naked woman sitting on her knees, back and butt to the camera. There are lines drawn on her body showing ‘rib’, ‘arm’, etc.
The point of that example is that I basically agree with your last paragraph. We are a country that paradoxically represses sexual freedom, but commercializes sexuality to the point that a woman’s image of beauty is forced to fit this cookie cutter Maile Cyrus type ideal… thin, long hair, and white. Maile’s only 15! Preteens see these images often enough, and now they’re seeing it from her, too.
We’re adults debating what WE see in this pic, but what’s most telling is what our teenaged girls see.
For those questioning my cookie cutter ideal that included the descriptor “white”, I defer you to THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. A personal example from my life, when I was 4: I sat on my bed with a brush and rubbed the brush over my legs and arms repeatedly. By doing so I forced my sin to get that dry, “ashey” look. My mom came upstairs, saw me, and asked what I was doing. I told her I wanted to be white.
Why do I remember doing this? Because she picked me up from the bed and beat my butt.
Okay, I understand what you mean about the effect on teenagers of this picture. I don’t know what it’s being used for, so I don’t know, I guess… Just as a photo, I don’t have a problem with it, but if it’s being presented to kids it’s not so awesome. Rather inappropriate for kids, yes.
But as an artistic piece, it doesn’t offend me.
And: I hear you on the racial thing: it bothers me a LOT. Did you know Disney has never had a dark-skinned princess? Every other race has been “done”.
Interestingly, my blonde/blue-eyed little dude is spending a lot of time in the sun lately, trying to get a tan so he can turn “dark brown” like his best friend.
But I know there’s more hurt behind that issue on the other side.
Don’t get me started on the issue of America’s image of fashion and beauty lol! From the moment you’re born, females are programmed by the fashion and beauty nazis that you’re supposed to look a certain way. And that experience ain’t a pretty thing. I am white but I have an olive complexion, don’t look like the girl next door and neither am I a size 2! I grew up during the 60’s and 70’s and rarely did I see women in fashion and beauty magazines that looked anything like me.
I’ve also heard similar experiences and feelings that you spoke about from black girlfriends of mine. They were encouraged by what was out there, growing up, to feel unacceptable in terms of beauty. Very very sad. Things, thank God, are changing as one can now see more black, hispanic and other kinds of female images in the media which is damn healthy. I also see images of women who are size 12 plus as well. And older women too. Good for them. Finally.
So much for my growing up with Barbie dolls. And “Miss America” is no longer carried on the mainstream broadcast channels. A little progress in that regard but we still have a long way to go.
Sky~ Right on, girl. Your son sounds cute. Epiphany and I both had the opinion that it was a beautiful pic, just that it was inappropriate.
Epiphany~ I TOTALLY thought you were black! You have a really open-minded perspective, few people do. But when you grow up with a huge mix of kids from different races, that’s usually how it ends up. Sounds like that’s what happened to you. I grew up with a lot of white kids, so I’ve always understood the emotion on both sides of the fence. It sounds like Sky encourages her son to be open-minded, that’s awesome. Kids and people shouldn’t see color as anything more than that- color, with no stereotypes or prejudiced attached.
Too bad suntan and jerrysrollin didn’t have parents who taught them that.