:WORK WARNING: A protest or something equally as obscure, about avatars.

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Uh', could someone PLEASE put a NWS warning ON THE TOP of this thread immediately?
I just opened it in front of management.
Avatars, clearly are OK but large images need to have a warning attatched.

Seriously.

 

[neverwas]

*sigh* i think that this is a somewhat losing battle. 1234 doesn't seem to want to change it. And it ultimatley is his choice whether or not he changes his avatar. But, i honestly don't think that these kind of images which are everywhere in society are necessary... they don't need to be spread around everywhere. We don't need to see these images when we are just doing mundane things like reading a message board.

i can understand why you find it offensive bloss...but really theres the ignore function...and 1234 has every right to have it as his pic if he wants...some may find it offensive...some dont. its gross sure...but you dont have to look at it. just turn the dam avatar function off.

are you going to start a crusade against all of the pics in the gallery avatar section that have things like this? or what about other blers who's avatars are something like this...

or these...

If you truely have a problem with it address 1234 via email instead of singling him out publicly or write to admin or something...

 

[MoeBro]

Why are you on bluelight in front of management?

 

[Mary Poppins]

^am i going to have add you to my ignore list now?

I don't know what it is about images... But i think images are something special. Call me an art geek whatever... BUt, I find am affected by images, perhaps more than words (they do say a picture tells a thousand words).

And i won't say that i am not offended because i am; not in the "you have insulted me, me eyes have been soiled" but in the, i don't want to look at that, so why should i have to?

In response to the 'turn of all avatars' function. Well i don't want to. I like being able to scroll down a page and see who has written, and quickly. and by turning off avatars, i will have to read.

I understand that in 1234s case, he was doing it get attention. To try and see what kind of reaction would be made. but, i just don't like it.

I don't think it's a work warning in the sense you shouldn't look at it at work. But i use those work warnings, to go, okay, well i probably don't want to look at this. Like i have said if i wanted to look at some guy's gaping anus. I'd look it up.

*sigh* i think that this is a somewhat losing battle. 1234 doesn't seem to want to change it. And it ultimatley is his choice whether or not he changes his avatar. But, i honestly don't think that these kind of images which are everywhere in society are necessary... they don't need to be spread around everywhere. We don't need to see these images when we are just doing mundane things like reading a message board.

I don't think even ten years ago, this would be acceptable. And, i honestly don't think it is now. I'm all for respecting yourself, and those aroudn you. And, this isn't either.

how does this image disrespect 1234?

i find your argument to be lacking in logic blossom - as an art student i thought you of all people would realise that some of the most confronting images are necessary for people to appreciate the true beauty of others.

what would art be if it was another area which people could censor everything *they* deemed aesthetically appealing? the purpose isn't solely to expose beauty and pleasant images - it is also to push people's boundaries by exposure to images that they would not see in their day to day existence.

of course i do not find 1234's av. pleasant - and there are about 1000000 eleventy million things i'd prefer to look at - but in saying that - it doesn't offend me - a) i'm somewhat indifferent/desensitised to it - i mean it's a 1cm sq. pic of a huge asshole. And???

i understand it is your prerogative to be offended by whatever image you choose distasteful- but more important that this I think is to have the ability to express yourself and also to not just pander to what you, society, or others deem as "acceptable". 1234's old avatar was of a doll being hung and i found that more disturbing [though still didn't really care] than an oversized asshole.

In the context of bluelight I realise it is about provocation and whatnot - but think about if the rules you are asking to be applied were applied to images in every sense. How would you ever see and be able to appreciate the horror of people jumping out of buildings on 9/11? How would you have viewed art which in its very essence is grotesque, putrid and repulsive, but still provides us with a window in which to view another part of the world that we barely have contact with...These are images that i have found extremely unpleasant to view - but am grateful i have been exposed to so I can learn about other things and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me. You have to have the sour to have the sweet.


lastly. if it does offend you that much - then TURN OFF THE PICS function. I realise you don't want to and that you'd have to sacrifice being able to identify posters due to avatars - but don't act like you don't have a choice in the matter. You do. Or ignore 1234. There you go - a choice with three options - make your decision.

