These images come from the pages of Italian “Vogue”. (I found them at Gawker.) I guess they could be considered a bit too over-the-top by some, but I find them interesting. And, I suppose there’s a chance that they could spur on meaningful dialogue concerning where we draw the “police state” line, and how far we’re willing to go in the pursuit of security. (For what it’s worth, I also liked it when Benetton used death-row inmates in their ads.) If you have the time, you should follow that first link to see the photos as they’re presented online by “Vogue.” It’s really pretty cool how they introduce action and a sense of paranoia into the shots by incorporating small bits of animation and random camera movements. (In the photo of the woman with the boot on her neck, there’s an almost imperceptible twist of the boot, that I found really troubling.)
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I saw those photos yesterday on another site but they were just static shots. The slideshow definately adds an interesting cinematic quality to the set but I’m still not entirely sure what to make of the whole thing. I tend to think it’s more sensationalism than social commentary. It’s certainly not your father’s fashion shoot.
btw, your links are switched; the gawker link goes to Vogue and vice versa.
They remind me of one of my all time favorite album covers.
We all have our favorite.
Assuming they read this blog (and why wouldn’t they?), I think you just gave Vogue Italia the idea for their next fashion shoot.
Headline: Madrid Bans Waifs From Catwalks
Madrid Fashion Week, one of Spain’s most prestigious shows, is banning underweight models on the basis of their BMI (body mass index).
UN health experts recommend a BMI of betweeeeeeen 18.5 and 25, and some models may fall below the minimum.
The Spanish Association of Fashion Designers has decided to ban models who have a BMI of less than 18.
The association feels that 30% of would-be participants fail this test and this year’s fashion week, which begins on 18 September, will offer medical treatment to excessively thin models.
(Source: BBC International online)
In an unrelated (slightly) story …
Wives and girlfriends of gang members in one of Colombia’s most violent cities have called a sex ban in a bid to get their men to give up the gun.
I have an announcement…
From now on, I only want models with a Body Mass Index of between 18.5 and 25 in the MM.com audience. All models falling below 18.5 should report to Maproom Systems immediately, and all those over 25 should, from now on, start spending their free time at The West Virginia Surf Report.
I’m sorry, but it had to be done.
Gangsters of Cartegena!
Heed the warnings before it’s too late!
Watch for telltale signs of disaster!
The minute your girlfriend leaves your
casa,
does she roll her skirt above her
knees?
Is there a chocolata stain on your
wife’s TV remote?
Are certain palabras creeping into las
mujeras vocabularios?
Words like … “Nada,” “No,” and “Y tu
puercos”?
Well, if so, my friends …
you got trouble in Caragena …
with a capital “T” and that rhymes with
“P” and that stands for “Pistolas.”
The thing keeping these photos from being really, truly funny is that they don’t list the designers/manufacturers of the kevlar body armor.
And, did anyone else look at these and think they could easily be scenes from Reno 911?
You mean those aren’t real cops?
Look at slide #4 in the slideshow. If the guy holding the gun had fired, it would have ripped his thumbs out of their sockets. Just an observation.
No fake blood? If they were going to do this, they should have gone all the way with it. Brain metter on billy clubs. Bruises. Models shitting themselves as they’re tasered.