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water-fairy — femininepeace vs. masculinewar
Published: 2004-12-05 14:47:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 1336; Favourites: 24; Downloads: 240
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Description
This idea of this image is peace vs. war between woman and man.The inspiration for this came from a National Geographic book in which there is an image of a transvestite performing in a cabaret in Thailand. The photographer of that image was Jodi Cobb.
I imitated the make up style, but the political part is completely my own.
There are theories that because women are nurturing and “peaceful” creatures, that if a woman where President, there would be more peace, less war, and that perhaps the Iraq war might not have happened. Those are just theories.
There are theories that because men take interest in violence and tend to have harsher natures than women, that there is more war in this world.
Either way it doesn’t matter. The opinion of the image, and mine are the same: neutral.
The right side of the face is representative of a man’s face; the left, a woman’s. The shirt is unisex, either one could have been wearing the shirt.
The woman is holding the Pace (peace) flag that was seen all over the world in response to the Iraq war.
The man is holding the American flag.
*Try holding your hand over one side of the model to see the female, and then vice versa so you can see the image of the man.
Technical: Pace and American flags; make up; girl; 1 hour; white shirt; levels, border, watermarks in PS7.
My white balance was set so the image looked more blue than tungsten, so that’s why the shirt looks bluer than the background.
©AnnieDay2004
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Comments: 70
I absolutly love the whole concept to this. Its true, that maybe the Iraq war wouldn't have happened if a woman were president, but people are still biased in men's favor that men are better to lead, because they are supposedly better leaders. I love how the make up was done, with the moustache and the hair was really creative. I love the model's hair, especially on the woman side of the model, I want my hair cut like that
But over all I like the colors in this, and the concept that men are violent people and women are the nurtures arent necsesarily true, I can be violent...but only if I'm made very mad.... 
I guess that the battle of the sexes will go on untill the end of time, untill humanity has vanished
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you pretty much hit a lot of points on the ball
the battle of the sexes isnt as much a point in life as it was, but there are always underlying messages in actions thoughts and movements.
thanks for taking the time to comment
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wow.... i honestly sat there and looked at the picture for 5 minutes with my mouth wide open! this is an amazing picture and i dont think that all the discussions are needed. it says so many different things and there are so many ways to interpret it. i really think words ruin the meaning- the picture itself is powerful enough.
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Wow, what a beautiful message! I really like the way you incorpated the flags to make it more unique.
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You never cease to amaze me my beautiful friend. A very powerful image, has made me sit here and think about the ideas it invokes not only in my mind but my heart as well. You have brought this photo to conception so very well-- I have held up my hand and it really does look like a man on one side and a woman on the other 
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I know that portrait
I love your take on this idea and the way you executed it
Great message, clarity, and colors
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thank you so much love...
appreciated.
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incredibly cool
i love the representation and set-up.
so rock on
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Your work is becomming very challenging to our thoughts honey
Very nice work hon.
.
I agree with suzi9mm about the white space above .. I'd personally remove it or balance it by adding white space to the left and right you in the center. Still its fab and a gripping concept for thought.
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Wow! 
Sorry if I haven't commented lately. I havent even had time to reply to some of my own gallery comments.
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i miss you. so much.
thank you for the great comment
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oh love...
that funny thing
in my back pocket
mix'the lint'and the floss in my ear
with that
love
i know
that between the thighs
of the
stars,
a heart
grows lingers and dies
intoxicated
in love.
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good pic,
but I have a problem with the expression.
i need her/his eyes to be on me,
stressing me to choose sides..
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it does change the mood
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i love this photo.. as opposed to some peoples belifes that this is saying that men are more war mongering, it seems to state the the current united stated government is. i love bashing my beloved country, its un patriotic not to strive for a better government and not question the one we have now.
favoriting this photo.
and oddly enugh, you are a hot chick and make a fairly good loking man!
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i love bashing my beloved country, its un patriotic not to strive for a better government and not question the one we have now.
that is why i do political work!
thank you for understanding!
btw...that isnt me in the picture.
say hello to my anonymous model.
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interesting look at the subject. and the man side looks right(like a mexican guy). you did a good job with this, though i dont like the use of the flags like you have them. Its a good idea, but something irks me about the colors, or how the flags being held on. i dont see too much difference in the sides, as if its just a small war between the sexes instead of stronger ideas.
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oh..no..what i would give to be..
