Arranged Delirium

Your blog post made me really re-evaluate what America expects to see on the cover of magazines.  The author accused the photographer of excessive photo-shopping, when in all reality, the photo was barely touched up.  It is surprising though, the author just immediately jumped to conclusions upon seeing the photo.  (I’d like to point out that after seeing her before picture, I found it VERY DIFFICULT to believe that this was not photo-shopped, even with Limor’s self-defense.)  I believe though, that he jumped to conclusions just because that is what we are taught to believe.  When we walk through the aisle at the grocery store, we expect to see flawless celebrities smiling back at us from their respective magazine covers.  No one really believes that one day they will pick up a magazine featuring a well-known celebrity with all of her flaws.  It is just what were accustomed to seeing everyday.  Is it wrong?  Probably.  Is it going to change?  Not likely.  However, I’m still expecting (just like everyone else) to see my celebrities looking flaw-less on the magazines I receive in the mail every month.

On thing that strikes me about this controversy os how the issue has flip-flopped over the past decade. People used to be surprised by excessive Photoshopping; but now they’ve come to expect it.

I also think you’ve hit upon another of the most important elements - the importance of actually making sure you are correct with your information before publishing it online. That is something that too few “news sources” are doing anymore, although it does underscore the value of true, reliable sources.

I like how the image is an icon for women in the work force and re-appropriation of Rosie the Riveter. The photographer makes it more modern looking and once again portrays the strength and importance of women in the workforce. I also think any female viewer would relate to this image in some form or another because it represents the drastic change in the role of women in our society. Our ability to be successful is finally happening. Women from the US can relate more to this image and it’s origin of meaning, but a woman from a country where they cannot work would not necessarily relate/like this image. Certain social contexts and views differ because of cultural differences there are in the world. Finally, women aren’t being portrayed for just their bodies.

The author of the critique questions the integrity of this photo by describing Limor Fried as a smart and normal looking girl. When I look at this photo she looks empowering, which is key for the front page of a magazine to attract attention.

In addition, the author of the critique describes Limor Fried’s beauty and brains like they are mutually exclusive. In my opinion the cover is very tasteful. It shows a strong, smart, and pretty woman. Many people dream to be strong, smart, and attractive. These are all desirable traits in today’s society thus making this a great cover as it might appeal to many people. It is clear that Limor Fried is a very talented woman and the two photos of her do look very different. However, I can show you many photos of myself in which I look different as well. Good lighting and background, mixed with a good photographer, can make anyone look good. Just look at high school girls’ senior pictures.

By now, we as a culture have come to expect significant changes to photos that we see in magazines and on the internet. Jefferson’s bias when viewing this picture led him to believe it had been altered to improve its quality. Little did he know there were very little steps taken to enhance the photo. Our ideologies actually led Jefferson to believe something that was totally untrue. He even went as far as coming out and publicly criticizing the photo because of what he thought was true about it. This is a bad look for he and his website.

The cover did a great job using both connotation and denotation in their cover photo. Not only do we see a strong woman who is doing manual labor herself (denotation), but we also see a connotation of Rosie the Riveter and the classic example of strong women. This cover can serve both as inspiration and proof that women like this exist.

Representation: making meaning of the world through visuals. Representation can be a reflection on reality or we can construct meaning based on our social contexts. The first idea behind representation being a reflection on reality is exactly what this photographer captured on the cover of the Wired magazine.  Fried was able to make herself a more iconic figure as not only being a well respected woman in the workplace but ALSO becoming the first female on the cover of Wired.  The author of the article bashing the magazine for over Photoshopping their pictures is a representation of constructing meaning based on social context (his past experience with the picture of Fried) without gathering all the details on the photo.

Which ‘representation’ do you see fitting??

I think this piece is a perfect example of reappropriation- taking someone else’s idea and adapting it to todays spectrum. This woman looks both beautiful as well as intelligent and even has a bit of might to her (added with the inclusion of the powertool) This cover instantly brings back memories of Rosie the Riveter in her classic WWII poster.

While the original photo showed a more rugged looking woman in a vector based image this image shows a woman with both characteristics. Now I think there is a big difference in her normal appearance and the appearance of her on the cover of this magazine but what artist wouldn’t dress someone a little nicer and or apply makeup to the subject? I dont know of many that wouldnt unless it was a paparazi style photo on the cover of national enquirer trying to make a point about how “Kirsti Alley has regained all the weight she has lost.”

In summation I feel the author of the article from Good got exactly what he deserved. It proves a point that in media today we are looking for controversy rather than truth- and Limor served up a big plate of truth right to Mr. Jeffers