# Attention whore or social commentator (Obese photographer)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 13, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251 "2013-05-13T18:25:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 12

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**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251/221 "2013-05-18T16:18:32Z")

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I also question whether a glance or a frown can ever be mockery. Calling photos of mildly upset looking people “Pictures of People Who Mock Me” is seriously overstating the case and watering-down what mockery means. For one, mockery is a deliberate act, and momentary facial expressions largely are not.

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**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251/222 "2013-05-19T17:18:46Z")

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> [@Kaio](#):
>
> Yeah, if these are actually a representative sample of her photographic/compositional skills, it makes me wonder how she managed to get a position teaching it. (Those who can’t do, teach?)
> 
> The other series shown on her website didn’t impress me either. [This guy does.](http://kylecassidy.com/)[So does this woman](http://humansofchicago.squarespace.com/new-blog/) (who also shoots street photography).

Arghh. Why do artistic types have to be so damn artistic. Those websites are to damn artsy for me to navigate quickly and they take to damn long to load on my laptop.

It was worth it though. I liked the photos.

ETA: turns out a simple lack of scroll was my problem. But SOME of those artsy websites really are over the top with the mind games one must play to navigate everything.

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**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251/223 "2013-05-19T18:51:03Z")

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> [@drewtwo99](#):
>
> Why do you hate fat people so much!? 😉

Because they hog the swings at the playground. Also, she does not live up to the “jolly” stereotype.

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**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251/224 "2013-05-19T19:10:10Z")

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Seriously… in the playground photo, I’d be casting glances too, not because I noticed her weight but because she looks depressed as hell, and I’d be wondering:

Is she suicidal?  
If I asked her if she needed help, would she react with gratitude or hostility?  
Is there someone I should call about this? Is it enough of an emergency for 911? If not 911, then who could I call to help her?

I’ve been severely depressed and wouldn’t want to just walk away from something like that, but I’m not certain what exactly I can do to to help a total stranger, especially if they’re at the point of rejecting/shielding themselves from the world such that a small gesture like buying her a coffee wouldn’t do anything but piss them off.

So in that sense, it’s kind of a doubly-shitty thing to do to those people. They may have been reacting out of concern, and she attempts to transform it into a story about their hostility. No good deed goes unpunished?

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**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-whore-or-social-commentator-obese-photographer/658251/225 "2013-05-19T19:15:25Z")

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I suspect that the story I see is in fact the accurate one – she IS depressed as hell. Just in denial, apparently.

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