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alright, though I'm absolutely condemning the american foreign policy for certain reasons, I don't appreciate that you put the american flag on the war side. looks like the opposite of the pace flag and I cannot agree with it. you maybe simply should've used a black flag... dunno. and the division female: peace - man: war is also a bit risky... yes I know: your opinion about that shot is completely neutral. but this piece does not evoke a neutral feeling. it forces the viewer to take sides.
nevertheless your work is technically perfect and your ideas are overall inspiring and innovative though polarising. is it possible that you love to polarise? I don't want to be too personal or too unreflecting, but your works always content a certain militant mood. don't get me wrong, it's pretty demanding to comment your art. but I can't hold back with what I think and feel. too stimulating what you create. I seldom write that much... I hope you take it as a compliment, though I mention critique.
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yeah, due to our evolution from animals i think that males are more for war. btw i get a bit annoyed to be compared to american president and who is with him, cos if i woul be a president i would not accept wars like iraq, afganistan, korea, vietnam... i'm quite femministic if u believe...
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feministic isnt bad.
veitnam and this iraq war have a lot in common...
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feministic isnt bad.
uh,and i'm quite proud of this...
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every war has something in common
greed, stupidity, political affairs...
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the photo speaks volumes..very potent..as for the ideals..well I will keep mine to myself 
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but...i like getting people to think and...getting them riled.
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Theres really nothing wrong with it - its nicely done and using the "hand over half" idea makes me see the differences quite well, nicely done with the lipliner, etc.
That being said.. what does iraq have to do with peace? There are a lot of women in Government - they had a say, you had a say - we all technically had a say - a second 9/11 would destroy the country as we know it (that being said, what does Iraq have to do with afghanistan/taliban)
and of course that being said.. all the baddies came out of the woodwork when it went to iraq -and I'd rather fight it there than on my own soil where they would be killing the children and women here.
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i was just going along with inspiration. the theme and image was supposed to simply evoke a lot of thought.
no matter what ideals were brought forth.
im really into the political art...though...i have very little to do or say about government and politics. i like to evoke and make people think. politics it so broad, and i know so little, but i play on the big and basic values and ideas that people have.
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I Tottaly LOVE IT!!
You got it right on the head with this one !!!
grate job! I agree that if ther was to be a female prez things would probaly be better,Caz who does everyone run to when they hurt or need some thing solved?
There Mothers. if america would have a Woman Prez to Run to Things would be much smoother,and besides woman are ezyer to talk to. Im not Saying Binladen would have sat and had tea with her but I think it would be a change for the good...
Sorry if i got lost alittle ether way I love this shot you realy rased some good points and i applod you
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thank you for the thoughts, though, i think the matter of a female president is a little more complicated, or has the potential or extremely complex issues, its still no doubt an interesting idea.
thank you so much.
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Great concept and wonderful execution. I like this a lot. I agree with the idea of that but it is flawed and that's another discussion. I hope your hair was already that short. Cause that would be a lot to give for your art
Very nice! 
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interesting....
I like the idea, but still there are many points of views, so i'll give my own:
I had a talk with a friend recently, she's a girl, this is what she said:" Women betray in a worse way than men do. Women have a lot of resentment against the woman with whom they've had a problem with. Yet men have a problem with another man and they deal with it right away and if they get to no conclusion quickly they just leave it be. But when a man has a problem with a woman or vice versa, both parties try to be gentle and/or respectful in the way they solve the problem. But then again not everyone is perfect."
Well I believe the same too. You must consider the fact that if a woman is the leader of any country, men will look at her with despise, and as inferior, making the country think twice about her strength as a leader, but....yes but...i'm not generalizing men...some men will see her this way, not all...
I guess that's my point of view....
nice shot, great meaning, amazing work in the mixing of the pix....and the flags are nice too 
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i agree. your comment wasnt completely lucid for me, but enough to where i get the general gist, i think.
i think that a lot of women are really vicious...and it would take, a wowing woman to run a country, one as incredible in so many aspects as the US.
but yeah...
thank you for the great comment.
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Wowzers, the hand this is awesome. I love how this picture can be used as a sort of game, I smiled as I tried the hand thing more than once. Really well done. I really like what kind of message you conveying, and I love hearing what thoughts go through your mind. Keep up your marvelous conceptual work.
Love,
Maddie
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wow...thank YOU so much for the great comment and appreciation
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"There are theories that because women are nurturing and “peaceful” creatures, that if a woman where President, there would be more peace, less war, and that perhaps the Iraq war might not have happened. Those are just theories."
