Photo Courtesy of Rosie Nelson
Democrats against exploiting women until we don’t like them.
BY ERICA MUNISAR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Onion, a self-proclaimed world leading news publication, goes great lengths to impact the political sphere through satire. Amassed with a readership count of 4.3 trillion, The Onion “has grown into the single most powerful and influential organization in human history,” said the platform. Likewise, the outlet has a left leaning, featuring the democratic party which generally aims to promote equity and respectful treatment of all demographics in their campaigns.
However, yesterday it was shown that respect is a one way street. And rather, two wrongs do truly make a right.
On July 20, a new satirical post was made on Instagram. Pictured is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has faced controversy for anti-LGBTQ+ and religious discrimination, proposing the death penalty to fentanyl dealers caught by the south border and most recently being laughed at by her democrat counterparts following a call for decorum, which was viewed as a hypocritical request to her demeanor in the chamber.
As seen in the post, Rep. Greene, who is married with three children, is pictured half-naked. Turned just away from the camera in an american colored fur scarf, braless with a matching underwear and sheer black pantyhose set, the photo was a product of photoshop. Rep. Greene’s face was plastered over a toned and tan-lined body for the many viewers of The Onion’s audience to access. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Presents Own Tasteful Boudoir Pictures In Congress To Contrast With Hunter Biden’s Un-American Smut,” said the caption.
Overwhelming reactions soon followed after the posting of the photo online. “This image is giving her way too much credit.” said one user in a top comment, gathering over 200 likes. “She would never look that good naked.” said a second user.
“Greene is barely a human being. They coulda done worse.” said a third user. “They’re allowed to show her nude, because she ain’t got no soul!” said a fourth user.
“God I wish this was real,” said another user.
The Onion intended to spark a point with their photoshopping of Rep. Greene following a stunt where she showed Hunter Biden’s nude photos in Congress on July 19. For them, the audience members were meant to get upset so a conversation would take place about her actions in the chamber. However, once one action is justified, we have justified them all. The Onion, along with their agreeing users helped convey the reality that a woman could deserve such treatment by outlets and social media users alike, as long as we do not respect them.
Coming from the Editor-In-Chief of a local paper, your actions towards Rep. Greene in your recent post have opened catastrophic and predatory doors, and has brought all media outlets to a new low: Disliking a woman, no matter the degree, does not give you the right to exploit her sexually through means of photoshop. This is because once this is done publicly, online and in a vindictive manner, there is no turning back.
I would like for the newsroom and all persons with the same power in media sincerely to ask themselves the questions they have not yet said out loud.
Did you improve the political scope, and when will the other side do it back?
Are the body shaming comments, and people who commend the photo a spawn of an example you have set? If it were Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Kamala Harris or another notable democrat figure, would you feel upset if it was them?
If it were a less controversial republican, should we photoshop them too? Better yet, if it were any woman who spoke out in disagreement with the public, can we expect to see them up next?
How far should we be willing to go in the items of clothing removed, as long as it adheres to Meta’s nudity guidelines? Or not? Do women of certain religions, backgrounds or a wish to conserve still apply?
Have we gone in a full circle to abuse women who speak up just enough?
Currently, there are minimum legal repercussions for exploitative photoshop of women. We do not yet have the means to make policy as fast as our technology is growing paired by an unsettling demand for deepfaked sexual content. Then, to The Onion, I applaud you. Deepfaking women is a growing interest, and you have only opened a new door right into that room for those who look up to you. The issue is also not exclusive to men in controversy, who could soon face the same fate.
I dearly hope the newsroom will not feel forced to agree with this point, as their disagreement was adamantly made clear with their actions, nor brush it off. In this article, I also do not aim to take a political side. Instead, they must understand the effects that will follow them as they have permanently entered this realm. In a relatively short amount of time, the digital world will witness a constant horror I am already seeing, where high profile women are to be subjected to their own photoshopped predatory photos right in their feed: As long as we don’t like her.
All thanks to you and the others.
Sincerely,
A woman now and forever afraid of speaking up.
