Fionnáin

Fionnáin

1 year ago • •

Fionnáin
1 year ago • •

I just can't get over this press photo making it into the world. So much uncanny weirdness going on here.

A friend called it 'bargain bin Carravaggio'.

A headline from the RTE (Irish national broadcaster) website with the words 'Starmer and Biden to discuss long-range arms for Ukraine'. The image is a bizarre press photo with Starmer looking very confused, surrounded by a motley crew of advisors and people wearing strange expressions, all very white.

in reply to Fionnáin

Oli

in reply to Fionnáin • 1 year ago • •

The journalists look like they're anticipating the Sermon on the Mount -

#Starmer looks like he just remember that he forgot to floss

Politics is show business for ugly people but how did such a cretinous photo get approved

#starmer

This entry was edited (1 year ago)

in reply to Oli

@OliverNoble it's bizarre, huh? Although I've seen RTÉ use some weird press pics before so wonder if they sometimes have some fun with whatever press pack gets sent. It might be that 20 photos were offloaded on them and they chose the worst.

@Oli

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Fionnáin

Unknown parent • 1 year ago • •

@wmd yeah, like yes, minister but goofier.

@🌈☔🌦️🍄🌱🍉

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Fionnáin

Unknown parent • 1 year ago • •

@haverholm yeah, except he seems so lost. And I'm not sure about the bloke on his phone next to Starmer who looks like he's smirking at something that will end up getting him embroiled in a scandal.

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es0mhi

in reply to Fionnáin • 1 year ago • •

Your description of the picture shows that you are reading it wrong. It is obviously supposed to show a Starmer in the center of attention, looking deliberately relaxed and confident, while everyone around him is eagerly trying not to miss any of his important ideas.

It's hard to imagine that this photo is not staged. However, we are currently at the point where humans and androids are becoming indistinguishable. And not because the androids have become so human.

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Fionnáin

in reply to es0mhi • 1 year ago • •

@es0mhi I'm not sure how obvious anything in this photo is. I'm certain it was staged — it is like bizarre theatre — but I reckon this was one of the bad pics that they meant to cut from the press release material. It's surely not the best one they got??

@es0mhi

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es0mhi

in reply to Fionnáin • 1 year ago • •

It's staged, it's bizarre but I'm not sure whether they had better material to choose from. I don't know what it's like over in Ireland, but here I've noticed that younger people coming into journalism are convinced it's cool precisely because it looks like something out of a sitcom. So I'm almost prepared to believe that it's not by accident.

(But maybe I'm still too much under the devastating impact of the US presidential debate 😉.

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Fionnáin

in reply to es0mhi • 1 year ago • •

@es0mhi true enough. It might be an aesthetic choice, playing into some modern appeal of stock-camp sitcom vibes. I am not down with the kids.

@es0mhi

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Fionnáin

in reply to Fionnáin • 1 year ago • •

Here, for example. Is this red tie person introducing Starmer to the man who is about to assassinate him?

(Edited to crop the image better)

A crop of the same image showing two white male-presenting people in the background. It could be interpreted many ways, but to me one looks like a disgruntled civil servant who is waving an intro to the other, who looks like an angry hitman about to strike.

This entry was edited (1 year ago)

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Fionnáin

Unknown parent • 1 year ago • •

@haverholm so many things could be going through his head. I like to think it's the moment when he realised "If everyone is in here, then who is flying the plane?"