Bagnewsnotes

Reading the Pictures: Mitt's Temperature

Michael Shaw | Posted 05.11.2012

Read More: Reading the Pictures, Mitt Romney, Campaign-12, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Romney Mood, Romney Psychology, Romney Temperament, 2012 Election, Elections 2012, Politics News

For all the Levis and plain-language answers that supposedly constitute Mitt 2.0, what we continue to see in Romney is someone who is excitable, always right and constantly taking offense.

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Reading the Pictures: Obama's Perfunctory Gay Marriage Endorsement

Michael Shaw | Posted 05.10.2012

Read More: Presidential Optics, White House, Politics, Pete Souza, Robin Roberts, Bagnewsnotes, Obama, Gay Marriage, White House Photos, Obama Gay Marriage, Gay Voices News

Is it a significant development that the president of the United States has professed his support for gay marriage? Of course it is. Is it also a narrow development? Yes, that, too.

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Reading the Pictures: Ann Romney's Coffee With the Nation in Her $1000 T-Shirt

Michael Shaw | Posted 05.03.2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Reading the Pictures, Week-in-Visual-Politics, Ann Romney, Bagnewsnotes, Ann Romney T-Shirt, Michael Shaw, Politics News

If you use your wife to humanize you and to help relate to the average American, you might want to remind her before sitting down for coffee with the nation NOT to wear her $990 T-shirt.

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Reading the Pictures: Surveilling the Death of Anna Brown

Michael Shaw | Posted 04.02.2012

Read More: Anna Brown, Surveillance, Race, Health Care, Bagnewsnotes, Politics News

Anna Brown is dying. Last September, Anna Brown, a 29-year-old homeless black woman, went to three hospital emergency rooms complaining of pain in he...

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Reading the Pictures: The Active Duty Homecoming Kiss -- The Gay Male Edition (Finally)

Michael Shaw | Posted 05.01.2012

Read More: Gays in Military, Dadt, Bagnewsnotes, Gay Military Homecoming Kiss, Michael Shaw, Media News

There are several elements to point out about this photo which both punctuate the kiss and the potential for pushing buttons of less open-minded viewers. Here they are in increasing order of impact.

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Reading the Pictures: The Clint Eastwood Chrysler "Halftime in America" Controversy, and the Doctored Wisconsin Footage

Michael Shaw | Posted 04.08.2012

Read More: Halftime-in-America-Commercial, Clint Eastwood, Super Bowl Commercials, Michael Shaw, Bagnewsnotes, Chrysler Superbowl Ad, Media News

If we want to take visual politics seriously, what Chrysler and its corporate Madison Avenue agency did in its ad can be best understood as anti-union.

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Reading the Pictures: Stephen Crowley's Extraordinary Photo of Santorum at an African-American Church

Michael Shaw | Posted 04.03.2012

Read More: Campaign Photos, Gop, African-Americans, Campaign '12, NYTimes Photos, Florida Primary, Bagnewsnotes, Santorum, Michael Shaw, Stephen Crowley, Media News

Here is a true "emperor's new clothes" moment, not to mention a brilliant example of the photojournalist refusing to play along.

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Reading the Pictures: "Occupy" Flag Burning Photo as Extreme Prejudice

Michael Shaw | Posted 03.31.2012

Read More: Ows, Occupy Oakland, Oakland Police, Oakland PD, Michael Shaw, Bagnewsnotes, Occupy Wall Street, Media News

The photo almost everybody saw. I guess it's hard to conclude anything other than the fact that the Occupy movement must have decided to torch itself.

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Reading the Pictures: Brewer-Obama: Letter Rip

Michael Shaw | Posted 03.27.2012

Read More: Politics, Obama, Arizona, Bagnewsnotes, Jan Brewer, Michael Shaw, Jan Brewer Obama, Barack Obama, Media News

This shot got the overwhelming share of attention -- a reactionary governor, overflowing with the same lack of respect for the president as the radical far-right she's aligned with.

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Reading the Pictures: Occupy: End of the Camping Trip?

Michael Shaw | Posted 01.15.2012

Read More: Michael Shaw, Occupy Protests, Bagnewsnotes, Occupy Wall Street, Occupyportland, Exposure, Politics News

Is this the beginning of the end, or just the end of the beginning for Occupy Wall Street?

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Reading the Pictures: Demonizing OWS: Beware "the Anger Meme"

Michael Shaw | Posted 12.18.2011

Read More: Photography, Ows, Washington Post, Media, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Photojournalism, Occupy Wall Street, Exposure, Media News

What's so significant about this Washington Post photo is how it plants the seeds of demonization in a movement that has been overwhelmingly peaceful and non-violent so far.

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Reading the Pictures: Occupy Demographics: Dirty Hippies?

