That, at least, seemed to be the reasoning behind this Christmas family photo by Hannah Hawkes, a photographer in Rosepine, Louisiana, who snapped the following charming image, which is going viral on Reddit:
According to her Facebook fan page (which has since been deleted), Hawkes posted the photo on Sunday afternoon. While some expressed their support for the photo, laughing it off as a harmless joke, other Facebook commenters accused the photo of being sexist and silencing women.
"This is absolutely awful and tasteless. There is no humor here," one woman wrote. Another user chimed in: "Fixed it for you," along with a Photoshopped version of the image with the chalkboard reading "Patriarchy on Earth." The photo has since made the rounds on Reddit, with people arguing that the image of the mother and daughter with their mouths duct-taped shut contributes to centuries of female oppression.
"Now I get this may be a joke. Whatever. Joke to you and your family," a commenter wrote. "A real struggle for women in America because as a woman our opinions are taken as inferior and not valued in comparison to mens [sic]."
In response to the uproar, Hawkes posted a defense of the photo on Facebook before deleting her page altogether. "I do not support abuse or the degradation of women," she wrote. "My controversial photo was taken by request by the family and was in no way meant to promote abuse."
Hawkes has not returned Mic's request for comment.
I think the hands clasped together as if handcuffed is what pushes it over the edge from tasteless "funny" to NOPE.
Also the little boy being allowed to have his mouth uncovered, as if his ass doesn't chatter all the live long day doesn't help.
Like that LADY talk is what really kills. Toddlers who never shut up are totes cool as long as they're manly little boys who talk about legos and bugs and dinosaurs.
Post by mrsukyankee on Dec 16, 2015 8:54:12 GMT -5
I can't even with the defence. Just no. You think about what you are posting - it's fine if the family wants that idiotic picture, but you don't post it on your site.
I hate family things that pit the males against the females. Hate the pictures where the brothers have a sign saying "boys, don't mess with my sister", dads who have shirts that say something about cleaning their guns when boyfriends come around or some such nonsense.
This would have been slightly funny if it was all the kids with their mouths covered. But the females? Come on.
It not even a good photo, photo wise. I think they mean "photographer."
I like to call them fauxtographers. Digital photography has apparently made everyone with a camera think they're a photographer. Most people who call themselves a photographer couldn't tell you shit about the art of actually operating a camera. /endrant
But anyways, this picture is gross. It's a combination of everything... the tape, the tying, and they all look sad as hell. This is vastly different than just taking a fun picture with your hand over your wife's mouth or something while everyone is laughing (which is still a littl wide-eye worthy.) And they take it a step further by doing it to every female in the family. Those poor girls know this is all bullshit.
I DID miss the Christmas lights because I am looking using my phone.
But even without those my first thought at the photo, before reading, was "wow I am all for spreading the word about offenses against women but I don't think I would politicize my Christmas card."
I mean, the inappropriateness is so obvious I didn't even realize it was supposed to be a joke,
I agree with the other poster that if the kids were silenced and it was the parents getting some peace it would be funny. Especially if the kids were pouting and the parents looked like they were having a spa day or something.
I think the hands clasped together as if handcuffed is what pushes it over the edge from tasteless "funny" to NOPE.
Also the little boy being allowed to have his mouth uncovered, as if his ass doesn't chatter all the live long day doesn't help.
Like that LADY talk is what really kills. Toddlers who never shut up are totes cool as long as they're manly little boys who talk about legos and bugs and dinosaurs.
What's sad to me is that this was probably the mom's idea. Nothing proves my point more that from birth American women are trained to accept our own degradation than this photo.
Post by earlgreyhot on Dec 16, 2015 10:18:45 GMT -5
That is just gross.
These are probably Trump/Cruz supporters who are all concerned about extreme Islam and the ills of political correctness.
I have a dark sense of humor and find lots of inappropriate things funny. But there is nothing funny about the subjugation of women. Fuck these people.
I can't even with the defence. Just no. You think about what you are posting - it's fine if the family wants that idiotic picture, but you don't post it on your site.
AND with the caption "Finally, peace on Earth!" Like, "Oh, now that the womens are under control, we have peace on earth!" Because, let's really take a look at the majority of people terrorizing earth. It ain't women.
And I agree, I would chuckle if the children's mouths were taped and not the parents. Because kids are annoying. And it's not singling anyone out based on their genitals.
And, I think it is offensive even WITHOUT the tying them up. I would NOT chuckle if it was just mouths taped. Stop acting like women talking is bad. Fuck every adult involved in this photo.
I think there's a way to do this, like with the husband putting his hand over the wife's mouth and her rolling her eyes, that would be... better. Still a gender stereotype, but it would elicit a bit of a sigh from me and I'd move on. But the duct tape and tied hands like these women are being kidnapped, raped or trafficked?!
Actually, on first glance, that's literally what I thought the photo was. A commentary about how we need to stop human trafficking in order for there to be peace on earth. And then I was like...
Post by lurkingdobalina on Dec 16, 2015 11:18:56 GMT -5
There was some lady who duct taped a dog's mouth shut and it went Facebook crazy and I think she got arrested. These are children with duct tape on their mouths; no outrage?