Ok I haven't looked through a lot of the gallary pics but I've noticed people posting obscure political comments in the comment sections of pics that are just plain out of place. I posted a pic over at Renderotica yesterday and someone makes a comment about GWB and his conservative goon squad, which had nothing to do with the pic. Has anyone else noticed sporatic political comments that are just not relevant to their pics?

As a frequent Gallery surfer I too have noticed this phenomenon. People have become so polarized and rabid about the two American Political Teams that they (and not just Americans, it seems) are literally obsessed with their 'side'. These people cannot resist injecting their insipid attack-bytes anywhere and anytime they can, no matter how obnoxiously inappropriate.

It's weird IMHO, because when you look at what Replublican and Demo politicians do when elected, it's hard to detect any real difference (e.g. 'warmonger/capitalist' Bush installed a new chapter of socialized medicine, which the Clintons tried and failed to do, and 'socialist/peacenik' Clinton, while in office, actually bombed 8 different countries, killing who knows how many thousands, including women and children, often, apparently, to take attention away from his domestic travails).

It's scary the degree to which people have become insanely partisan over a system which in reality has about has much meaning and philosophical significance as the World Wrestling Federation.

"It's scary the degree to which people have become insanely partisan over a system which in reality has about has much meaning and philosophical significance as the World Wrestling Federation." Well, I prefer independent thinking, but the Independent ticket in this country is hopelessly overshadowed by the indroctination of bi-partisan politics. Oh well. Back to art. ;-)

I reckon the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is far more philosophically significant than the American Political system any day, it's a damn sight more entertaining anyway ;)

Actually the independant ticket isn't that far gone. Nearly 30% of the registered voters in the Bush/Gore campaign did NOT vote for either party. That's pretty significant. I agree with Qualien that I see no real difference between the two parties. One bans pot, the other cigarettes. Clinton fired over 450 cruise missiles into Iraq, more than the two gulf wars combined. But not to digress into a political discussion. I'm glad someone else is noticing this. How anyone can be so polorized is beyond me.

The gallery is about the only place left where one can still get "thoroughly political" without violating the TOS. No (or at least very little) politics are allowed in the forums.

So.....if you want to engage in a little verbal kick-boxing.......you can still do it with ART.

It's horrible to be smashed in the teeth with ART.

Of course, anyone that doesn't like it can simply ignore it. A gallery image with 10 to 350 views doesn't really reverberate much over the rest of the site. Unless if an unwise protester calls attention to an image by complaining about it in the forums -- and thus creating a hubbub which delights the "controversial" image-creator (I didn't say 'artist') with 30 seconds of Forum Fame.

There's only one thing that professional "Controversial Artists" can't tolerate: being ignored.

Message edited on: 07/01/2005 11:40

Xenophonz - I'm not talking about art as commentary. I think that's great. I'm not disagreeing with making political art statements, cartoons etc. What I am noticing is someone posts a pic that has nothing at all to do with politics and a commentator starts a tiny rant for no reason about GWB or some political nonsense. Art as a commentary is 100% fine with me. Its this odd mini rant stuff that has nothing to do with the pic that I'm discussing.

Mason --

I follow what you are saying -- just as I followed your initial post.

While I understand your position, I also understand that gallery comments will go where they will. What some drive-by commentator chooses to say is totally out of our hands. Even when the comment is totally irrelevant.

Your GWB comment-maker is probably so obsessed with Bush-hatred that they can look at a Monet painting......and see W's face leering back at them from among the hazy flowers of a 19th century summer's day.

Such is the passion of one of the polarized sides.........

I can't imagine which.

You could post a still-life picture of grapes in a bowl on a table -- and you'll get many different interpetations of the image. Depending entirely upon what the audience cares about.

And upon what their mind and heart "sees".

And not upon what you care about.

BTW......concerning that getting smashed in the teeth with ART thing........

It hurts equally badly whether one gets clobbered with a cheap bric-a-brac plaster statuette, or with a Michelangelo original sculpture.

It makes no difference at all to the resulting pain.

Message edited on: 07/01/2005 12:26

Your GWB comment-maker is probably so obsessed with Bush-hatred that they can look at a Monet painting......and see W's face leering back at them from among the hazy flowers of a 19th century summer's day... You could post a still-life picture of grapes in a bowl on a table -- and you'll get many different interpetations of the image. Depending entirely upon what the audience cares about.

And upon what their mind and heart "sees".

How true. We don't see in the way we think we do. Seeing isn't so objective and passive as it is subjective and active. We create what we see. It is indeed like Xenophonz says, the heart is projecting images onto the screen of the Cartesian Mind-theater just as much as the senses are. And we tend to see the things we care about.

So now I go from discussing politics above to pontificating on a theory of Art, can't get much more OT or bombastic than that. I better go back to work now.

sigh..I miss the OT forum..;) I haven't been bothered, but noone's against the space program..;) I've seen 'political' works in the galleries, but they usually have the subtlety of a fart in a crowded elevator..;) or are just so incomprehensible, I can't help but not be offended..;)

pakled - I'm against the space program. I think the private sector can do way better at a much cheaper cost. But this is all back to the comments left about pictures. This above is the kind of odd political rant that I see on some pics. (This comment made so the topic is kept on track and not thought of as a political rant).