Joan Of Arch, Cleopatra, Hetchepsut, The Pix and the Amazons. Joan OF Arch led a war, Cleopatra and Hetchepsut started a few. The Pix where a group of Celtic Barbarians where all the Warriors where woman. The Amazons actually did exist in fact they recently traced the gene line to Asian of all places. It is said among most psychologist that while men are more aggressive then woman that woman are more violent then men. I find this idea of woman being oh so much nicer and kinder then men and insult. It creates a hierarchy of value, it implies that women are better then men because woman could run a more peaceful world, history doesn’t show this to be the case nor does most modern psychology. I resent being looked at that way, it's sexist and wrong.
"Either way it doesn’t matter. The opinion of the image and mine are the same: neutral."
I won’t speak for your opinion, I do not know it. But the image is most certainly not neutral. It claims that men are war full and women are peaceful; the title alone makes that very clear.
Weather some one wants violence or not isn’t determined by gender. I am by my nature a pretty violent person, this isn’t determined by what’s between my lags, this was a conches decision on my part to be the way I am. I chose to be this way because there is too much BS in the world and action must be taken. We live in a world where every one looks away; there was some one in Toronto who was killed while people watched from the balcony, no one, regardless of gender did anything. New York a woman was raped in broad daylight; people saw it and walked on. Evil happens when good people do nothing, do I over react allot? Yes I most certainly do, but at least I do something. For now I will look for the balance between action and inaction.
You claim that this war could have been stopped if it was a woman not a man? Well I'm a man and I hate this Iraq thing, I hate it from the bottom of my very soul, I may be quick to act and I may be quick to act violently when I see a need to. But that doesn’t mean I would send people off to die for a self righteous cause. And how do you explain the women who are for the war? Where I'm from, I don’t know many people who are pro-war regardless of gender.
These sorts of ideas promote the same sort of hate you’re intending to preach against. They create a hierarchy of value and a them and us mentality. The division between the genders isn’t as wide as people like to think, I have seen woman start fights for less reason then I would. Weather some one is or isn’t war like isn’t gender, there is no evidence beyond out dated and unrealistic stereotypes to support this, stop looking at us and them, stop looking at these divisions in the human world, there is only hate to be found there. It's not about men and woman, it’s about humanity. Are men and woman different? Yes, but so is every one, I am unique just like every one else, it is that we are alone that brings us together. These us VS them, this men VS woman only promotes the conflict, this peace -is- an act of war, it is an act of war against men, by a woman. If it is an act of war against men then it is an act of war against humanity because we are one whole, you attack on part you attack the whole. You can not punch my face and say it's alright because my hands weren’t touched.
And for those who would point out that I as a fairly violent person am acting in hatred against humanity as a whole, I am aware of this already so there is no need to point it out. But I do not raise my fist in anger unwontedly, I act against those who would hurt the world, men who beat there wives, people who would harm children. I am very aggressive in how I operate, but I am driven by an ideology, where words can be used I will use them, anything less would make me a hypocrite.
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You missed this one by a looooooog shot, bro. Those aren't her intentions at all, but your perception of the piece. What you take from it you take from it, but know that her intentions weren't to divide genders and point blame of violence and voilent acts.
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You can not creat a seperation between the genders and war and peace by compairing them with out stating a hierarchy. We both know that I would be crusified if I where do revers the rolls here, say that woman where the violent ones. Regardless of intent the seperation is there for all to see.
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I disagree, while women may have violent tendencies..we are altogether more nurturing. It's fact supported by science that I could back up with tons of links if you require them. I'd hope you would choose to research it on your own if it means enough to you.
Men and women are different creatures, I do not think she was trying to make a feminist statement with this image, nor do I really think it's all that political. Perhaps it's political satire..depending on how you look at it.
No, all men don't support war, as a matter of fact..most of the men I know are not supporters themselves..but perhaps she was making the statement that this* just as all war throughout history was initiated by men. To benefit men..rich men primarily.
Just something to think about..no debate required. =]
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I debate all things. Beacause only through the play and counter play of ideas can I expand on my repitoir of thoughts.
And I agree, this war is about men, for men and by men. But the idea that woman eart war like is ubsurd.
And no woman earnt all the different. I mean the differneces are there, but they are superficial. We are fundimentally the same, even are chemicles are the same, men actually do have Estragen, and woman do have Testosteron, just the quantaties very greatly. I sit down and watch my female freands, and they show the same behavior as my male ones. This idea of any signifagent differnece only in how we see it, look beyond the surface and draw the conections, the differences are only superficial.
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You can believe what you wish to believe..however, until I fight in a war, or you bear children I think this debate will go on forever. It has since the begininng of time.
