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Behind the Aegis

(53,831 posts)
Fri Dec 14, 2018, 09:49 PM Dec 2018

The (Straight) Male Gaze Rules on Sanitized Social Media

Part of my morning routine is to wake up the computer, have coffee, and see if Instagram or Facebook have removed any of my photos or, worse yet, deleted my account. Social media sites are important because not only are they my main source of exposure to income, they are my calling card for the models who pose for me. As a photographer who specializes in the male form, I shoot still images of men in various state of undress, everything from shirtless to full frontal nudity. I’m also known for photographing wounded, amputee veterans in the nude, work that has been the subject of about a dozen doctoral theses and published in various academic journals, with themes from changing perceptions of the handicapped to an analysis of masculinity in America as it relates to war.

My troubles with Facebook began in 2013 over an image I posted of an amputee war veteran, Alex Minsky, nude from the side standing against a black background. The photo went viral because many viewers noticed how beautiful the subject was before they noticed his prosthetic leg. The image also landed me in Facebook jail. Facebook deleted it and suspended my account for six months. It was only after a huge public outcry and media inquiry did Facebook reinstate the photo, but shortly after reinstating it, they once again removed it, and my account was again banned.

have never posted frontal nudity on Facebook, and it was unclear to me what the rules were. I found many Facebook pages featuring nude women, and it seemed like any nude female was acceptable as long as her nipples or vagina were not showing. As an avatar, one site featured a woman’s bare butt, almost filling the entire screen. Technically she was clothed because of a tiny string that disappeared in her ass, suggesting she was wearing a g-string. So, why was my image pulled? Because he was an amputee? Because he was a man posing in the nude?

Nude subjects have traditionally been reserved exclusively for the male gaze, so when a man poses nude, to some this implies that the image is homoerotic. For its 2014 Body Issues, ESPN posted a nude Venus Williams on its Facebook page and to this day, famous photographer Helmut Newton’s Facebook page displays female nudes, vaginas, breasts, and nipples all exposed. So besides corporations getting a pass, it seems like the famous also get a pass.



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The (Straight) Male Gaze Rules on Sanitized Social Media (Original Post) Behind the Aegis Dec 2018 OP
K&R for visibility. nt tblue37 Dec 2018 #1
I would like to view your photos left-of-center2012 Dec 2018 #2
Some of the original writers photos are in the article. irisblue Dec 2018 #3

irisblue

(32,828 posts)
3. Some of the original writers photos are in the article.
Sat Dec 15, 2018, 01:08 PM
Dec 2018

While advocate.com is not my fav LGBT mag, the images chosen are well done, the contrast of Venus Williams ESPN mag & a vet, very similiar pose are thought producing. Michael Stokes also has some vids & images online. The photographer-writer is talented

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