Nobody has ever left an irrelevant political comment at any of my images, but that's probably because virtually none of them have obvious political connotations. However, if someone left a comment at one of my images that I totally disagreed with, I wouldn't be offended and wouldn't complain, as long as they weren't being abusive. In my opinion bias-based censorship violates the spirit of the best aspects of creative communities. There needs to be room for all manner of expression (within site TOS blah blah blah.) People who pretend to have the be-all, end-all definition of what art really is tend to be, well, wrong. Aesthetics are philosophy of perceptions, not a system of objective absolutes.

In fact there is some repression of political expression at this site, but in fairness that's mostly because of across-the-board restrictions on types of content, at least as regards the galleries. For example, if I wanted to post an image in protest of abuses at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib, I wouldn't be allowed by Renderosity TOS to do the type of image I'd be inclined to do, even if everything were bloodless, in silhouette, or devoid of any overt "message," because depictions of torture per se are forbidden. I have no problem with the exception made for depictions of the crucified Christ, although this exception does carry a certain implicit bias that would not be granted to those of other sorts of convictions. That sort of thing is a tough call for the gallery moderators, and in recognition of that, I think we members should cut them some slack when tough calls are made.

What I very strongly disagree with is the notion that some members promulgate, that there's no place for political expression in the arts. It's a historically ignorant and inherently censorial attitude. If it's the site TOS, that's one thing: It's Rendo's right to determine their own TOS. It's the surprisingly small-minded ideas about art that some members maintain that consistently surprise, disappoint, and frustrate me, but to each their own. Live and let live. If you don't like it, don't dwell on it. Move on and find images you can appreciate. Inappropriate commentary can be removed by a moderator, if it's a problem for the artist.

Message edited on: 07/01/2005 15:02

Okay, I must've missed something -- very possible since I'm only recently back here after a nasty round of the 'flu. What political comments on whose images? Point me, please. Can't be on any of mine tho' as I only ever did one that would qualify and it's not posted here due to TOS. :snicker: But it sure got great reviews in the places I did show it. ;-)

I think it's a case where in regards to GWB there is just such an unending and unequalled hatred and revulsion for the man that it begins to consume people. When he and all the members of his Whitehouse are gone things should get back to normal and politics will go back to being all but forgotten except for when you're watching the news. Then people can go back to giving their standard "nice hooters" type of comments.

I have the right to complain about him, he's a "neighbor" (I live in Waco, his ranch in Crawford is not that far away and AF1 comes in and out of Waco @ the airstrip where my son goes to school and husband works). I've also been a Texan since 1983 so lived here with him as Govener. Any nasty comments I make about him though are in an appropiate thread or at Livejournal. And remember, we can talk bad about the President of the U.S. here but, try to put a bad review and it goes byebye. Go figure.

Well ah'll be dayumed..hey Mary K, my whole family's from Waco and the surrounding area..in fact, the county's named after me great-great-great-grandfather Neil McLennan. It's not fair that we get stuck between Bush and Koresh..;)
I did make a political pic making fun of the Janjaweed, and no one seemed to mind..mebbe it just takes a little subtlety..

I voted for Bush, and I think he's doing a good job. It's just unfortunate that all that right-wing B.S. has to come along with the man. My views are libertarian -- I'm disgusted with both the right and left wing extremists in politics. We need a good middle-of-the roader. Maybe that's why this country works -- both right and left have to compromise in order to "move forward." By the way, I'm also a fan of Howard Stern.

What's wrong with Janjaweed? Smoking janjaweed is the only thing that makes me forget Bush. Oh, I thought you said Ganja Weed...never mind.

We shouldn't mix the church and state, but art and politics is fair game -- Republicans vs Democrats, Lil' Abner vs Doonesbury, Religous Nazis vs Politically Correct Bolsheviks, DAZ vs E-Frontier...

I'm passionate about my political beliefs. I also am passionate about Art and Music. I believe political discourse has it's place - but I am tired of it being injected into everything, and it is a big turnoff when it becomes baggage as part of what otherwise I would consider to be great Art or Music. Bottome line is I embrace Art and Music to (temporarily) escape political reality. Just my thoughts. Krel

Mason,

Renderotica questions may be best answered over there. I will tell you that the comments issue is a sore spot with admin as there is one issue or another always cropping up.

Honestly, all you can do is ignore the little so & so and hope they take the hint. If it becomes a problem, send a PM to DTHUREGRIF or Dr Legume. If there is a pattern to it that is beyond drive-by-trolling then they will be the best people to handle it.

Also with R'otica, if it happens again, calmly refer the person to the forums there. There are more then enough people ready, willing and able to get into a debate. It sounds like you've got a drive-by troll that doesn't have the guts to take his message somewhere more appropriate.

Renderosity really doesn't have the facilities in place to handle political or off topic discussions. This is by choice. However, since R'otica has the facilities in place, then our troll sounds like a coward.

Message edited on: 07/02/2005 11:53

This happened at R'otica? Heh, tell the trolls to take it to Thunderdome, they got anything to b**ch about.

According to his initial post, yes, which is something no one caught onto apparently. ;)

Mason, I can't find your post on Renderotica. Can you give us a link, please?

It's against the R'osity TOS to post a link to an adult site so could you PM nak the link . Sory about the interruption just don't want to see yet another thread fall victim to the lock and delete antics of the overly zealous politically correct minions of this site