 

[KemicalBurn]

I just think using an offensive avatar is lame, besides, The Punisher rocks! and as a general rule, the less you complain/acknowledge something offensive the sooner the problem goes away.

''dnftt" applies to all BLers, not just trolls

And this thread needs a "Work Warning". Not that i am at work or school, but when i see "NSFW" or "WW", i dont click on these threads, cause they generally end up sucking due to lameness with people trying to gross each other out, or pics of naked people. if i wanted naked people, i'd use google

 

[neverwas]

of course i do not find 1234's av. pleasant - and there are about 1000000 eleventy million things i'd prefer to look at - but in saying that - it doesn't offend me - a) i'm somewhat indifferent/desensitised to it - i mean it's a 1cm sq. pic of a huge asshole. And???

i understand it is your prerogative to be offended by whatever image you choose distasteful- but more important that this I think is to have the ability to express yourself and also to not just pander to what you, society, or others deem as "acceptable". 1234's old avatar was of a doll being hung and i found that more disturbing [though still didn't really care] than an oversized asshole.

lastly. if it does offend you that much - then TURN OFF THE PICS function. I realise you don't want to and that you'd have to sacrifice being able to identify posters due to avatars - but don't act like you don't have a choice in the matter. You do. Or ignore 1234. There you go - a choice with three options - make your decision.

*nods in agreement*

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Originally posted by MoeBro
Why are you on bluelight in front of management?

^As it happens, my management team go out as well, and are familiar with and use BL sometimes.

It shouldn't matter in my opinon - - - you can post what you like - - - just please put a warning on the title.
That's all I ask.

 

[smart-e]

I am in agreement with Blossom on this one. I personally don't want to See 1234's avatar and I do find it offencieve and not funny in anyway.

But I do like other peopoe's avatars and I like looking at other people's just not this one in particular.

 

[NickyJ]

I think everything inappropriate is hilarious.

Often I feel like I'm alone in my laughter though.

Oh no, you're not alone :D



Guinea Pig has a mildly amusing avatar as well :D (Pointless story)

 

[BloSs0m]

i find your argument to be lacking in logic blossom - as an art student i thought you of all people would realise that some of the most confronting images are necessary for people to appreciate the true beauty of others.

what would art be if it was another area which people could censor everything *they* deemed aesthetically appealing? the purpose isn't solely to expose beauty and pleasant images - it is also to push people's boundaries by exposure to images that they would not see in their day to day existence.

It's true, that images can and always will help us appreciate the true beauty, and the true mindset of individuals. They will always help us establish views and ideas, and generate conversation about issues and will expose us to things we haven't chosen, or thought to think about. And i understand that 1234 has achieved exactly what he set out to do. And possibly more, i'm finding this one of the most interesting threads around at the moment, because it reveals so much about us as people in how we feel aobut these types of confrontational images when we face them in day to day life.

MP - I understand how grotesque images and images which use shock tatics to make a point are important. But it still doesn't mean i enjoy looking at them. I will look at them, i will absorb their message, but generally, i won't enjoy it. And all i have ever expressed in this thread is how i don't like it, and how these images make me feel.

I myself, i know that i haven't been exposed to pictures like this, i will admit i am some what sheltered when it comes down to it.

And no, I had not seen this image before.

I don't want to single out or victimise 1234, he is just the most obvious example at the moment. And i don't like those other images either. Especially when it appears that they are being used simply to get individual attention, rather than to make a concious point - which 1234 has since demonstrated was his aim.

I haven't mentioned inforcing rules. The sole purpose of this thread (if you read my first post) was to generate discussion about this (and as has happenned, any other explicit) avatar(s). I don't appreciate looking at them in any sense - be it people deep penetrating other people or a gaping anus, but i know i can't make them change it. But i can talk about why i don't appreciate looking at them, how these images affect me and make me feel. And I can have a discussion about the wider topic at hand - where i need to think about the ideas behind the image.

Which ultimately, i can assume was 1234s aim.

 

[quiet roar]

''dnftt" applies to all BLers, not just trolls

 

[doofqueen]

I can't read any of 1234's posts now because I have to quickly scroll down.

I'm kinda like that too but am interested in other people's perspectives so i can't not read it.

