I swear its sick out there and getting sicker!
In last week’s issue of Mishpacha, a charedi magazine, part of a photo of Holocaust victims was pixelated to hide a woman’s face, prompting JOFA (Jewish Feminist Orthodox Alliance) to condemn the decision in the strongest of terms.
Sruli Besser, an editor of Mishpacha, responding to the criticism in a Facebook post, noted that the photo originally came from the Hebrew version of Mishpacha, which tends to follow stricter modesty guidelines.
“The picture was not pixelated by us: we wouldn’t have done so — in fact, in the very same article on the same page, you clearly see a picture of a girl,” wrote Besser.
He followed up with a second post on Monday night, saying the conversation about women’s pictures in Mishpacha is “not for everyone.”
“The problem is that every time we open a door and show a willingness to engage in dialogue, a whole horde of angry agenda-driven people who — while well-meaning and sincere — aren’t part of our conversation, see a chance to grandstand and they seize it,” wrote Besser.
“But we aren’t a People [magazine] who changes things because of a hashtag campaign or Facebook ambush. That’s not how it will work, not what’s going to dictate the process.”
Critics of Mishpacha defended their right to call out the magazine’s policies. Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll, who recently penned an op-ed calling out this practice and has been one of a number a number of activists working on this issue, responded to Besser in her own Facebook post.
“The idea that because I am not charedi, I cannot/should not speak out against erasing women is ridiculous. I am a Jew.”
Nothing New under the sun, artscroll and "the collection the world that was " took without authorization the pictures of Roman Wiszniak , photoshop them no more vabbes.... The very famous pictures were taken from very famous books published from wiszniak daughter's with Elie Wiesel z"L introduction. I called them and never received any answer. I spoke with my friend and lawyer who was very shocked (he is a baal teshuva), so you know photoshop is not a new thing even in america.
ReplyDeleteSo what's wrong with that?
ReplyDeleteIf a publication has a policy not to print pictures of women, they should apply this policy across the board, even for holocaust survivors. If they start making exceptions for those pictures "that will not turn anyone on", every picture will become a battle, they will have to employ a whole Va'ad to examine pictures of women to determine their suitability, and who wants that headache? ;)
ReplyDeleteThe safest policy is a total ban, no exceptions. I think Besser is apologizing unnecessarily.
Leiby 6:59 AM,
ReplyDeleteSo you’re a champion for consistency. How decorous of you to condemn Mishpacha Magazine for its policy of occasionally displaying pictures of women in one media venue while photoshopping them out in a different one. You’re such a moral bulwark against the intrusion of women into our mundane activities, that a high place in Gan Aden has already been reserved for your defense of tznius conformity.
But we understand where you’re really coming from— the desire to eliminate women entirely from our daily conversation, be it in print or force them to the other side of the sidewalk.
You’re an a**hole.
If you’re unaware of the definition , here it is:
a stupid, mean, or contemptible person. It describes you exactly.
B"H
ReplyDeleteAbe, you are jumping to conclusions about Leiby. He had a point. At least he wasn't being so cynical, anyway.
However, in my view, you do not need to erase women's faces from magazines, etc. If seeing a woman's face "turns a man on", as people like to say, then he needs to learn a whole lot more Mussar. Of course we are all humans and susceptible to bad thoughts, C"V, but we can control even our thoughts.
Anyway, hold on one second, what about men? What if we just started erasing men's faces from magazines? Afterall, what if seeing a man's face can give a woman bad thoughts, (C"V)?
The solution is Mussar. It isn't covering women with more clothing (of course they have to be Tzniusdikke -- so do men); it isn't covering people's faces. We need to be more dedicated to Hashem.
AishKodesh 3:15PM,
DeleteExactly what mussar will be the solution?
Why do you think these crackpots engage in this misogyny? It’s because they believe they’re dedication to Hashem will be greater than yours if they expunge women from any normal interaction and conversation .
If you want to rise to their level of dedication, perhaps you should join them.
@@@@@@@@@__________they will have to employ a whole Va'ad to examine pictures of women to determine their suitability,%%%%%%%____________
ReplyDeleteWhat gives a vaad or editorial board or pulisher a right to see women's pictures any more than the rest of us? Who are they? In effect, they are the people's censors, they look and then prevent the rest of us not to. How crazy and arrogant is that? Also by photoshopping they are lying, so why should anybody believe anything these publications print including a devar Torah?
4,26, its the fault of customers for buying them and not calling and warning the advertisers to stop this mania.
ReplyDeleteits more than that. The frum publishers of both books and articles have lied about early life if rabonim and deleted photos of clothing they wore which they don't like. This is something everybody has to stop because soon you won't be able to read any true bio of anybody. IOW the frum religious writers are lying w/o conscience.
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteIf it's LiShmah, there is nothing wrong with it, although I don't agree with the course of action.
By the way, my good man, what do you mean "join them"?
About Artscroll was two bad points : photoshop the vabbes and not giving credit to Roman Wiszniak pictures even with a addentum and wiszniak pictures are very known .
ReplyDelete