# So you think you're an unique individual? Nah. There are at least a dozen of you.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 28, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462 "2006-07-28T21:08:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/1 "2006-07-28T21:08:09Z")
[Exactitudes.](http://www.exactitudes.nl/)
Click anywhere on the thumbnails or in the picture for the slideshow to start and continue.
Dutch artists approached people on the street and asked them to pose in front of a white screen. The photographers asked the subjects to take a certain pose, but that’s all the manipulation involved. These are real, everyday people.
Then the photographers took eleven _other_ grannies, punks, priests, volunteers, butchers, queers, leathermen, Chinese office workers. And they put the twelve pictures next to each other. No commentary is given or necessary, and the effect, to me, is powerful in a way I can’t really put my finger on.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/2 "2006-07-28T21:40:17Z")
Not sure I’d want to be in the group titled “Bimbos”. It’s a fine line from Bimbos to Babes.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/3 "2006-07-28T21:53:05Z")
Cool site! Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/4 "2006-07-28T21:56:55Z")
Very cool.
But maybe it only proves Dutch people look the same, or that all people look similar when covered in a big, bright puffy coat? 😉
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### Author:  [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/5 "2006-07-28T22:14:47Z")
Um, one bit of warning:
While clicking through, I got to a section titled “Dreads”, displaying dreadlocked individuals in jeans and no shirt.
Some are woman.
Just so you know.
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/6 "2006-07-28T22:35:08Z")
Not sure if it says anything more profound than, people make fashion statements. How many photographs that didn’t fit the premmise were taken I wonder?
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/7 "2006-07-28T22:54:09Z")
Yeah… I got the dreadlocked one too… NSFW!
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/8 "2006-07-28T22:59:49Z")
Yep, it didn’t really say anything to me except you can find people that dress similar if you take enough pictures.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/9 "2006-07-28T23:19:43Z")
Some of them are chairmen and butchers? Of course they’ll dress the same. But I still think it’s pretty cool. I probably fit into the “chickies” or “naturals” categories myself.
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### Author:  [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/10 "2006-07-29T00:28:31Z")
I still think I’m a unique individual. Both in appearance and in other, more important, things.
Neat site, though.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/11 "2006-07-29T03:08:02Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#):
>
> I still think I’m a unique individual. Both in appearance and in other, more important, things.
> Neat site, though.
Yes, you’re unique, just like everyone else.
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### Author:  [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/12 "2006-07-29T03:19:30Z")
I’m either a “Natural” (63) or an “Emo” (70), depending on the day.
The “Tattoo Babes” (15) are all pretty tattoo-free.
Do the photographers find these people dressed exactly the way their pictured?
At my college, you could do “double breasted black wool coats” in the winter. Half the students must have them.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/13 "2006-07-29T03:24:47Z")
_Twelve_ men in red trousers and pale blue shirts, with the left side untucked? Something’s fishy. I don’t believe it.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/14 "2006-07-29T03:40:14Z")
There is something big-time wrong here. I respect their drive and ambition but the integrity of the message is suspect. Butchers don’t just walk around in their work clothes so they clearly had to locate them and tell them to put on the jacket, pose, etc. The other groups have outfits that are way to clean and I don’t just mean sanitary. Some groups have everyone in jackets. Other groups have no one in jackets. Other personal belongings are missing. The outfits are all fixed just the same way.
If they pulled me off the street and told me that I needed to strip down to my boxers, I have no doubt that they could find men about my age and build that are wearing boxers to put together in a nice little photo.
All this says to me is: “People tend to shop at the same types of clothing retailers. If you scan thousands of people, identify ones that can be made similar, strip off what doesn’t agree, and pose people the exact same way, you can indeed prove that we are all no better than sheep.”
I couldn’t find my group at all BTW so I guess that proves what I thought once and for all.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/15 "2006-07-29T04:55:48Z")
BTW–I agree that the website is fascinating, and has a lot more aesthetic/emotional value for me than a whole museum full of modern “art”. It’s a cute statement they’re making.
I just don’t believe that it wasn’t staged.
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### Author:  [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/16 "2006-07-29T05:25:34Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#):
>
> The “Tattoo Babes” (15) are all pretty
Tatto. maybe it means something else?
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/17 "2006-07-29T06:49:35Z")
I checked the pictures. I am still a [unique](http://www.muppetlabs.com/~eric/DSC00042.JPG) [individual](http://www.muppetlabs.com/~eric/robotarm.jpeg).
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### Author:  [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/18 "2006-07-29T07:12:47Z")
I don’t see where they even have names.
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### Author:  [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/19 "2006-07-29T08:45:55Z")
Huh. Well, I am \*totally rockin’ \* the Vagabond look.
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### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-youre-an-unique-individual-nah-there-are-at-least-a-dozen-of-you/366462/20 "2006-07-29T08:48:39Z")
**fetus** , scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see the names.
The tattoo-babes (if you look at the pics in magnification) are all very well brought-up girls from decent families, who all took, as a sign of rebellion, _one_ little tattoo. Usually on their hip. Half of them chose a little dolphin as a personal expression of their uniqueness.
As for the picture of the men in pale blue shirts, red trousers, just compare their hair (too long) and the "we own the world’-look in their eyes. These are the archetypical Dutch fratboys. The left side untucked is probably staged, but it is symptomatic; the hallmark of these boys is to have expensive stuff and then treat it without care. The typical Dutch frat-boy wears (or wore, these things go fast) expensive hand made van Bommel shoes, that looks as if he regularly plays soccer in them. They have expensive costume jackets that usually have burn-holes from cigarettes in them, smell like beer or are bursting at the seams.
The outfits look too clean? Have you looked at the wino’s (the most internally diverse group, apart from the uniform " crazy look" in their eyes), and the eco-punks?
Many pictures have been taken at gatherings of like-minded people. The preppy-looking “Juffen” for instance are all from Hollands’ most severe religious group, the Reformed Church. Their faith demands that they were long hair and skirts instead of short hair and trousers. But as they try to balance the needs of their faith with the need to look modern and “cool” they have come up with this preppy look. Other pictures from that group include the " wereldheren" (reformed Dutch priests who aal have exactly the same look in their eyes and the exact same expression on their faces) and the “vrijwilligsters” the archetypical old lady who puts down fresh flowers in church and participates in fundraising campaigns in church for the African mission.
The pictures of the dreads and the eco-punks were probably taken at some concert.
The pictures of the Brazilian Surfista’s, Gentlemen, Chickies and “Girls from Ipanema” (elderly ladies who are determinded to enjoy the sun and be sexy, even in their sixties) were all taken at the beach.
I guess the butchers and the bouncers were all potographed at work. “Could you please step outside for a moment sir, to have your picture taken? Thank you!”
I showed these pictures (I have ordered the book) to friends of mine from the Rotterdam area, where most of the Dutch pictures were taken. They recognized quite a few individuals, mainly from the “techno-hippies” group.
:: shakes head:: You Americans are weird. So the " babes" (hot girls with boob-jobs and skimpy bikinis) are SFW, yet the totally unsexual nude-from-the-waist-up pictures from the androgynous dreadlock boys and girs are not?
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