Why do people pose for photographs while giving the middle finger?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve coming across more and more casual photos lately featuring individuals posing while giving the middle finger. For example someone I know showed me photos she had of friends
from her high school and in at least a third of the photos the person is posing for the picture while flashing the upraised middle finger. Why would you do this and what does it mean?

I understand something like making devil’s horns behind another person’s head in a photo. That’s not terribly clever but I understand it. But smiling politely and flipping off the photographer? I’ve always assumed the middle finger was a “Screw You” gesture reserved for hostile situations,
such as being cut off in traffic and such.

Is there any etiquette for when/when not to make this gesture?
I imagine it’s still inappropriate on formal occasions such as wedding photos.

2

In most cases, it probably means, “Eff you, I don’t want to be photographed.” or “This snapshot will show me as a rebellious person who gives the finger to conformity and manners.”

The “horns,” on the other hand, comes from the “horns of the cuckold,” and it means, “this person’s spouse is fooling around behind his/her back.”

3

I’ve got a mid 70’s group photo of the Phillies with Steve Carlton doing just this.

4

>In most cases, it probably means, “Eff you, I don’t want to be >photographed.”
I was sort of guessing that but except for the raised finger the person seems pretty content, usually smiling profusely. I figured if you really didn’t want your photo taken you’d turn your back or throw both hands over your face.

>The “horns,” on the other hand, comes from the “horns of the >cuckold,” and it means, “this person’s spouse is fooling around >behind his/her back.”
So much to learn.

5

Which country are you in?

What class of people are you talking about?

Aside from celebrities flipping-off paparazzi, … well, no, even including celebrities flipping-off paparazzi… it’s pretty juvenile.

None of my family or friends do this when posing for snapshots, so I’d have to say this is a “consider the source” type of thing.

If it’s “the thing to do” with your crowd, I’d suggest that you drop the introspection and just get with the program. :wink:

In other words… ask your friends why they do it.

6

Some people think it is “cool” to be pissed off and angry. They see celebrities doing this kind of thing and acting this way (i.e. Eminem), so they emulate them.

7

People feel the need to pose during photographs. This is just a rebellious one, that also shows that you aren’t taking the photographer too seriously.

8

>Which country are you in?
U.S.A.

>What class of people are you talking about?
The school photos were from a rich suburb (beyond my own means). I don’t know about the others because I’m seeing these second hand, I don’t know the actual photographees to actually inquire.

>If it’s “the thing to do” with your crowd
It’s not my crowd. Actually I don’t think I have a crowd.
This is just a general observation.

9

Outlaw bikers seem to favor this gesture when being photographed. I was looking at the website of one of the major outlaw MC’s, (not the biggest one, but another one), and in their photo gallery was a shot of this fifty-ish, heavily tattooed biker giving the finger as he rode by on his hog.

Admirably, aggressively independent and devil-may-care?

Or just pathetic?
Your call. I lean toward the latter.

10

The final photo in our wedding album has me and the lovely newly-minted Mrs. D exiting the door of the banquet hall.
Both of us are flipping off the photographer who had been a major pain in the ass the entire afternoon and evening.

11

I do it because I hate Fotomat employees.

Um, if you’re not a fotomat employee, and you’ve seen a picture of me, I apologize.

12

I’d imagine that it starts with school photos. In a school picture, of course you aren’t allowed to flip the finger. Which is exactly why so many kids try. And with fifty kids arranged on the bleacher, there’s a good chance that a teacher won’t notice that the third kid from the right in the fourth row is giving the bird. Which is why so many get away with it.

13

It’s usually an indication of hat size.

14

“This snapshot will show me as a rebellious person who gives the finger to conformity and manners.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this.

These are the kids who are too hip to be photographed, or think that doing so would be funny or cool. It goes against the prim and proper approach that they’ve been forced to take for many years before. They’re probably just sick of the ‘smile for the camera’ and “put on your best shirt/dress” schtick they had to go through when they were younger(OH THE HORROR). Also keep in mind it doesn’t take a whole lot to amuse a kid.

15

My best friend and I make a point to always get our pic taken in this pose when we’re at a formal event together.

My brother did it when he was on his way to prom (mom surprised him while getting into the limo) and my friend and I thought it was the funniest thing at the time (we were 16).

Now we have shots of us at prom, his wedding, several band concerts and several of our friends’ weddings with this pose. It’s only done if we’re dressed up, however. Somehow that makes it sillier.

It’s just a silly thing to do.

16

I always thought it meant “I am fooling around behind this person’s back by holding two fingers up behind his head.”

17

It’s nothing so complex kids. This is how it works.

People who are uptight are offended by such actions. If I flip the bird at the camera, I’m sending that the message that I’m not uptight (and F U F U R ;).) (oh bah… say the letters out loud)

It sets the mood or image of my mood for anyone who sees the picture (as it’s usually accompanied by a cheezy grin.) I would say that 50% of the pictures taken of me have my posing flipping the bird with both hands.

Also, it’s the international sign of brotherly love.

18

Maybe the photo subjects are Hawaiian and are trying to wish us well?

Some of you may recall the famous picture of the crew of the USS Pueblo, captured by the North Koreans in 1968, flipping the bird.

From here: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_1586160,00.html

And they figured out that their captors did not understand the meaning of the middle-finger gesture, which the men often gave to the guards while calling it a “Hawaiian good luck sign.”

That was well and good until a photograph of the middle-finger gesture made its way back to the United States and the guards learned they were being mocked.

That led to what the prisoners referred to as “hell week,” which included angry interrogations, beatings and forced “confessions.”

And from here: http://www.campdudley.org/flash/alumni/CDA%20Articles/Spring03/Pueblo%20Incident.htm

Over the next eleven months, led by Commander Bucher, the crew excelled at teh tasks we were assigned. In countless letters, photographs, and films the crew used phraseology that would translate well, but which contained double meanings. We also displayed consistently the “international finger of derision”. In our written word we paraphrased Navalese and American slang to make our point.

Our success at this work was rewarded in two very different ways. In late October Time magazine published a photograph of some of our crew members exhibiting the well-known index finger signal, which fact quickly made it back to GG’s desk. The result was Hell Week, which lasted into mid December, the worst set of beatings administered by the North Koreans. I ended up with a badly swollen right face, cracked ribs, and black eyes, all from being kicked and beaten with fists and boards. These beatings were unpredictable, and delivered with a rage not previously unfurled. For all their severity, they hurt the least, since every blow told us how successful our discrediting attempts had been.

Lesson – be careful whom you flip off.