Images and Blogs

The progressive blogosphere has changed beyond recognition since it first came into being. Many of the names are the same as they have always been but the agendas have changed completely. The original pioneers wanted a platform, they wanted to get their views into the public domain that had no other outlet. There was certainly no money in blogging - in fact those that practised it had to invest their own finances. Then, over time these same people became assimilated - they were borged by the Democratic establishment. There are of course honorable exceptions, those bloggers who never sold out and there is an alternative, harsher assessment than mine, that these original pioneers always had their eye on the prize so to speak. That they wanted to be ‘Establishment’ as much as the usual main street media suspects but needed a different way in.

This change from enthusiast with integrity to just another media outlet can obviously be tracked by reading the words of the blogger’s and their content providers. Just about everyone reading this will be familiar with that process. A sudden shift from anti-Neoliberal/supply side writing to social issue commentary is an obvious indicator. Pacifism/non interventionism to full on Neocon is a more recent development.

Now to the point (finally) a slightly different but analogous process has happened with the images used by these bloggers and their publications. Originally, the image that headed a post tended to be whatever was easily available. It was almost always an afterthought - a bit of pain as far as most writers were concerned. Outside of the political field several early bloggers attempted to do away with images altogether but their pageviews suffered so much they went back to using them.

Since the takeover by the Dem party machine things have changed drastically. Pictures sell and remember, that is what so called progressive blog owners are in the business of. They are no longer seeking to get their view across - they are selling product (or selling hatred of an opposing companies product).

Ever wondered why the same image gets used over and over again? It’s because it works pure and simple. Repetition is the marketer’s main tool. You may hate the image but that doesn’t matter. It is no coincidence that the assimilation of TOP was occurring at the same time as that idiotic clown photograph was appearing at the top of just about every ‘ha ha stupid GOP’ type post.

The current favorite is the Trump image where he is pointing in the air and biting his bottom lip. This is used over and over again by multiple so called progressive blogs. He looks unhinged and very angry. Interestingly his degree of anger varies a little across different versions of the same image. This is because his face is redder in some copies than in others - Bloggers are reddening his face in image editing software.

Also, notice how the images of Hillary vary depending upon the message of the day and even the timing within the campaign. During the primaries there were lots of soft friendly Hillary pictures - again softened in editing software (often very badly). These images were squarely targeted at those concerned with social issues. The exception to this was when the GOP or Trump said something really stupid regarding Natsec - then we would get stern but competent Hillary. Of course now that the campaign has gone hard right/full neocon we are seeing all military Hillary all the time.

Images have their own language and that can be read just as easily as words on a page. It is usually very easy to tell where a publication stands on any given topic by the image it chooses to head up a piece. Here are just a few obvious clues:

Darkening an image makes the person look untrustworthy/shifty
Shooting from a low angle makes the person look heroic (although done badly this has the opposite effect)
Upping reds and oranges in the skintones is a huge negative - makes the viewer think of anger issues, alcoholism, ill health (think just how many politicians get labelled orange - much of that is down to Photoshop)

I suspect that most readers of this will be pretty clued in with regard to the whole concept of the image being used as a part of the sell but I am constantly surprised how many people have no idea that the process of image selection is a very deliberate one - and a very goal driven one.

Some photos that have nothing to do with politics

These photographs are all of the place where I lived when I first moved to the US.

No assignment this week - post whatever you like - photos/words/combination of the two.
I'll be away from the computer for about an hour but will be back
Thanks for reading as always.