Peace on Earth photo - AIBU? Shocked by responses on Facebook

[Dottydadoo]

Have just seen this photo doing the rounds on Facebook -

www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/family-friends/photographer-criticised-over-image-where-females-have-their-mouths-taped-up/news-story/f98fcb5376ba15ea7dff36c49d18a7d4

Of course, I don't agree with the abuse the photographer has received but I am truly shocked at the majority of comments under it about 'lightening up' 'what's the harm, it's a joke' 'women do nag more then men' ...and most from WOMEN?

Yes, each to their own but this photo is completely sinister and sexist to the core to me. I'm a mum of 3 girls and it makes me shudder that people think this is funny and harmless ....but this is the other end of the spectrum to the general views I've just read!

[Room101isWhereIUsedToLive]

So utterly amusing. Not. The world is indeed full of twat badgers. Bring on Kalki.

[worldgonecrazy]

YANBU. The only reason this is "funny" is because of the stereotype that women nag (i.e. ask someone to do something perfectly reasonable, that person doesn't do said thing in a reasonable timeframe, so they need to be reminded)

It has sinister connotations and is no funnier than jokes about rape.

[Amazemedontbeacunt]

yanbu that's disturbing.

[hiddenhome2]

That's fucking horrible. Men frequently lecture, interfere and nag. They should be fucking duck taped themselves

[Tuiles]

Do you know what I saw in that picture? - something about the actual state of the world - where women have no voice. That the 'Peace' the world is permitted to experience (very little) is entirely determined by men. It was powerful in that respect.

Does that make me odd?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Meh. It thought it was quite funny (as a family photo, not as a general statement).

Do you never take the piss out of your partner using gender stereotypes?

[hiddenhome2]

Very well put Tuiles

[hiddenhome2]

Do you never take the piss out of your partner using gender stereotypes?

No

[TheSecondOfHerName]

I think it would potentially have humour value if we lived in a world where women are not silenced.

[Heatherplant]

YANBU, that is really creepy.

[RaptorInaPorkPieHat]

What gets me is, of the children, only the girls have their mouths taped.

Why is that? and what does it say about the boys position in the family?

The woman being silenced, that's a crap 1970's joke about wives nagging.

If ALL the kids were silenced, it would've been a joke about kids being noisy and irritating.

But to do just the girls, it's putting the MEN on top, saying in big fat letters "Our needs are more important than yours"

[SilverdaleGlen]

That's AWFUL

[Bubbletree4]

Utterly deranged photo. Left untaped is the mouth of a 4yo boy?!?!?!? Peace? WTAF?

Whilst I do think that on average women will talk more than men and some sort of joke might be ok, this "joke" is very poorly done with 2 little girls having their mouths taped up. Kids should have been kept out of it.

[sofiahelin]

Yanbu i worry for the girls in that family.

[JassyRadlett]

Meh. It thought it was quite funny (as a family photo, not as a general statement).

Do you never take the piss out of your partner using gender stereotypes?

What, and your kids? No, sorry, only your female kids?

[witsender]

If you look at the proportion of airtime given to male voices over female voices across all media you would be taping the wrong gender in that pic if it was peace you wanted.

[Alicewasinwonderland]

As usual, you can laugh about everything but not with everyone. I wish people could lighten up sometimes, and concentrate on real issues.

Of course, people jokes about stereotypes everyday, what's the big deal? Come on..

[ChristmasZombie]

I saw this yesterday. It's fucking horrible. Not funny, not cute. It's sinister.

[SummerNights1986]

I really can't bring myself to be bothered about this tbh. Not really laugh-out-loud funny and a bit of an odd request for the family to make (according to the photographer) - but mildly amusing I suppose.

It's pretty true of my family which is very girl-heavy. My dad, uncle and one male cousin are surrounded by hordes of women and often get shouted down.

There are a few studies that have concluded that women, on average, speak a lot more than men (before anyone asks, you can google it yourself because I cba - just remember reading about it a few months back).

Anyway - meh. I really can't see why the outrage. Except that plenty of people love to be offended obviously.

[VagueIdeas]

It's bloody horrible, and yes, tying up the females as well as gagging them with tape is just the icing on the cake.

The little boy was told to pose with his thumbs up too. Like the males are congratulating themselves.

But it's just a bit of family fun!

[freespiritsbadattitude]

It's grim. That family is already teaching its young daughters that their behaviour is already "wrong".

[Seeyounearertime]

I "get" the supposed joke but isn't that humour long dead along with Alf Garnet and Bernard Manning?

I'd suggest if they really wanted a peaceful Christmas that he stop taking stupid pictures and help enough so that the women wouldn't need to nag him.

[CFSsucks]

That's disgraceful and I'm not one who gets offended by everything. Unfortunately I know some men in my family who would think that's hilarious. I often see a comment on FB like "that's right son, show her who's boss" from a man with 3 daughters.

Sexism really really fucks me off!

[Alicewasinwonderland]

I did not even think about "nagging" when I saw the photo, just a joke about the female element chatting too much. (if you compare the length of the average phone call from male or female, there is an element of truth there!)

It's very interesting to read how other people interpret it, and project their own issues on something completely innocent.