August 04, 2005

Dude, Got Pics?

I have to say I find these 'photo-blog offs' truly moronic. I think I did one of these kinds of photo essays back in 7th Grade, and I was damn proud of it (what with all the cool explanatory text!), but, you know, it was a long time ago, and I've chosen to move on in life. Even, malheureusement, the estimable Poor Man (via Atrios)-- while ostensibly condemning the phenomenon--can't help himself (and he's really put in a yeoman's effort finding the goriest ones he could dig up--promote him to Eagle Scout, already!). Sad. Yeah, the blogosphere has been degenerating of late somewhat, hasn't it? (I'm certain I've been to blame on this score too--and hey, watch for a 'photo essay' in this space soon too!). It's becoming more and more like talk-radio, alas, with all the various camps clustered in their various echo chambers, recycling all the predictable approved talking points, and with the assorted amen corners chortling with delight at the great wit and insights of the esteemed auteurs in question. But yeah, it's still a helluva a lot better than Paula Zahn (aka Nanny in Chief--'watch this show, it could save your life!') and such--so I guess I'm not going anywhere soon. After all, this wouldn't be a blog post without at least a hint of cheap 'spheric triumphalism, right? What, we've almost unseated Kofi on the heels of Dan, after all...the future is bright, if only we have the courage to courageously grab it in our Turnbull & Asser PJs from the front-lines of the New Citizen Journalism (TM)!

I'm pretty sure the post wasn't about how you shouldn't use sequences of photos; it was about how you can't use them as some kind of replacement for a point you don't have.

And those weren't remotely the worst I could find. Poke around those links for a while if you don't believe.

Welcome to Talk Radio Fantasy Camp.

Posted by: The Editors at August 5, 2005 04:11 AM | Permalink to this comment

Dude, you're one of the few bright spots of the blogosphere.

And no, please no photo essays. They are moronic, intended as manipulative appeals to emotion instead of reason. Just like a lot of television.

Posted by: fling93 at August 5, 2005 07:16 PM | Permalink to this comment

I thought a bit about this, and I have to disagree. Showing random pictures of people killed in brutal ways in not particularly informative, but there are easily many other photos than can convey a great deal of information. Photos out of context are one thing--but there are lots of photos that themselves establish context. Would one condemn photoblogs of Jews being rounded up in the 30s or concentration camps, had they existed? I think not. I am NOT drawing some equivalency between Germany and Iraq, simply to say that it's a bit more complex than you are making it out to be. Pictures, like words, are powerful and subject to misuse. We could use better photoblogging, not less of it. That will come, I suspect, on Flickr (it's already starting to appear).

Posted by: Patrick at August 7, 2005 08:16 PM | Permalink to this comment