You know its getting pretty silly out there in the world when Facebook bans a woman  from using their site because she posted a picture of herself breastfeeding her child. The reason given by Facebook is that the picture is obscene!

A soon-to-be-obscene-mother-to-be.

Look, I am all for respecting the model, not exploiting someone else for sexual gratification or financial gain, and making the Internet safer for kids, but the natural and nurturing act of breast feeding?

Let me see if I have this right…a female breast being used as nature intended it to be is obscene but draping a shapely model in a bikini over an expensive car to stimulate and entice wealthy guys having a mid-life crisis is acceptable?

Western Culture will tear itself apart with this incessant preoccupation with things sexual and at the same time treating the natural as perversion. It’s the human body people!

Most likely, you have one, too!

The question begging to be asked is how did the female breast gain so much power? And how do we convince females to use their inherent power for good, not evil?

(And just WHAT is the story with the picture that goes with this ‘news‘ story?)

Lin over at Fluffytek has done it again. This bright woman, whom I have never met, has the gift of getting me angry. Not at her mind you, she’s much too sweet for that, but at the topics and situations that she raises.

I know, you’re asking yourself, ‘when will this guy stop complaining and post more boobies?’. Well, thanks for asking because that’s what at the heart of the matter, boobies. To be perfectly accurate, it’s not the boobies but another ‘area of interest’ that has caught the ‘interest’ of the United States government. Yup, the Feds. And since I’m mentioning the Feds its in my best interest to mention that I am not a lawyer, I love my country and pay my taxes. Oh, and I am not a lawyer and my lawyer told me to tell you that.  Seriously.

Kristin - One of God's Better Creations...But Is She A Felon?

Let me see, according to Genesis, the same Lord God who created the heavens and the earth is now a felon for creating man and woman in their completeness.  Obviously, he made a misteak mistake.

Thank God for the Feds to clear this up, right?

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It took a while but I found the link to the Slate article about the Decline of Fashion Photography. This echoes the discussion Dr. L and I have been having about nudity, religion, culture, etc.

Carly is not in decline, fashion photography is...

I promise I’ll go back on my happy pills and post something more uplifting than my last few posts but this link, and the discussion that surrounds it, reinforces my belief that beauty is being replaced by anti-beauty in the marketing and advertising world. Even if you disagree, its a great read.

http://www.slate.com/features/010510_fashion-slide-show/01.htm

“Remember, that the original state of the minds of uneducated men is vulgar, you now know why vulgar and commonplace works please the majority. Therefore, educate your mind, and fight the hydra-headed monster– vulgarity… Vulgarity astonishes, produces a sensation; refinement atracts by delicacy and charm and must be sought out. Vulgarity obtrudes itself, refinement is unobtrusive and requires the introduction of education.”

Emerson

Dr. L has posted an eloquent and especially passionate response to my previous blog posting on her blog.  JimmyD has also added his thoughts in his comment to my post.  I have heard from numerous friends who read my blog about their views on nudity, sexuality and porn. All these opinions fascinate me but there is a question left unasked throughout all this – and I will try to phrase it as eloquently as I am able.

So, what IS the difference between art and crap?

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Sane, loving, caring, rational adults can be perfectly civil with each other until a certain topic comes up.  In fact, we’ll call it ‘Topic X’ because even the mere mention of its name sends people to their corner of the ring in preparation for the inevitable fight.

To say that ‘Topic X’ is polarizing is an understatement. Your personal stand on ‘Topic X’ is so powerful, it can reshape how you’re perceived by people who have ‘known’ you for years. Family members, friends, co-workers – in spite of years of personal experience with you they all can be seriously influenced by a simple declaration for or against ‘Topic X’ (so be very careful who you share it with). Sharing a conversation about ‘Topic X’ with a stranger could be social suicide. States are painted red or blue with broad strokes of public opinion in part for their stand on ‘Topic X’. Not to get all theological on you but so fundamental to humanity is ‘Topic X’ that it is mentioned in the Bible! Yup, God created the heavens, the earth and then rested.  Soon after that  ‘Topic X’ was broached and no one has rested since.

So what is this world changing ‘Topic X’?

Nudity.

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I live and work in a very conservative section of California. Think of it as a ‘red’ state surrounded by an ocean of ‘blue’ states. It’s a literal island of thought, often stubbornly defended.

I am sad to report that I have had to occasionally defend myself and my shots from some who only see glamour and fashion photography as young women being taken advantage of.  Of course, this is offensive to me but its even more offensive to the many intelligent, secure and oh yeah, beautiful, models I have worked with.

Yes, glam and fashion typically shows more skin than you would see at your neighborhood supermarket (unless you live in JimmyD’s neighborhood!) but the knee jerk association of skin = stupid is just not fair or close to the truth.  Listen, I would be honest with you if it were not the case but the number of ‘dumb’ models I have shot can be counted on one hand (and yes, I can count up to five fingers).

I don’t shoot porn and my definition of beauty is evidently very different from some of my neighbors (and some clients). When I look through the lens I want to see a beautiful face (of course) and a beautiful figure (of course) but what captures my eye is a remarkable combination of beauty and intelligence looking back at me.

What catches my eye is the confidence of a Woman.

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Please Note: This post is not displaying correctly in Internet Explorer (but is in Firefox). Thanks for your patience while I troubleshoot this.

Warning: the following post contains moments of venting and deep sarcasm. The gentle, loving writing style of this blog will return in future posts. (Was that sarcasm?)

‘Tis the season for all things Christmas, isn’t it?  We’re inundated with news stories of families that go deeply into debt just to light their houses brighter and more kitschy than the people down the block. If your house can’t be seen from space at night then you’re really not in the spirit, are you? What’s wrong with you? Where’s your Christmas Spirit? You’re ruining it for eveyone else! It’s not Christmas without the eleven-teen foot tall electric candy cane plugged in, you Grinch!

We also stand in long lines to purchase gifts for people based on an arbitrary value system (”No! Put that back, that’s WAY TOO MUCH TO SPEND ON HIM!”) yet deep down in our hearts, we just know that’s not how anyone is shopping for our gifts. No, of course not.

And we see a Santa at the mall, another Santa (or two) on TV, and even another Santa begging for money in front of a store and ringing a bell. These guys are everywhere! Was there a jail break at the North Pole or something? Where did all these fat guys come from? And when do they go home?

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