Violence against women as fashion

Photos from a competition on the show, America’s Next Top Model, at Zap2It.com, where the models' challenge was to look beautiful while dead. Not just dead, but murdered.

I don’t even know where to start. Seriously. Violence against women as fashion. As beauty. As the ultimate pinnacle for a successful model to ascend—or descend—to. (As they are already abused by the industry)? Hmmm – as the ultimate pinnacle for any woman to ascend/descend to?

The comments from the judges are posted to the right of the photos. Holy shit. I am still trying to gather my thoughts to form any kind of coherent reaction. Right now I am just pissed. And disgusted.

Jennifer Pozner has posted an excellent commentary regarding these photos and the television show at WIMN's Voices. I agree with much of what she has to say, and she has managed to say it with more grace, insight and eloquence than I can muster right now.

Certainly, critical and thoughtful examinations of the positions and mutilations the women’s bodies themselves are interesting and important. But I am also very interested in the spaces in which these women have been situated (not to mention the situation/space of: in the photos-as a model-in a judged contest-in a nationally broadcast television show. Wow.) What does this say?

I am going to ponder this for a bit and will post more on this later (I think). Feel free to share any thoughts you might have on the matter, too.

Inner or Outer, Public or Private?

I ran across this article the other day and I think it is so interesting! Actually, I think it makes quite a bit of sense that an artist would look at a picture in a much different way than a psychologist -- at least in terms of how to visually understand the image as key elements relate to each other. But maybe it means more than how these two professions (for lack of a better word) visually see things - maybe it demonstrates how they see --ontologically--humans and their world. I wonder if it is fair to draw conclusions as to how both professions place people in the world around them based on these patterns. Do these viewing patterns suggest that one profession values the private much more than the public? Do these viewing patterns belie different values placed on humans' relationships to their inner selves and the world "outside"? Hmm... See if you can tell which viewing patterns belong to the artist.

What do you think? I'd love to explore this further through comments...

Speaking of artists, I’ve been itching to paint lately. I am sure it is a combination of wanting to do anything but work on my thesis and a genuine desire to dive back into it. I really miss losing myself in a painting…

It is absolutely gorgeous outside today – it has been really hard to stay seated at my desk. I am preparing for a three-day meeting and need to focus, darn it! A. has the day off and has been on campus doing research for his ENR class. We met for lunch and just a bit ago took a nice little walk around campus. It is just too pleasant outside to stay chained to our computers.

I didn’t get much writing done this weekend but did manage to do more field observation at the greenbelt with the help of A. and the doggies! The whole family participated! A. took the dogs leashes so I could meander around with the camera. Maybe I’ll include one of the pictures featuring the dogs and A. in my thesis – wouldn’t that be sweet! (I need something in the damn thing to make me happy with it…) It was a very busy day at the GB as it was pleasant out and the wind didn’t start to pick up until around noon. Nearly everyone said hi, and this time every dog we saw was on a leash.