The nearer society approaches to divine order, the less separation will there be in the characters, duties, and pursuits of men and women. Women will not become less gentle and graceful, but men will become more so. Women will not neglect the care and education of their children, but men will find themselves ennobled and refined by sharing those duties with them; and will receive, in return, co-operation and sympathy in the discharge of various other duties, now deemed inappropriate to women. The more women become rational companions, partners in business and in thought, as well as in affection and amusement, the more highly will men appreciate home.
Lydia M Child
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You assume that they are not. I know woman who have fought in wars. And while I do not know any men who have birthed a child I know men who have raised children with out the aid of a woman. You speak to me of divinity, but divinity is not something that we fully comprehend.
You say that men and woman will become these things... but in truth, we already are. I have sat and waxed with matters of philosophy with women, who are easily my intellectual equals. I have resettled and rough housed with many of my female friends, just today even in the middle of the college cafeteria. I have spoken with men who have baered there heart to me and I have done the same, I have taken care of children, and played the roll of care giver. Everything you say men will become I already am, and yet I am very distinctly male, everything you say a woman should become I can name a dozen woman off the top of my head who are that. The difference exists only in our perception, see beyond the stereotype and you see the truth. These differences only exist because we have decided they do.
They developed out of necessity. When man kind was new, the men hunted, we where disposable. We did not birth children, so there it was less important for us to survive. Where as woman did, so they stayed in safer aria and took on the job of raising the family. These rolls where different, but equally important, this was a time of equality. This is where the divisions started to evolve; it changed from one whole to them and us. Men being the more aggressive ones, because to survive as a hunter you need to be aggressive, especially in the days before guns, where of course the first to act, and so society changed, men become the ruling class. But the biological semblance remains, we are still pored from the same template, men may have evolved to be more aggressive out of necessity, but that does not mean that woman don’t have it in them, the opposite is also true. Men are very capable of showing compassion and women are very able of showing aggression. If you doubt that woman are more violent then men I suggest you look at the psychological studies of young teen age girls who are in jail for murder of there pairs. This has allot to do with a woman’s mistral cycle and the fact that woman's hormones aren’t as stable, look at the case files for why woman aren’t aloud to be fighter pilots.
The divisions are falls; they are ingrained in us only because we are told we are to be this way. Nature verses nurture is bull shit, nature and nurture are one in the same, and I am what I am, because I am what each moment has made me. Society tells men that they are to be war like, because in times long past we had to be and old habits are hard to break. Women are more genital and carrying because they are told to be. And even then if you really take the time to look, neither of these is true, what of woman who beat there children? If you've ever had to deal with abused children you would realize how common this is. Or a man who despite the fact that he is barely making rent serves food at a homeless shelter every other day because at least he can make rent, when I worked the shelters I saw many cases like this. The stereotype is a lie, I flat out lie. Do men control the world? Yes, should men control the world? Fuck no. But neither should woman, the idea that woman would do any better is moronic; if you look at the percepts I am certain that the percentage of woman who start wars is the same as that of men. Most of the great woman leaders in history have. Humans are petty violent and murderous, regardless of gender. I have seen far to many of my gender, who are far better men then I could ever hope to be, give all they have, to see them demeaned by saying they are not compassionate simply because they have something between there legs. I have seen far too many women who are monsters, flat out monsters, who abuse and hurt and will do anything to get what they want to consider them compassionate. I am the stereotype of a man, I am angry and violent, I fight and argue, I'm self righteous and a prick, you want to call -me- insensitive, you want to call me an ass hole, go for it. I take responsibility for what I have done, but don’t demean the great men in history, the men who have with compassion smoothed out the pain in this world, the men who have thanklessly helped make this world a better place, through kind word and deed. Nor should you seek to elevate these woman who lie cheat steal and kill because, oh gosh jolly there woman, a woman could never do that. Are men and woman different? Yes, but not as different as many would like to think, and different on a level that really doesn’t matter. Don’t feed me this horse shit about what "Men and woman" will become, we are and always will be that already. The men who lead this war lead it because the opportunity presented it's self pure and simple, had things evolved differently, had women evolved to be the dominant force, don’t think for a second that they would be any better, to think that is to demean the whole and just flat out naive.
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" Don’t feed me this horse shit about what "Men and woman" will become, we are and always will be that already"
Just for the record, that wasn't MY horseshit you're eating sweetie..it's the "horseshit" of one Lydia Maria Child. A famous female author from the early 18th century as well as being very active in the abolitionist movement. She was one of the first female social reformers as well as one of the first women to be paid for her writing.
Research and spellcheck are our friends.
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