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The picture above is a popular photo that made its way around the internet this week. It was titled, Against All Prejudices.
Cute and happy photo, for sure. But what does the title imply, exactly? That those with mohawks are usually racist? That small children are usually homophobic?
Enjoying the photo for their winning smiles, excitement, and human connection is one thing. But giving it a title that seems to say, “Look, we can all get along if the punk and the black kid can!” is another.
The stereotypical generalizations based on appearance here are endless, and most of the people on the “fringe” and kids I’ve known in my life tend to fall on the low-end of bigotry. Give me a photo of Joe Wilson excitedly handing the Nobel Peace Prize over to Obama with that title instead.
But, as usual, there is a sparked debate about the picture over at Reddit. One person notes:
I believe he was making the point that this flies in the face of OTHER people’s prejudices, not necessarily the characters in the picture.
Maybe that is the point. Or maybe both views can be true.
What do you think about the photo’s title? Share your thoughts below.
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13 Comments... join the discussion!
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Actually, I think you may be reading too much into this.
My mother visibly drew back when she met my daughter’s pre-school Montessori teacher, who wore multiple piercings, tattoos and a shaved head. She looked at me questioningly, but I told her that I was happy that my kid was learning to look beyond stereotypes to see the person.
That skinhead, tattooed, pierced teacher was one of the best teachers I have ever met and instilled a curiosity and love of learning in my kid that is still there, 10 years later. But if I had had the same reaction as my mom when I toured the school, I would have deprived my kid of that experience.
I see this photo in the same way.
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Prejudice is a pretty loaded word and can mean a wide variety of things, so the title isn’t something I can pin down either and I can’t say I found it especially appropriate to the pic. I’d prefer to just let the photo speak for itself. Two people from very different walks of life being nice to each other and feeling comfortable enough to interact and learn from each other says a lot more than any title could. Most good photography doesn’t need a title to convey a message and this one is no exception.
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Maybe it’s about the kid’s lack of prejudice against sharp spikes? The photo is a cliche, no question there. But I think it’s an overblown title it’s been given. We all have our own prejudices I suppose; I actually am prejudiced against photos like this. Why was it taken? Was it because it’s a funny, friendly scene with a kid and a ‘punk’ (I use the quotes because to call him a ‘punk’ might be a sign of a prejudice I don’t have agains people who dress like that and have hairstyles I won’t name for fear of more stereotyping) meeting? Or was it taken as a demonstration of how people can act against prejudices and do their own thing regardless? If it’s the latter, then it’s a cliche that simply serves to remind us that there are prejudices most of us wouldn’t think about. Therefore it’s a silly exercise. If, however, it is the first, ie a friendly shot of two people meeting on the street, then it’s I guess okay. But as I said, I don’t like it: it’s cliched, probably staged and who cares?
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I think they probably could have used another title for the photo but regardless, it is a very happy and touching picture and that’s what’s so great about it. Like Heather said, ‘prejudice’ is indeed a very loaded word and to leave the title at that with no explanation is a bit strange…. either way, great post, great photo!
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I really love the photo.It means something to me.
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I love the title and the picture. Can a picture be a “double entendre?”
Against all prejudice toward, and past admonitions about sharp things, and her possible fear of being pricked, the young child reaches out. Against all prejudices about haircuts, white or black skin, types of clothing, some viewers smile. “Against all prejudices” is perhaps about the viewer as much as the people in the picture.
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Prejudice forms in the eye of the beholder in some ways. I see a kid interacting in a friendly, non-threatening way with an older guy who might be scary-looking to a child. The fact that the child is black and the older guy is white might play into it a bit for me, but not as much. I guess I recognize prejudice in myself regarding the guy with the mohawk and in assuming the child would be afraid of him as I might be.
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The photo is curiosity branching out from the entrapped sterotypes we are unwittingly fed by those older than us, imposing their views on to our perspective as we grow up.
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I have spent my entire life with friends who don’t fit the mold. From punks to grunge, we always come off as outcasts. These perceptions have always been due to our style of dress, our choice in piercings, our vibrant tattoos, and whatever hairstyle (and color) we felt like sporting. In my life, a child has never reacted to us the way this child is reacting to this punk.
“Against All Prejudices” fits this picture amazingly well. The kid isn’t focused on how different this punk is, he just wants to touch his curiously studded jacket. The innocence and simplicity of the child’s action speaks volumes of the types of relationships WE could have if only we didn’t focus on those things that make us different.
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When I was a kid, there were these words spray painted all over my junior hight school in NY: “Rock Rules – Disco Sucks” the subtext being: white vs. black culture.
I very quickly learned to give wide berth to anyone dressed as the young guy in the leather jacket is.
I couldn’t and can’t justify ‘labelling’ the young man without cause. Wouldn’t reject him without an interview in a job situation either. But I would keep an eye out if I had to pass him on the street.
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It’s interesting, when I first saw this picture I noticed the subculture, age and sexual orientation references, but completely missed the racial issue. This may or may not show something about my own prejudices…
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Photography is an art form that sparks debate, shows the beauty of the world and those of us who inhabit it and asks us to think for ourselves – not to impose our beliefs on others.
This photograph is simple good fun – and I believe it’s a great photo. It’s not planned, it’s not anything but a young man, proud of who he is, sharing with a young boy who is curious and likely has questions of his own.
I pray that neither the young man or the boy are goaded into stepping back the next time an opportunity of sharing comes up because of the far too “Intellectual” comments that a simple photograph of an innocent meeting generated.
However, this photograph is truly a triumph based on our debate.
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