this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2024
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Here is an uncropped version of the image: [NSFW] https://mypmates.club/1972/Miss-November/Lena-Soderberg
Considering this it's more understandable that it's controversial.
Some people are triggered by nudity. On another timeline the conclusion of this "scandal" would be to include a retro photo of a naked dude in the test image data set (and maybe also switch Lena's photo if she doesn't want it in there anymore).
I don't think the reason this is an issue is because it's pornographic. It's because it indicates a certain opinion that some people in the field had/have. Even in professional academic papers they were using a pornographic image of a woman, which shows their opinion of women is just as object to lust after.
Yes and I'm saying in a more sexually open society we'd just admit that people lust after people of all genders, and include some others in the data set.
I disagree. I think in a more sexually open society people wouldn't be treated like pieces of meat. They'd be treated like people. Their opinions about sexual content would be considered.
Like how I said in my original comment "switch Lena's photo if she doesn't want it in there anymore"...
So as you can see, I was already saying a sexually open world would be considerate, even though you're phrasing it as if we're disagreeing. Perhaps this is because you wish the conversation to go to an oppositional and hence repressive/aggressive place.
I think that would be a reasonable response if one felt subjugated and traumatized, injured and trapped by the current patriarchal systems of sex and power imbalance, and it might be difficult to see how sexuality, nudity, and pornography could be sociologically dealt with, understood, or theorised about outside of that framework.
Thus a dream of a better world can be stolen and held back be the pre-existing and persisting traumas of how we treat sex, bodies, nudity, and self-image in this one.
But there can be sex positive and body positive form of sex, sexuality and pornography that include being comfortable with nudity, and even taboo. I was proposing such a parallel world...
But you continue to cast it as the same as this world. That is your choice, but to continue to make that same choice is an act of killing communication and hence progress on the issues of this world.
The nature of fiction even in a passing comment, like the one I made, is to explore the possible and impossible. So beware what you make impossible.
It's not just her opinion on the picture that matters though. Other women (and probably other people) don't want it to be used as a standard test image.
I like that you're making it out like I'm saying anything is impossible. I'm not. I'm stating that if people say they're uncomfortable with something then they're uncomfortable with it. It doesn't matter how sexually open anything it. People's opinions and consent are important, both that of the subject of the photo as well as other people in the field using this photo.
Yes, I'm saying in a more sexually liberated society, one that's more comfortable with nudity and the human body, people might go: "Oh of course we can include nudes in the data set, here's a bunch more!".
You're saying in a sexually liberated society one more comfortable with nudity, people would still be viewing this in a state of discomfort.
You came here to say this, regardless of anything I said, and so are yourself not interested in the consent of all parties in this very conversation (which is with a person by the way).
I am just a prop, and you simply don't need to listen to me. Because you will say what you have to say and will mutilate whatever was being said in order to return to the status quo regardless of the comment you were replying to.
This isn't about me, it's about what you have to say. So I hope you feel better about having a one sided and belittling conversation.
I find you inadequate as an intelligent chat partner, so will block you now. I suspect that you will gain satisfaction from this, as a repressive. So enjoy.
I have thoroughly read every comment you posted. You're just ignoring the main thing I'm saying. You're essentially saying there will be one opinion in a society. I'm saying that, no matter what, people will have differing views of different things. We just need to listen to people, no matter what our society is or becomes. None of that matters. If people are uncomfortable with it in a sexually liberated society, then they're uncomfortable with it.
I guess you'll never see this, but your incesent insults say more about you than anything.
I wouldn't say that it necessarily expresses a certain opinion towards women. I think a lot of people used it just because that's how it's done. It's a piece history, a "fun" tradition. A lot of people didn't even knew that this was taken from a pornographic magazine.
However, thinking critically about it and considering a lot of good points, it's surely not "fun" anymore and I also think it's better to stop this.
I don't see anything weird here...
The weird part is in the mirror.
Streisand effect in motion. Me and a million other people get to see this for the first time today.
But the idea isn't to keep anyone from seeing it. The idea is simply for a lusty image not to be used in academic papers (probably also better that it's not used in college classes too).
I love pictures of scantily clad women more than almost anyone. But even I can agree that the Lena image sends the wrong message to women joining the field.
That's fair and you are right, but I'm also pointing out a side effect this is causing. I find it interesting is all.
It's not a lusty image if nobody knows what the full picture looks like. Hence the reference to the Streisand effect.
What I'm not seeing in this thread is the reason why this picture is so over used.
One reason is that it's the perfect image to test graphics manipulation algorithms like compression for example. It has all the characteristics you want to check for: various textures, gradients, lightening... It's like the benchy (3d printing) of image compression.
The other reason is that once it established itself as the reference image, it was easier for researchers to compare algorithms and make sure the author doesn't cheat by cherry picking a picture where his algorithm is clearly better.
Researchers were used to see the common pitfalls of compressions algorithms on this image (the fur for example).