"A lot of Hot Honey right here."
Sleazes, dirty stinking sleazes.
Not so much of a deep and meaningful artistic image this, more just vocalising a point that's been driving me nuts for ages. Having become a follower of numerous 365 projects, both guys and gals, and those of a non-self portrait nature, I've noticed one glaringly obvious fact. Wherever there are female self portraiture artists, or people posting regular images of pretty ladies, out come the perverts.
Now if we're being blatantly honest, any guy on earth who's seen some of these shots (and I'd wager a fair few women too) will have had a look at some of these images and done the metaphorical whistling out loud and muttered something along the lines of 'hell, that's quite nice!' It's human nature. Doesn't matter which sex, if there's a photo of them looking a bit attractive, someone, somewhere will be appreciating it in a purely "yummy!" kinda fashion. The way Flickr peeps seem to vocalise this varies though. We get those who skirt all around the houses to avoid saying 'yummy,' we get those who are perhaps a little less guarded, either by their own personal confidence or the anonymity of the internet, or by the fact that they feel their work will speak for itself, and utter a more honest and flirtatious 'yummy.' Then we get the people out there who are blatantly just sleazes, who you just know spend their every waking hour surfing for porn and Flickr for images of women in a state of undress or allure. These are the same people idling quoting Celine Dion lyrics and the same catchphrase they've used all week (see above) to every damned girl they feel like leering over, as though doing so will somehow mystically enchant the photographer/model/girl into thinking they're actually alright instead of being sat behind their computer god knows where with their pants round their ankles making themselves Blind. Point being that in many cases these subjects or photographers are almost always people who tirelessly work at their images and the meaning behind them, working their asses off to take the shots that these people then use as a cheap way to get their rocks off. It's rude, and more than a little creepy.
I'm not trying to say that any one area of looking at photos of people in a voyeuristic fashion is more acceptable than any other, but the wealth of porn that seems to be apparent both here and online in general is at least basically designed to be viewed whilst doing your business. Many of the self portraitists I see being plagued by these comments and pervs are becoming friends via this site, and although I'd always steer well away from assuming its any of my business, I do feel a sense of protection and disgust for them. So for those of you out there who haven't got the subtle references in this spiel, go back and read again for clues, and good luck with keeping your stream pervert free! ;-)
I guess it comes down to the age old idea that you studied in class when learning about photography, or at least banged your head against when teaching yourself. We steer dangerously close to feminism, and perhaps how all guys shooting women, or looking at images of them are being exploitative. For me personally, I never felt intelligent enough to actually argue one side or the other there, more content that I knew it existed and that I remember the ideas every single time I look at or shoot a woman. It's probably not enough, but I feel less guilty and ignorant by at least knowing some things. The bit about it that I really resent is how the pervs of this world, and if we're being blunt, of Flickr are making it such an issue that in order to be accepted as a genuine viewer and commenter of *insert photographer here*'s images, you have to almost prove yourself, either by the words you say or the images you display. It's not the fault of the women/photographers who are like this, faced with such a barrage I'd be the same, I just resent the fact that by association as a man looking at pictures of women, I'm apparently a sleaze first until proven otherwise. So thank you Flickrpervs for making this website more difficult than it needs to be! ;-)
(Yes I am aware of the irony in ranting about this over a picture of some breasts...:-P)
(Note this image is actually my editing of someone else's photo, used with permission. In absence of access to a ladychest of my own, and knowing my own mancleavage isn't so pretty, a friend 'loaned' me hers. She wishes to remain anonymous, but thank you. You know who you are.)
"A lot of Hot Honey right here."
Sleazes, dirty stinking sleazes.
Not so much of a deep and meaningful artistic image this, more just vocalising a point that's been driving me nuts for ages. Having become a follower of numerous 365 projects, both guys and gals, and those of a non-self portrait nature, I've noticed one glaringly obvious fact. Wherever there are female self portraiture artists, or people posting regular images of pretty ladies, out come the perverts.
Now if we're being blatantly honest, any guy on earth who's seen some of these shots (and I'd wager a fair few women too) will have had a look at some of these images and done the metaphorical whistling out loud and muttered something along the lines of 'hell, that's quite nice!' It's human nature. Doesn't matter which sex, if there's a photo of them looking a bit attractive, someone, somewhere will be appreciating it in a purely "yummy!" kinda fashion. The way Flickr peeps seem to vocalise this varies though. We get those who skirt all around the houses to avoid saying 'yummy,' we get those who are perhaps a little less guarded, either by their own personal confidence or the anonymity of the internet, or by the fact that they feel their work will speak for itself, and utter a more honest and flirtatious 'yummy.' Then we get the people out there who are blatantly just sleazes, who you just know spend their every waking hour surfing for porn and Flickr for images of women in a state of undress or allure. These are the same people idling quoting Celine Dion lyrics and the same catchphrase they've used all week (see above) to every damned girl they feel like leering over, as though doing so will somehow mystically enchant the photographer/model/girl into thinking they're actually alright instead of being sat behind their computer god knows where with their pants round their ankles making themselves Blind. Point being that in many cases these subjects or photographers are almost always people who tirelessly work at their images and the meaning behind them, working their asses off to take the shots that these people then use as a cheap way to get their rocks off. It's rude, and more than a little creepy.
I'm not trying to say that any one area of looking at photos of people in a voyeuristic fashion is more acceptable than any other, but the wealth of porn that seems to be apparent both here and online in general is at least basically designed to be viewed whilst doing your business. Many of the self portraitists I see being plagued by these comments and pervs are becoming friends via this site, and although I'd always steer well away from assuming its any of my business, I do feel a sense of protection and disgust for them. So for those of you out there who haven't got the subtle references in this spiel, go back and read again for clues, and good luck with keeping your stream pervert free! ;-)
I guess it comes down to the age old idea that you studied in class when learning about photography, or at least banged your head against when teaching yourself. We steer dangerously close to feminism, and perhaps how all guys shooting women, or looking at images of them are being exploitative. For me personally, I never felt intelligent enough to actually argue one side or the other there, more content that I knew it existed and that I remember the ideas every single time I look at or shoot a woman. It's probably not enough, but I feel less guilty and ignorant by at least knowing some things. The bit about it that I really resent is how the pervs of this world, and if we're being blunt, of Flickr are making it such an issue that in order to be accepted as a genuine viewer and commenter of *insert photographer here*'s images, you have to almost prove yourself, either by the words you say or the images you display. It's not the fault of the women/photographers who are like this, faced with such a barrage I'd be the same, I just resent the fact that by association as a man looking at pictures of women, I'm apparently a sleaze first until proven otherwise. So thank you Flickrpervs for making this website more difficult than it needs to be! ;-)
(Yes I am aware of the irony in ranting about this over a picture of some breasts...:-P)
(Note this image is actually my editing of someone else's photo, used with permission. In absence of access to a ladychest of my own, and knowing my own mancleavage isn't so pretty, a friend 'loaned' me hers. She wishes to remain anonymous, but thank you. You know who you are.)