So i put my hand over it while i'm reading hehe

 

[ButrosButros_Grantos]

Go 1234... You have no shame and I like it a lot...

 

[drEaMtiMe*@#]

i find it interesting that the word desensitised has come up in relation to this image.

people have become rather desensitised to this kind of stuff in recent years hey? not much seems to be able to shock us anymore. still, just because something's gross and does invoke *a* reaction doesn't make it truly meaningful. if you want to wake people up, prove that they can feel and are alive in my opinion there are more cunning ways to do it.

again this is more in relation to how it reminds me of what *some* artists do. in those cases i won't go so far as to ignore their works but i also won't see them as meaningful unless i feel that there is a depth and cunning behind the idea. that is, a way that will awaken me and even through the grotesque manage to inspire me.

i think that's possible. i can't think of any examples of artists who have done that now, but there are photographers that take some very depressing photo's but those photos don't only depress the viewer, they also manage to simultaneously enlighten them in some way.

stuff like this doesn't do that. at the most it might make you go 'wow, fuck the world is one fucked up place. gee, i'm glad that i'm not the most fucked up person in it. that guy's way worse then me'.

 

[ButrosButros_Grantos]

[BI don't know what it is about images... But i think images are something special. Call me an art geek whatever... BUt, I find am affected by images, perhaps more than words (they do say a picture tells a thousand words).
[/B]

Completely off topic:

I hate this saying... A picture cannot tell a thousand words, there isn't enough in a picture to do so. I prefer to say that a thousand words can create a limitless amount of pictures.

Perhaps this was merely used as a device by artists to usurp respect from writers, so if they say that a picture tells a thousand words I say they're wrong. Give me a thousand words and I'll paint you a world, a life or a memory all things greater than a mere picture...

 

[drEaMtiMe*@#]

^^ what about an image can possess something that no word can ever properly define?

i get what you're saying though.

 

[onetwothreefour]

grant: art is not wholly quantifiable.

some pictures can tell a story that an infinite amount of words couldn't cover, yet some short poems say more than some visual artists have said in their entire career.

[edit: since the discussion seems to be focusing quite a bit on art, i don't think this is off-topic at all. i'm gonna castrate you, grant :D]

 

[ButrosButros_Grantos]

^^^OFF TOPIC

CLAWS YOURSELF...Biatch!

 

[onetwothreefour]

thanks guys, i think you've justified my point here.

anyway, i have a whole bunch of things to say:

Originally posted by BloSs0m
I don't know what it is about images... But i think images are something special. Call me an art geek whatever... BUt, I find am affected by images, perhaps more than words (they do say a picture tells a thousand words).

and you're spot on. that's exactly why this one, tiny image has caused more controversy than any of the 5,000 or so posts that i've made in the last year or two. as you've pointed out, it's there to make a point, and images are very powerful instigators.

btw, have you read 'camera lucida' by roland barthes? you should; it's the best book on photography ever written :D </ego>

I don't think even ten years ago, this would be acceptable. And, i honestly don't think it is now. I'm all for respecting yourself, and those aroudn you. And, this isn't either.

i entirely disagree with this moralistic crusade kind of opinion, and i don't think there's any place for it. who's to say what defines what self-respect or respect for others is? i would imagine that there are conventional views on what's respectable and what's not, but it's not always so black and white; the vast majority of society views the use of illegal drugs as a thing which people with no self-respect do, yet i would imagine that most people here wouldn't hold that point of view.

i don't think there's a right nor a wrong here, really; what i *do* think is that self-respect is exactly that: something that needs to be decided by yourself.

Originally posted by Mary Poppins
what would art be if it was another area which people could censor everything *they* deemed aesthetically appealing? the purpose isn't solely to expose beauty and pleasant images - it is also to push people's boundaries by exposure to images that they would not see in their day to day existence.

exactly, freedom of expression: the world would be a dull place if everybody thought the same way.

i understand it is your prerogative to be offended by whatever image you choose distasteful- but more important that this I think is to have the ability to express yourself and also to not just pander to what you, society, or others deem as "acceptable". 1234's old avatar was of a doll being hung and i found that more disturbing [though still didn't really care] than an oversized asshole.

mary poppins, you've effectively covered my point of view. and i'm really glad you brought up the hanging doll avatar that i used to have: though *most* people don't/didn't seem to find it anywhere near as offensive as mister goatse, i agree with you in that i also think it's more disturbing. but it echoed how i was feeling at the time, and i was also using it to express the fact that i don't see being depressed as anything to be ashamed of. plus the picture was damn cool.

