Photos with subjects giving the peace sign

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m friends with an Asian family who own a Chinese restaurant. They are ethnic Chinese, but were born and raised in Thailand and Laos.

The woman recently went back to S.E. Asia to visit relatives and she gave me a CD of photos that were taken.

I noticed that in many of the photos where she is the main subject, she’s giving the “Peace Sign” with one hand or the other.

I’ve not noticed any other folks I know doing this in their photos, so I’m wondering the reason. I seem to recall it was popular for younger kids to do this a few years back, but I’ve not noticed it recently.

I won’t be seeing her for about two weeks or so and plan to ask about it, but I’m hoping someone can provide an explanation in the meantime.

2

It’s actually a “V” sign, for "V"ictory. It’s an Asian thing.

ETA: It’s considered kinda the “thing” to do when taking photos, like the way little kids make bunny ears on the person next to/in front of them, or the way people say “Cheese!” in the West. It’s supposed to be cutesy as well - guys do it too, but I think it’s more a girl thing in general. It annoys the hell out of me.

3

It’s meant to be a cutesy pose in photos, originated by the Japanese. Scroll down to ‘Japan and the V-sign’ here.

4

I’ve seen it done in Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

In Japan they sometimes say “posu” when they do it.

It’s just a thing that people do to be cutesy.

5

Thanks for the quick reply! When I saw the first one I kind of said “WTF?”

I guess I don’t get around enough. In the past I’ve taken photos at their family’s Birthdays and Graduations and never saw it done. Maybe it’s an outdoors thing. :smiley:

6

I think you mean “piisu,” the Japanese (mis)pronunciation of “peace.”

Sometimes people also say “V!” (although Asian pronunciation being what it is, it comes out more like “Bui!”)

It’s also a young person casual-photo thing, so I wouldn’t expect to see it in formal photos, like for graduation or the birthday of someone elderly.

It also annoys me. Have I mentioned it annoys me?

7

No, it’s definitely “posu”, presumably the Japanese (mis)pronunciation of “pose.”

8

Combined with the stickers from these machines you’ve got enough cuteness to cause a diabetic coma.

Of course the only reason I know this is because I’ve done it myself. Guilty as charged. :o In my defense I was only 13 at that time.

9

Huh. Well, they do say “piisu” as well. Wiki backs me up on this. Where’s your cite, huh? Huh?

(I’m kidding. I’ve never heard any Japanese say “posu,” but my experience is limited to anime and Japanese tourists in Korea, so I’ll take your word for it.)

It still annoys me. :wink:

So do those picture booths. Although I too am guilty of having taken pictures in them. In my defense, I was dragged kicking and screaming into one of them and pinned down among a gaggle of giggling girls.

10

My post is my cite.

11

…pic? :smiley:

12

Actually, there should be four of them. :smiley:

13

Sorry, I burned them all.

Not really. I have no idea where they are. My friends made me stick them on the inside of my wallet to prove we were BFFZOMGLOLZ but said wallet has long since disintegrated.