Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Reporting the "atrocity" of photoshopping women - leitzanus for a slow news day
Hirhurim - by Rabbi Gil Student
I never thought I’d be in the position of defending extreme Chasidic “modesty” but I have no choice. The mocking condemnations of the Chasidic newspaper Di Tzeitung that are flying through cyberspace due to the paper’s removal of women from a picture are so lacking in self-awareness that someone needs to point out that the two parties in this discussion are flip sides of the same coin.
The newspaper’s decision is objectionable on many points, including copyright law, sensitivity and honesty. I can’t defend it. But rather than mock I can try to understand it. Satire can be insightful even when it is merciless. However, too often it is merely getting a cheap laugh or an easy position of outrage at the expense of thoughtful consideration.
The bigger issue was mentioned in a Washington Post blog:
ReplyDeleteYou want to censor photos? Fine, go right ahead (as long as you have permission which the newspaper didn't but who cares about goyishe laws, right?) but tell your readers that they are looking at an adjusted photo.
There's a reason why the Soviets championed photoshopping decades ago - they were trying to revise history to fit their new narrative. It was not satirical but repugnant and this effort is no less.
It would be interesting if you look at the whole article.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of not thinking about women - may be instrumental in how sexual repression leads to abuse.
And this entire DaasTorah is largely aimed at reducing incidence of sexual abuse.
Gil Student is wrong on this one.
ReplyDeleteLet the ones involved explain themselves since they made the decision. Let them also see that people take note of what they do. The world is not hefker and people are not stupid.
The photo should not have printed by them in the first place.
Is Rabbi Gil Student trying to say that the image of hillary clinton will cause men to sin? If the sin is suicide then I might agree!
ReplyDeleteThis is yet another example of "rwmo" worship of haredi/chassidish frumkeit (/krumkeit) - "oh its not my cup of tea but they have a right to be so insane for the sake of God" - IOW frum society is heading in this direction, there is nothing you can do to stop it, I secretly like it, and I'm going to encourage it. Such krumkeit capitulation articles make me sick - worse than the image of hillary clinton does.
Hamodia made a blunder. The papers went to town. Gerrer Chasidim (who run Hamodia) need halachic protection for their proclivities given the Chumros they adopt; is that why their Rebbes enacted them?
ReplyDeleteWhat is new? Only that it became public and thereby caused derision on the rest of us.
R' Gil's stance sounds like tongue in cheek to me.
Wait 2 weeks and it's all over, with little effect on the rest of us. I doubt they will every repeat THIS error, but don't worry, there will be some other oddity in the future.
Personally, I can't stomach Hamodia. Every Rav or Rebbe is portrayed as a Malach Hashem. It's just a distortion of reality.
There were so many other pictures to choose from - why did they have to pick this one and manipulate it? That's just a very, very stupid way of implementing their policy.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I think that the humor-attacks against them were quite ok, it was not nasty, just funny.
What I liked best was Colbert musing about the sexual innuendo of empty space & free seats to yeshive bochrim...
The 3 "R"s :
ReplyDeleterepression,
repression,
and repression!