Oh my sweet Jesus this is funny.

Thanks Mac and Rob.

The line between sexy and the disheveled-prostitute-look has been rubbed out in so many ways. Thanks to firestarters Helmut Newton and Terry Richardson.

Helmut Newton: erotic, styled, sadomasochistic and fetish influence.
Born in Berlin, Newton resided most of his life in Germany and France. He most notably shot for French Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Helmut Newton, Self-Portrait with Wife and Model,
Vogue Studio, Paris, 1981. Gelatin silver print.

Terry Richardson: raw, sleazy, 70’s porn style.
Part voyeur, pervert, and talent he likes to take everything a step further. It’s right at the point where you wonder, “should I be looking at this?” Much his style is reminiscent of Boogie Nights meets Hunter S. Thompson. Gonzo-glam photojournalism perhaps? He’s seen rocking Converse sneaks, jeans, aviators and a handlebar mustache, his look screams sleaze. Often on shoots he comes equipt with only a couple of disposable cameras and some jokes.

Now, take American Apparel, boldly biting his style has gone ass first into the world of voyeurism.

Excerpt from his site:
“Terry Richardson is an international celebrity as well as one of the most prolific and compelling photographers of his generation. Known for his uncanny ability to cut to the raw essence of whomever appears before his lens, Mr. Richardson’s vision is at once humorous, tragic, often beautiful, and always provocative.”

His bio name drops several celebs, touches on his debut into film and it ends with:

“Whatever the medium, Terry Richardson continues to prove that he is a true American Original.”

Ok, taken out of context those four sentences make me want to puke. Strike that. Even in context they make me want to puke. It’s funny that such cheese-dick lines are written on such a raw photographer’s bio..oh his site. His own words are much better, “You can’t give your photograph soul with technique. I want my photos to be fresh and urgent. A good photograph should be a call to arms. It should say, ‘Fucking now. The time is ripe. Come on.’  He could just  cut the backstory to two sentence and supplement it with some of quotes. The work speaks for itself.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Low Self-Esteem & Promiscuity or Women’s Liberation?

MySpace has made personal lives easily accessible. Click on someone’s blog, pics or read their comments and you almost feel like you know them a little.

Some people put explicit details in their blogs. Luckily, I work in an industry that encourages weirdness. Most people do not have that luxury, therefore they must be careful of what they put online. Do they realize that every time something is posted, it’s published? In my photojournalism class, we discussed the necessity of model releases. Without a signature, you cannot publish it—and even a simple online posting constitutes publication.

Over the last few months I’ve read several postings and blogs explaining in great detail their personal life. Maybe I missed the memo, but when did being a total whore make you cool? Actually, that’s incorrect, they don’t get paid, they fuck for free.

Throughout my life, I thought it was a social taboo for women to be promiscuous. Our society has conflicting agenda for women. We have a thin line to walk between being sexy and skanky. Be sexy without having sex. The virgin on the street and whore in the bedroom mentality is a tough balance.

Is this a cultural shift toward equalizing men and women? Some girls may find it attractive when guys are players and hook up with multiple girls. I’ve never found this attractive. If I’m selective, I want them to be also. Is this sexual liberation or low self esteem?

Jesus, I never thought I’d be promoting abstinence. Usually, I don’t pay any mind, but this is just an interesting social phenomena and I had to take note.

In the blogs I’ve read, and from previous conversations I’ve gathered:

Stupid Girls (naïve)/ Skanks fit the following characteristics/pattern of behavior:
Are females who partake in multiple one-night stands
• The type of girls guys don’t take on dates—they take home to fuck
* Make out with anything, anyone nearby (anything to make themselves feel attractive/
wanted)
* Hook-up and think that they have an instant connection/boyfriend
• The type of girl that doesn’t meet his friends, because well, she’s there for one
reason..
• No self-worth
• They think hanging out at a bar with his friends is a date
• Lack an understanding true intimacy versus sexual gratification
• No sense of dignity
• No sense of public decency
* Denial
• Very attention needy
• Repressed emotionally
• Claim to ‘use’ men. (I doubt it—or at least it can’t last. Sadly, we get attached. And they are accompanied by the characteristic below..)
• Tend to complain that they always have bad luck in relationships
(That’s because sweetie, it wasn’t a relationship—they were fucking you—you were not a couple—they did not love you—learn your lesson and move on)

—In retrospect, why don’t ladies make sure that the guys are actually into them before giving it up? The type of girls guys hook-up with and they type who become girlfriends are vastly different. Please just figure out if he’s an asshole, before you sleep with him.——

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