THE ETHICS OF FORWARDING PHOTOS

I was recently sent one of those take-offs on the "Demotivational posters". I'd seen the photo before, although in another context. This time, the caption read "Gunt", with something underneath it. The photo was of a woman, taken at some event. It was obvious that she didn't know she was being photographed; she was sitting on some bleachers, in an unattractive muumuu, with her stomach revealed beneath the hem of her dress.

`````I've always been sensitive as to how others feel. I've blogged about picking larger kids for baseball in elementary school, as they were always the last chosen. I bowled for years with a wonderful , smart, talented guy who was gay when I was in junior high. He was constantly being bullied. To this day I despise those idiotic jocks and that mindset. Now, people feel free to use the internet to torment others.

`````I want to limit my blog today to the photos that we receive. I've noticed that almost all of them involve overweight people---specifically large women. If I forward them, I'm saying that it's okay. It's implied consent to allow that sort of abuse to go on. It would be like not taking a stand against those signs that said "Coloured only" by drinking fountains. It's why kids think it's alright to exclude heavier classmates from their parties, no matter how nice or smart they might be. People pick up these messages somewhere, right?

`````I cannot imagine how that woman feels; the one in the "gunt" poster. It's one thing if we volunteer to allow our image to be used. If we happen to be walking down the street, just living our life, and our image is snapped; that's a different story. Why should we be open to derision and abuse?

`````The public arena argument doesn't apply. I was walking on a major street once and was approached by a photographer for one of the major papers in the city. At the time, I was in university and dressed very funky. They had an advertising campaign going and the tag was "What kind of people read the......paper?" He asked if he could take my photograph, holding the paper. I had to sign a model release. I never knew if they ran it or not. On another occasion, I had my photo taken by the guy who cut my hair, as he wanted to use it for a submission to something. Again, this was when I was going to school and he cut my hair in an unusual, experimental style. The same thing took place....I had to sign a model release.

`````I think the same rules should apply for the internet, if it's going to be circulated by anybody other then yourself or your friends (because you obviously gave consent). The courts have already ruled in favour of people who have sued as their likeness has been used to sell items, when they never agreed to it. I doubt these poor women agreed to have their likeness stuck on a demotivational poster. Incidentally, since ads are run on the internet sites which feature these items, profit is being made.

`````Nobody is going to care or know, with the exception of myself, but I can chose not to forward the e-mail. Honestly, it won't make a world of difference. At least I'll know that I didn't contribute to somebody's humiliation.
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(ART-found on the internet and it was not credited. Found on a site about cats).