Even though an image of 17-year-old Canadian figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond didn't bother her, a whole lot of others found the close-up shot of her performing a high kick in poor taste.
The Globe and Mail's Public Editor Sylvia Stead claimed the image was “not acceptable,” while the Globe's Managing Editor Elena Cherney felt the shot "was an unfortunate choice, and the goal of highlighting Kaetlyn’s performance could have been achieved with a different picture. This will be part of an ongoing conversation in the newsroom around picture and image selection.”
Photograph notwithstanding, Osmond's first world championships were a raging success. She ranked eighth, and secured two places for Canada at the Sochi, Russia Winter Olympics and at Skate Canada.
If Osmond herself wasn't offended or embarrassed by what reporters have dubbed the 'crotch shot,' should the rest of us be? After all, the shot shows off her athletic prowess. (Hey, I can't get my leg up that high on dry land, let alone on ice skates.)
“I don’t feel it’s a very tasteful photo," 2002 Canadian junior champion Lauren Wilson said in an article in the Star. "They could have picked another fun photo that protects her youth. She’s 17 years old. I’m sure it’s an innocent mistake but I don’t think they need to objectify her.”
With reels of images taken, why this one? And as many have said, the same picture could easily have been cropped.
What's your take on this image: tasteless or terrific?
By now you know the outcome of the infamous Steubenville rape case in the U.S. But it wasn't enough that the two Ohio high school football players were convicted, CNN had to go and present skewed coverage. Instead of commiserating with the rape victim, the reporters dwelled on the 'devastating' impact the sentence will have on the footballers.
Just when you think the days of victimizing the aggressor are gone, we get this warped commentary. According to an article in the Digital Journal, Trent Mays, 17, and 16-year-old Ma'lik Richmond were found guilty of delinquent rape, ordered to serve a minimum of one year and two years respectively.
We have technology to thank for the conviction, as the guys uploaded photos that proved they 'digitally' raped a drunken 16-year-old girl at a party.
What was possibly more shocking than the crime itself was the reaction of (female) reporters, who seemed to sympathize with the young men who were both football stars at their school.
"I've never experienced anything like it," said reporter Poppy Harlow. "It was incredibly emotional—incredibly difficult even for an outsider like me to watch what happened as these two young men that had such promising futures, star football players, very good students, literally watched as they believe their life fell apart."
So a couple burly teenage boys breaking down in a courtroom was obviously too much for some to bear. Justice notwithstanding.
"What's the lasting effect, though, on two young men being found guilty in juvenile court of rape, essentially?" Harlow went on.
No mention of the 'lasting effect' of the rape on the teenage girl... One step ahead for feminism, three steps back.
If you are on the Facebook trail, you may have noticed a gone-viral pic featuring a pair of “plus-sized” mannequins originating from a store in Sweden. The photo, posted on a Women’s Right’s News page, garnered some 20K shares at the time of writing, proving that it's high time such mannequins enter our stores here in North America.
While they look more realistic than the emaciated figures we still must face, don't get too excited. The mannequins are still dubbed 'plus-sized' if you can believe that. (If that's what plus-size looks like, then I'll eat my kneecap!)
Nonetheless, the point is abundantly clear. Women are ready for more realistic models yesterday, and whoever listens and reflects the reality will surely reap the retailing perks, i.e. profits.
In an article in the Washington Times, writer Delia Lloyd cites a scary study claiming that 46 percent of girls who smoke regularly do so "in part to control their weight."
Not that these mannequins are in themselves revolutionary, but even revolutions begin with small first steps, right?
Would you prefer seeing 'plus-size' mannequins in high street stores? Or do you still aspire to the size zero depicted on catwalks and mannequins?
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