Originally posted by BloSs0m
It's true, that images can and always will help us appreciate the true beauty, and the true mindset of individuals. They will always help us establish views and ideas, and generate conversation about issues and will expose us to things we haven't chosen, or thought to think about. And i understand that 1234 has achieved exactly what he set out to do. And possibly more, i'm finding this one of the most interesting threads around at the moment, because it reveals so much about us as people in how we feel aobut these types of confrontational images when we face them in day to day life.

spot on. i'm glad that someone as reasonable as you was the one to start it; there's been some wonderful discussion.

MP - I understand how grotesque images and images which use shock tatics to make a point are important. But it still doesn't mean i enjoy looking at them. I will look at them, i will absorb their message, but generally, i won't enjoy it. And all i have ever expressed in this thread is how i don't like it, and how these images make me feel.

I myself, i know that i haven't been exposed to pictures like this, i will admit i am some what sheltered when it comes down to it.

And no, I had not seen this image before.

I don't want to single out or victimise 1234, he is just the most obvious example at the moment. And i don't like those other images either. Especially when it appears that they are being used simply to get individual attention, rather than to make a concious point - which 1234 has since demonstrated was his aim.

I haven't mentioned inforcing rules. The sole purpose of this thread (if you read my first post) was to generate discussion about this (and as has happenned, any other explicit) avatar(s). I don't appreciate looking at them in any sense - be it people deep penetrating other people or a gaping anus, but i know i can't make them change it. But i can talk about why i don't appreciate looking at them, how these images affect me and make me feel. And I can have a discussion about the wider topic at hand - where i need to think about the ideas behind the image.

Which ultimately, i can assume was 1234s aim.

i respect your point of view, but i respectfully disagree. don't worry, i definitely don't take your criticisms personally (i have the avatar for a reason, and that reason means i can take any criticism i get). i think what i really wonder about this is *why* you dislike it? if it's just aesthetics, fair enough, but i don't think that's much of a reason (). as in, there are ugly things that we see every day: i walk around my university and see ugly buildings; i walk down the street (or look in the mirror for that matter ) and i see ugly people; i turn on the news and i see ugly arguments about ugly issues... the world is, a lot of the time, an ugly place. whilst i can understand you not wanting to look at things that you consider ugly, i think it's a rather unhealthy way to view the world, and ultimately leads to a skewed and 'sheltered' (to use your very word ) outlook on life.

not to even mention the issue of whether it's *actually* really all that ugly? isn't it sort of interesting? christ, i realise i'm more than a little disturbed from growing up with a dad who was a funeral director (good old corpse fun for all! :D), but i don't see the human body as anything all that disturbing. sure, i could think of better things to spend my lunchtime looking at, but when it all comes down to it, we're all made of the same stuff: we all eat and talk and drink and shit and piss and fuck and do all sorts of crazy shit with each other. and a lot of it revolves around our bodies.

it's not so simple as to just say 'it's a human body, get over it' - i realise that. there's such a thing as context. but to be totally honest, i find the reaction to something that is effectively just a picture of a body part that we all possess (though, perhaps, hopefully not quite as gracefully open for business as goatse's) a tad excessive. interesting though, very interesting.

also, dreamtime: you make a very valid point. whilst, like i mentioned in response to mary poppins, i definitely did this to make a bit of a point, or at least arouse some interesting reactions regarding censorship/desensitisation/perspective, i'm certainly not so pretentious as to claim any further depth to it. i've always been a person that's interested in getting reactions to things that people might find controversial, but i can assure you that this isn't exactly the most high-brow of my experiments. it was, effectively, just an off the cuff little thing i thought of when reading through that original thread in the lounge - so really, it wasn't even my idea (i stole it from mysticalis!). ultimately, i'm just interested in people's reactions, and i realised this would provoke them; it's the other people who are interesting, i'm just interested.

 

[ButrosButros_Grantos]

1234... Generating words is the same as being WORTH words....