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!

Alice - that picture about men being stubborn. I remember seeing that one too - my DH and I both found that really humorous. Still do.

The other picture has such a nasty undertone though.

I thought it was horrible and sinister. I complained to FB and first got a message saying it was fine then later on got another one saying it was taken down for being inappropriate humour.

But..but it's not about women talking more than men
The little girls have got their wrists tied while their brother is doing a fist pump
Wtf are other people seeing that's right with this???

It's hideous and disgusting. The fact that it was done in the first place, and that so many people have excused, says loudly that every form of violence against women and girls is so widely accepted.

It's not funny to joke about women and girls being gagged and restrained.

Shall we all start laughing at rape jokes as well now because "it's just a joke"?

No, you don't have to laugh, you don't even have to find it amusing. What you can do is accept that not everybody sees evil in everything, that people have different sense of humor, and that you don't have to be offended by other people views. You certainly don't have to try to ban everything you don't agree with, even if you give them a twisted (and frankly disturbing) interpretation.

Someone who said it much better than I would

We live in a society where men dominate women physically and mentally on a daily basis. All you have to do is look at the relationship board here to see women fleeing abuse and dealing with the consequences of it being deemed socially acceptable for long periods of time. Women and girls are gagged, silenced every day.

It's not about banning things because I as an individual don't find it funny. It's about changing the society we live in for the better. Things like this allow and encourage the atmosphere of control of women.

And as always we get someone saying "you don't have to ban it..."

Well, no-one has said anything about banning it. I find it fucking offensive as an image. Going off this thread, a lot of us find it fucking offensive. We have as much right to express that comment on it, as the photographer had to take and publicise the shot. Freedom of speech (which, incidentally, we don't have in the UK in any legal sense) does not mean freedom from criticism.

I say this as someone who thinks there is a vital role for deliberately offensive humour in the world - for example in the context of political satire. But it should always punch up. A cartoon, for example, of prime minister's question time with Cameron gagged and a caption "Admit it, you've had this fantasy too" could be funny (depending on one's political persuasion - if you're a Tory, simply substitute an image of Corbyn). This, with its "women nag" stereotype and its "let's tie women up and gag them" message, simply fails to be funny in a society where approximately 2 women a week are killed by their partner or ex partner.

I saw this doing the rounds yesterday and thought it was horrible. Glad I'm not the only one.

How kind of privileged white man Stephen Fry to tell us what we shouldn't take offence to...

That Stephen Fry quote is always wheeled out in these discussions. It's been appropriated bye racists and sexists who like to use "it's only banter innit" as camouflage for their casual racism or sexism.

I've seen Fry get very offended indeed when it's a cause close to him being maligned.

Well if his female children want to go into politics, industry or anywhere they will need to shout to get their voices heard, they're fucked. Because the first and most important man in their lives literally laughed about shutting them up. Ha bloody ha.

Having taught a lovely Muslim lady today who said, "thank goodness, no men" and uncovered her face, I'm feeling less than charitable about this kind of shit.

I like Stephen Fry a lot, but that quote really pisses me off. It's fine to get offended - it's healthy! It shows you have strong feelings about something. And when those strong feelings can develop into changes within social structures, it's fantastic.

That Stephen Fry quote is wheeled out so often it's become a hackneyed bolster to any old wanker who wants to whinge about not being allowed to say what they want. The stampy-feeted little tosspots.

The photo is horrible. Modern take on My wife's a nag

The Stephen Fry quote is so fucking dull and so relentlessly dragged out as the argument of last resort that it's becoming like Goodwins law -

I don't especially care that some wanker set this up as an incredibly witty card and that his wife partner is dumb enough to go along with it but posing the children like that is seriously weird.

At first I thought it was a man wanting peace from his family, and then realised it was just the women... The little boy being part of the "victors" is awful to look at.

Personally, I don't take offence to gender stereotyping etc (within reason!) and sometimes find it quite funny/true...

But something about that picture really creeps me out. It's freaky, to be frank!