Quote from: lisafx on February 21, 2014, 13:47

Well, at least I got to learn a new term from this exchange.  Am I the only one who didn't know what "duck face" is? (Thank you Google...)

+1 I just learned a new term too 

Me too! Not sure it is one I am likely to use often though.

Marketing hype is always a pathetic read and exploitative no matter what anyone says.

Besides, the whole idea has been nicked from documentary/art photographers....Rineke Dijkstra, Nan Goldin and Alec Soth amongst many others.

Yep. Look at the plus-size models hype. Thousands of hoo-ray comments on places like huffpo, and noone stops to ask where are the male plus size models. Just pure facepalm.

Quote from: ShadySue on February 21, 2014, 14:10

Quote from: topol on February 21, 2014, 10:51

Culture is about ideals.

Nah, that's advertising - tries to make us feel bad so we might buy the stuff to make us conform to whatever they want to sell us this week.

Wow, that's uneducated confusion. First of all advertising is a part of culture, even if it's often perverted. Ideals aren't trying to make people feel bad, that's envy when they are too lazy, numb-dumd to strive to achieve them so instead they start frowning upon them.

You think that someone who doesn't 'strive' to achieve someone else's idea of 'ideal' is lazy or numb-dumb?
Sheeesh. I have no words.
Unless you're the bimbo with the inch-thick makeup who grabbed me in a department store and said I should wear makeup every day "so that I'd feel better about myself, and have more self-confidence", when clearly I seem to have the gall and brass neck to go out and about without any.

Quote from: topol on February 21, 2014, 17:54

Quote from: ShadySue on February 21, 2014, 14:10

Quote from: topol on February 21, 2014, 10:51

Culture is about ideals.

Nah, that's advertising - tries to make us feel bad so we might buy the stuff to make us conform to whatever they want to sell us this week.

Wow, that's uneducated confusion. First of all advertising is a part of culture, even if it's often perverted. Ideals aren't trying to make people feel bad, that's envy when they are too lazy, numb-dumd to strive to achieve them so instead they start frowning upon them.

Clearly you disagree, but there's no need to be insulting.  Unless you are employing Harry Truman's old tactic of "argument weak, yell like hell". 

Advertising is all about making people feel bad, or at least envious (is feeling envious "good" now?).  The best way to persuade people to spend money is to convince them they are dissatisfied with what they have. 

If I am interpreting Liz's comments correctly, her point is that you can't spend your way to happiness.  There will always be something newer and better, and at some point you can opt out and choose to be satisfied with what you have and/or what you are.  If not, you'll be chasing your tail forever. 

Of course in the stock business we rely on people continuing to spend money to advertise things, so that's fine with me if they want to keep using my pictures to do it.   

I was factual. This "nah, thats advertising" kind of reply when someone is talking about ideals and culture... that is an insult. she might just as well have farted out loud, laughed, and said take that with your 'culture, he-he-he' like just some banjo playing redneck.... didn't even make a logical connection, I had to do that part too

'making people feel bad', 'Spending your way to happines' What??? Can we at least have an attempt at some logical train of thought? By the way, were the greeks and people like Michelangelo in the advertising business and trying to make people feel bad?

Depends on which definition of culture someone is using. I mean they culture mold too...  But Sue is correct that some people are sheep and follow the advertising and trends, so they can be like whatever is most popular. While I'd say Cultural would be: shared beliefs and values. However as language gets watered down, there we very well are.

Others are individuals and non-conformists, which sometimes can bring some disdain, but it makes for a better self and balance overall.

Sticking hardware in your face and needling ones body with Tats, is not non-conformist. It's wearing a uniform and being one of the many, trying to be different. But in the end, just being the same? (odd isn't it?)

Duck face? Every time I see someone now, doing that, all I can think of is, Daffy did it first and they all look just like him when they do it! That's sexy or what? Lets hope that trend dies off soon.


Lean In? Should I apply?

Quote from: topol on February 21, 2014, 10:51

Culture is about ideals.

Nah, that's advertising - tries to make us feel bad so we might buy the stuff to make us conform to whatever they want to sell us this week.

Depends on which definition of culture someone is using. I mean they culture mold too...  But Sue is correct that some people are sheep and follow the advertising and trends, so they can be like whatever is most popular. While I'd say Cultural would be: shared beliefs and values. However as language gets watered down, there we very well are.

Others are individuals and non-conformists, which sometimes can bring some disdain, but it makes for a better self and balance overall.

Sticking hardware in your face and needling ones body with Tats, is not non-conformist. It's wearing a uniform and being one of the many, trying to be different. But in the end, just being the same? (odd isn't it?)

Duck face? Every time I see someone now, doing that, all I can think of is, Daffy did it first and they all look just like him when they do it! That's sexy or what? Lets hope that trend dies off soon.


Lean In? Should I apply?

