Hope everyone’s having a nice holiday season! As usual, I watched movies on Christmas: It’s a Disaster, Philomena, The Attack, and If I Were You, plus we watched the second episode of The Returned, ate Chinese food and played with Bean’s dog Ripley. I enjoyed all the films, but I think Philomena was my favorite of these (Judy Dench is incredible), closely followed by It’s a Disaster.
This is an open thread. Discuss what you want, when you want it. Feel free to link anything, including self-links.
Since I saw no mention of it here, just wanted to share that New Mexico also got marriage equality last week, one day before Utah. It had been legal in many counties for several months, but just became a reality statewide. IIRC the court ruling was unanimous. (Can’t link at the moment because it’s a pain on my phone.) Yay!
What is it with supposedly progressive people and race this week? First, Ani DiFranco schedules a songwriting retreat at a former plantation that’s basically an Old South Disneyland resort now. (I’d have less problem if it was just a place that happened to have once been a plantation. But this place is all about “Come experience the luxurious antebellum lifestyle!”) And then posts a not-apology apology. http://www.sorrywatch.com/2013/12/30/not-a-sorry-girl/ (And, in the midst of this, one of Ani’s fans, a white woman, makes a fake account as a black woman named LaQueeta and defends Ani in horribly offensive faux-“ghetto-speak.” Which she sometimes forgets for a sentence or two.)
And then, Melissa Harris-Perry’s show has a good laugh about Mitt Romney’s adopted grandson, who is black. One of them sings “One of these things is not like the others.” http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/30/msnbc-panel-makes-fun-of-romney-photo-with-black-grandchild/comment-page-1/
I would like to take advantage of this thread to engage in a minor rant about a particular type of personality I call the Pernicious Photographer Pest.
I was the fat kind in Junior High School. As a result I have some lingering body image issues and one way that manifests itself is in a great dislike in having my picture taken. I won’t go so far as to call it a phobia – I grin and bear it when I really have to (like when I get my driver’s license renewed or when dear old mom wants that Christmas photo with all her kids) – but I become extremely self conscious, anxious and agitated just at the thought of having my picture taken. Whenever a camera is pointed at me I hold up my hand and/or duck away, usually while proclaiming “NO! NO THANK YOU!” I am willing to bet that I am not the only person in this Blog’s readership that has this issue. I have accepted this personality quirk about myself and most of those who know me have as well.
Which brings me to the Pernicious Photographer Pest.
I will usually encounter this loathsome example of humanity in some large gathering like a family reunion or a benefit dinner (my most recent encounter was at a benefit dinner for an art center back in October – and I still stew about it when I think of it). These degenerate remnants of decency will walk around snapping pictures of people enjoying their meals and each other’s company. Usually the subjects of the photographer’s attention are cooperative and will smile, or raise their glasses, clearly enjoying having their picture taken. That is their right and I do not dispute it.
Then the photographer gets to me and as soon as that happens I hold the menu up to shield my face (I don’t even have to think about it, I see that camera pointing at me and it’s an automatic reaction) while I loudly declare “NO! NO THANK YOU!” To be certain that my message is understood (and that I am not mistaken for someone being playful) I will add “please don’t take my picture. I don’t like having my picture taken.”
Now, you would think (or, at least, hope) that this would be taken by the photographer as a signal that this is a person who does not like having their picture taken! That they would think to themselves I should respect his boundaries and his wishes and not take his picture. To be fair, there have been one or two photographers over the years who respect my wishes and I do not include them under the heading Pernicious Photographer Pest.
The majority, however, do not get the message. Instead they seem to regard my displeasure over having my picture taken as some sort of challenge to them. They will only pretend to respect my wishes as they walk away. And then the stalking begins. Like a hunter after game they will attempt to sneak up on me and catch me unawares. When they succeed (as the more determined ones eventually do since it gets tiresome to constantly be on the lookout) they then proceed to flash a big, goofy, I got you grin. Clearly they are thinking that they have just won some fun game. In order to not disturb the peace of the occasion, I respond with a (very forced) good natured grin that says yes you did. My tormentor is completely unaware of what I am thinking which is I would like to grab you by the hair on the back of your head and bash your face into the table several times before ramming that camera down your throat you evil fucker you.
So, in conclusion, I would like to say to anyone out there who recognizes their self as a Pernicious Photographer Pest: STOP THAT! What you are doing is not a goof or a joke or a good natured teasing. It is cruel. If you knew that someone had a fear of snakes, would you throw snakes at them? Of course not (I hope) as that would be nasty (it probably wouldn’t be very pleasant for the snakes too). Please respect people’s wishes and boundaries.
I would be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who has experienced this problem or even from some Pernicious Photographer Pests who, now recognizing how unwelcome their actions are, plan to reform themselves. If you do not plan to reform yourself I would be interested in hearing your justifications for continued cruelty.
Being New Year’s Eve I shall probably not make any responses until after the party and the recovery period.
In the spirit of the holiday I truly wish everyone a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2014 for you and those you hold dear.
Marcus the Confused
Dagnabit! Why is there always at least one typo that I don’t notice until after I post? I was the fat kid, not kind in school although the sentence still kind of works, I suppose.
Also, I would like to thank Ampersand for providing a forum that I can rant on.
Once again, Happy New Year everybody.
Just FYI, it is legal in 37 states to hunt or trap the PPP as a game animal, and in the remaining 13 states (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) it is legal to trap them, humanely or lethally at the discretion of the outdoorsperson. It is legal in all the United States to wear the pelt as a garment.
I’ve always hated having my picture taken. I can’t really give any reason why, and it started when I was a toddler, so it’s probably not body image issues. It just feels all weird and awkward to me to pose for a picture. A significant number of the photos of my sister and me as kids are her posing like a model or Miss America, and me scowling while an adult hand (the rest of the adult is out of the frame) holds me in place.