Judging America: Photographer Challenges Our Prejudice By Alternating Between Judgment and Reality
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Joel Parés, a U.S. Marine-turned-professional photographer, has created an interesting photo series that seeks to question the ugly prejudices that many of us harbor, to one extent or another, against groups of people different from ourselves.
Parés’ photo series at first presents us with characters symbolic of the prejudices suffered by various groups based on their ethnicity, socio-economic status or sexual preference. Then, however, they show us the real people behind these often false characters – the violent gangster turns out to be a Harvard graduate and an exhausted gardener turns out to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
“Many of us are in the habit of judging others incorrectly by ethnicity, by their profession, and by their sexual interest,” Parés told PetaPixel about his photo ideas. “The purpose of this series is to open our eyes for social issues and make us think twice before judging someone because we all judge even if we try not to.”
More info: joelpares.com | Facebook | 500px (h/t: petapixel)
Harvard graduate Jefferson Moon
New York City nurse Sahar Shaleem
Pastor/Missionary Jack Johnson
Fortune 500 CEO Edgar Gonzalez
Stanford Graduate School student Sammie Lee
Iraq Combat Veteran Jacob Williams
Widowed mother of 3 Jane Nguyen
iPhone app inventor Joseph Messer
Family outreach program founder Ben Alvarez
Famous painter Alexander Huffman
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I think this is kinda dumb. You could put a scowl on anyone and they would be threatening, not to mention a gun... noose, or a knife.
It's not about how they are smiling...It's how people PERCEIVE them. These people could be smiling &people would STILL see them as mean.
If you dress in clothing that portrays a partcular stereotype, you become that stereotype. Unless these people actually dress like this.
Well said.
then why not just have them smile? Some of them are just how I look working around the house! Not artfully profound - sorry.
You completely missed the point, good job. They're not meant to be scary, they're just showing how judgmental people see various ethnics...
i agree
This has nothing to do with ethnicity. A guy holding a gun, scowling, covered with tattoos would scare people. This failed to make its point
Really? All Asian women are strippers? And what stereotype do Mr. Alvarez, Messer or Williams fit that is dispelled by the other picture?!
but you dont see them a way based on their ethicities, thats what he was saying. otherwise both pics would have the same impact.
exactly, that is how dumb judging IS!
Wow, someone holds a gun and you're not going to be afraid of them because you're worried about "judging" them? Darwin.. do yo' thang.
but if that's the case, isn't it equally dumb to judge people who judge people ?
Thank you! I thought the same thing. Yeah people will judge you BECAUSE you are holding a gun. Yeah. Pretty much.
agree
I think that's kinda the point.. Don't judge a book by its cover
ohh!!! agree!!!
Only scary to xenophobic types
I agree. A positive judgement is still a judgement. lol. Either way, they are still being judged! Just depends if the person agrees w/ it.
my thoughts exactly.
i agree w/ TaraynMarissa
i think the photographer wants to show the difference between what others think of americans and the real americans.
I think this is shallow, intellectually dishonest & dumb. If you don't *know* a person- all you have as quick judgement is their attire
I don't understand. OF COURSE we judge by surroundings! If they are holding guns, I'm not likely to hang around and make polite conversation
No, i think the point here is that people percieve them as those stereotypes they're not actually dressed that way.
I think this is kinda dumb. You could put a scowl on anyone and they would be threatening, not to mention a gun... noose, or a knife.
It's not about how they are smiling...It's how people PERCEIVE them. These people could be smiling &people would STILL see them as mean.
If you dress in clothing that portrays a partcular stereotype, you become that stereotype. Unless these people actually dress like this.
Well said.
then why not just have them smile? Some of them are just how I look working around the house! Not artfully profound - sorry.
You completely missed the point, good job. They're not meant to be scary, they're just showing how judgmental people see various ethnics...
i agree
This has nothing to do with ethnicity. A guy holding a gun, scowling, covered with tattoos would scare people. This failed to make its point
Really? All Asian women are strippers? And what stereotype do Mr. Alvarez, Messer or Williams fit that is dispelled by the other picture?!
but you dont see them a way based on their ethicities, thats what he was saying. otherwise both pics would have the same impact.
exactly, that is how dumb judging IS!
Wow, someone holds a gun and you're not going to be afraid of them because you're worried about "judging" them? Darwin.. do yo' thang.
but if that's the case, isn't it equally dumb to judge people who judge people ?
Thank you! I thought the same thing. Yeah people will judge you BECAUSE you are holding a gun. Yeah. Pretty much.
agree
I think that's kinda the point.. Don't judge a book by its cover
ohh!!! agree!!!
Only scary to xenophobic types
I agree. A positive judgement is still a judgement. lol. Either way, they are still being judged! Just depends if the person agrees w/ it.
my thoughts exactly.
i agree w/ TaraynMarissa
i think the photographer wants to show the difference between what others think of americans and the real americans.
I think this is shallow, intellectually dishonest & dumb. If you don't *know* a person- all you have as quick judgement is their attire
I don't understand. OF COURSE we judge by surroundings! If they are holding guns, I'm not likely to hang around and make polite conversation
No, i think the point here is that people percieve them as those stereotypes they're not actually dressed that way.