Quote from: ShadySue on February 21, 2014, 14:10

Quote from: topol on February 21, 2014, 10:51

Culture is about ideals.

Nah, that's advertising - tries to make us feel bad so we might buy the stuff to make us conform to whatever they want to sell us this week.

You are right. When I talk to people like that I'll have to make sure to pinpoint that my use of culture is not about mold or bacteria... thanks!

Quote from: Uncle Pete on February 22, 2014, 12:26

Sticking hardware in your face and needling ones body with Tats, is not non-conformist. It's wearing a uniform and being one of the many, trying to be different. But in the end, just being the same? (odd isn't it?)

But nobody would ever sensibly argue that ink and piercings are about trying to be different. Being clearly tribal and therefore absolutely about conforming to a group identity. Like hairstyles or wearing a tie.

Trend spotting is not about following trends - it is about identifying trends which are already emerging - often amongst self identifying groups. It's about trying to see how those trends are likely to evolve and propagate.  Stock photography and advertising is all about trends surely. Culture is a neutral term - neither pejorative nor positive.

William Gibson's wonderful novel Pattern Recognition is partly about trend spotting.

In marketing, you are absolutely correct.

Not picking on one modern group. Spools are newer than hardware. (even if more ancient) Tats are early cultural markings also. Not about that.

Go back to the Hippy days, people were rebelling by dressing alike and wearing similar long hair. Yeah, Real non-conformists, all dressing in beads, leather and Granny glasses, and looking the same.

That's the point. Preppies, greasers, Goths, pants on the ground, hoodys, whatever, it's not about the people or their quest for individual identity. (displayed by a lack of it actually)

I'm just pointing out the flawed personal belief that they are somehow being different, when they are just following like lemmings, and being the same.

Which goes full circle back to Sues comment about advertising, attempting to drive people to be something they have no wish or desire to be, except by social pressure or the hinting that one needs to be IN and with the trends to be popular or happy.

Yes Topol you got it. LOL It wasn't aimed at you.

Culture is used interchangeably by people where it should be Cultural. Not your mistake either, look in the dictionary, it's acceptable usage. So much for language and confusion.

In fact, when people start into how a keyword search finds "bad" results, I try to point out that we are humans and understand difference. Computers are stupid and see a code, there's no way to know what the alternate meaning is, or how there are multiple items that use the same word, and are quite different.

Culture is good, and I like cheese, Yogurt is OK too. Penicillin and antibiotics come from cultures. Tribal is cultural and identity, much of it traditions and historic. Dressing up and painting ones face and then looking like a duck is just silly! (and none of the above)

Quote from: Uncle Pete on February 22, 2014, 12:26

Sticking hardware in your face and needling ones body with Tats, is not non-conformist. It's wearing a uniform and being one of the many, trying to be different. But in the end, just being the same? (odd isn't it?)

But nobody would ever sensibly argue that ink and piercings are about trying to be different. Being clearly tribal and therefore absolutely about conforming to a group identity. Like hairstyles or wearing a tie.

Trend spotting is not about following trends - it is about identifying trends which are already emerging - often amongst self identifying groups. It's about trying to see how those trends are likely to evolve and propagate.  Stock photography and advertising is all about trends surely. Culture is a neutral term - neither pejorative nor positive.

William Gibson's wonderful novel Pattern Recognition is partly about trend spotting.

But I do see that people buy ultra-mass-produced clothes&accessories and use them as described by mass media, 110% convinced this expresses their 'individual personality' the key to unlocking the massive contradiction: they have none.

I'd just like to point out that several people on the boards here work in marketing and advertising. 

Now I'm off to make people feel guilty about not conforming while convincing them to buy mass-market clothes in order to express their individuality....mwa ha ha ha haaaaaa. 

Nice work if you can get it.  I'm sure most of us in a microstock forum are glad the advertising industry exists, however resistant to it we imagine ourselves to be personally. 

I'm not against marketing, it makes money and funds things, sponsors some good ones. I'm against people buying things and not knowing or understanding they are being manipulated. There's a difference. 

Reminds me of some complaints that we get 38 cents a download and the license is so open ended that we lose control of our creations and work.

Hey, no one is holding my family hostage and making me do this. No one is holding my hand in a fire to get me to create and upload. If I think the pay is so substandard and slavery, I can quit and do something else.

That's going along with the difference between being stupid, not knowing better and just making a personal decision about what I want to do. I'm the only person who uploads my files, I can't blame someone else when I get paid pocket change for a Large File, RF license subscription.

I walked into it, knowing the situation.

And yes, people make fun of the way I dress, I guess that's a compliment in some ways, and pointing out I am clueless and have no taste, in other ways. LOL But it's honest and the truth.

I'd just like to point out that several people on the boards here work in marketing and advertising. 

Now I'm off to make people feel guilty about not conforming while convincing them to buy mass-market clothes in order to express their individuality....mwa ha ha ha haaaaaa.