Althouse: "This image stands in stark contrast to the fairy-tale image of the famous face and chestnut hair that made her modeling's next big thing."

July 1, 2008

"This image stands in stark contrast to the fairy-tale image of the famous face and chestnut hair that made her modeling's next big thing."

"Geraldo at Large" and at loathsome.

15 comments:

Revenant said...: If there was any justice in the world, Geraldo would have been reduced to working at McDonald's decades ago.; 7/1/08, 1:37 PM
The Drill SGT said...: slimy stuff. like the MSM using shots of dead GI's in Iraq; 7/1/08, 1:55 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Which of the following stories ran below a screaming headline in my paper this morning?

a) Coed kidnap/rape victim covered face before point-blank shotgun blast, autopsy reveals;

b) Democrat party leaders busted in Satanic sex-torture fest; or

c) Governor's wife spends too much on European trip.

Yes, it was (c), a story that will sell precisely zero newspapers.

The other two stories have been in the national news, especially (a).

My local paper just laid off scores in its editorial department. Most news organizations don't know what news is. It is what sells newspapers.

The great New York crime photographer Weegee is honored as an artist for his garish and gruesome car wreck, suicide, and murder news shots. It was news. He made it art. Also, here in the NY Times. Nice photo of children at the murder scene. Dead bodies captured by Weegee in this NY Times slide show, too.; 7/1/08, 1:59 PM
MadisonMan said...: The headline in the local paper screamed that the collider in Europe might cause a black hole that will destroy the Earth!

The headline writer is ignorant of science and can be forgiven. Fox News is ignorant of taste and good human decency and likewise should be forgiven.; 7/1/08, 2:14 PM
George M. Spencer said...: 'Taste' and 'good human decency' are generally incompatible with the news business. (By 'news,' I don't mean decorating, dining, fashion, travel, style, or arts coverage.)

Should this photo have run in newspapers, and, if so, how large?

Here's what the photographer said about it:

"I don't know who he was or what he did. I don't know if he was a good man, a family man or a bad guy or a terrible soldier or anything like that. But I do know that he fought for his life and thought it was worth fighting for."; 7/1/08, 2:29 PM
Bob said...: Jesus H. Christ!; 7/1/08, 2:43 PM
MadisonMan said...: Should this photo have run in newspapers,

Doesn't that depend on the story? If it's a story on the human cost of war, no. Isn't everyone aware of that already? Putting the picture in just seems like making a buck of the poor guy.

I'm not sure I can think of a story that should include that picture, actually.

Is this why I'm not a photo editor?; 7/1/08, 2:48 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/1/08, 3:01 PM
Anonymous said...: What's really bad is not just that Geraldo did such a stupid thing or that Fox employs Geraldo, its that all these high and mighty critics don't give a rats ass about the indignity done to that poor women or the bad taste displayed by Fox, they just use this as an excuse to bash what they already consider an evil and corrupt network for all the mature reasons that don't need to be elaborated here.; 7/1/08, 3:02 PM
Trumpit said...: I don't believe much in modeling. Imagine if you moved someone's nose a half an inch from dead center. She or he would go from looking gorgeous to ugly. Even dogs are smarter than humans in that respect. They will screw each other based on smell rather than ephemeral, overrated looks. Why did Jesus H. Christ screw humans up so badly? May the curse be upon him and his brother in corruption and deceit, Allah, as well.; 7/1/08, 3:09 PM
Icepick said...: I don't see where this is any worse than playing 9-1-1 calls on radio and TV. That's done all the time at all levels of radio and TV journalism.; 7/1/08, 3:22 PM
Revenant said...: Even dogs are smarter than humans in that respect. They will screw each other based on smell rather than ephemeral, overrated looks.

They'll also eat cat feces for the nutrients in it. Personally I prefer sushi.; 7/1/08, 3:45 PM
a@b.com said...: I think choosing not to publish graphic war pictures is an unfair way of allowing us to push the costs of war to the back of our minds. Of course everyone "knows" how terrible war is. I know I'm going to die one day, but I prefer to avoid it.

Let us see the brutality of everyday life. Let's not cover up how crummy it can be.

I'll admit that it's a fine line between that and exploiting grief for monetary gain. It's hard to tell the difference, but a good rule of thumb is that Geraldo will be on the wrong side of it.; 7/1/08, 4:05 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: Can anyone explain to me why Gedraldo is still on the air? The guy has all the ethics of a pimp and zero talent.; 7/1/08, 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...: Hmmmm.

1. "Why did Jesus H. Christ screw humans up so badly? May the curse be upon him and his brother in corruption and deceit, Allah, as well."

Evidently you neither understand basic Christian theology nor are taking sufficient Prozac.

2. Frankly Geraldo needed to be fired when he accused pro-Borders people as "bigots" and "racists".; 7/1/08, 9:51 PM