Michael Shaw | Posted 12.12.2011

Read More: Ows, Politics, Occupydc, Protest, Occupy Wall Street, Media, Hippies, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, News, Photojournalism, Media News

Is Occupy Wall Street comprised of hippie youth? Not according to these photos.

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Reading the Pictures: al-Awlaki: What's Wrong With This Picture?

Michael Shaw | Posted 12.02.2011

Read More: Targeted Killings, Iraq War, Islam, Tracy A. Woodward, Terrorism, Bagnewsnotes, 9/11, Muslim Extremism, Predator Drones, Michael Shaw, Anwar-Al-Awlaki-Killed, Anwar Al-Awlaki, Media News

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Reading the Pictures: TIME's Rick Perry "Near-Nomination" Cover

Michael Shaw | Posted 11.15.2011

Read More: Rick Perry TIME Cover, Rick Perry, Bagnewsnotes, TIME Cover, Michael Shaw, Platon, Media News

Considering that TIME has always reserved the "big floating head" treatment for shoe-in nominees, their Rick Perry cover suggests an air of inevitability.

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Reading the Pictures: Obama's Jobs Address -- Key Optics

Michael Shaw | Posted 11.09.2011

Read More: Obama Joint Session of Congress, Capitol Hill, Obama Right-Wingers, Obama Optics, Jobs, Bagnewsnotes, Obama GOP, Barack Obama, Political News, Politics, Obama Jobs Speech, Obama Jobs Address, Obama Frustrated, Obama Republicans, Reading the Pictures, Obama Smirk, Michael Shaw, Politics News

This frame leaves me wondering how the political cycle will be any different from before: a deft speech leading to appeasement leading to mostly a brick wall.

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Reading the Pictures: As 9/11 and the New World Trade Center Overrun Labor Day

Michael Shaw | Posted 11.07.2011

Read More: 9/11, World Trade Center, Bagnewsnotes, Labor Day, Michael Shaw, Photojournalism, Bob-Dylan-Ny-Times-Magazine, September 11 Anniversary, Media News

Why isn't anyone asking what made the edifice of the WTC such a target in the first place?

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Reading the Pictures: Cheney's Audacious Memoir Cover (And Claim to the Empire)

Michael Shaw | Posted 10.26.2011

Read More: White House, Politics, Cheney Memoir, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Bush, Dick Cheney, Books News

It's hard not to be impressed by Dick Cheney's cojones, and the spiteful swipe at George Bush, given the cover photo of his new memoir.

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Reading the Pictures: The Symmetry of Bush Perry

Michael Shaw | Posted 10.24.2011

Read More: Photos, Campaign '12, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Rick Perry, George W. Bush, Media News

Looking at Bush and Perry, I don't think you get the sense at all they are clones as much as you get the feeling -- that they are both players.

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Reading the Pictures: The Obama Bus As Metaphor

Michael Shaw | Posted 10.18.2011

Read More: Pete Souza, Obama Campaign Bus, Campaign '12, Obama Bus, Obama, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Photojournalism, Politics News

If people can't stop talking about the Obama campaign bus, the question is why?

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Reading the Pictures: Really, Bachmann Sex Act With Corn Dog?

Michael Shaw | Posted 10.14.2011

Read More: Iowa, Ames Straw Poll, Michele Bachmann, Michael Shaw, Media Sexism, Bagnewsnotes, Sexism, Gender, Media News

Editor Toby Harnden posted this Michele Bachmann pornographic fantasy he shot himself in a two-fer piece on the Ames Straw Poll and the Iowa State Fair.

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Reading the Pictures: President Boehner (Or, Obama Losing the Pulpit)

Michael Shaw | Posted 09.26.2011

Read More: Obama, Bagnewsnotes, Debt Ceiling, Michael Shaw, John Boehner, Politics News

I find it striking, clever and telling the way the Repubs worked the visuals surrounding Tuesday night's presidential TV statement.

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Reading the Pictures: Murdoch Testimony: Missing a Few Marbles?

Michael Shaw | Posted 09.20.2011

Read More: Reading the Pictures, Rupert Murdoch Parliament, Rupert-Murdoch-Testimony, News Corp, Phone Hacking, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Media News

As much as there are serious moral, legal and personality issues to consider with Rupert Murdoch, what we also see in the pictures are competency issues.

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Reading The Pictures: Marcus Bachmann Looking Gay?

Michael Shaw | Posted 09.17.2011

Read More: Homosexuality, Michele Bachmann, Marcus Bachmann, Christian Counseling, Bagnewsnotes, Ex-Gay, Media, Michael Shaw, Media News

Has Dr. Bachmann, in his and his wife's vitriol toward homosexuality, brought this flamboyant visual upon himself?

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Reading the Pictures: Newsweek's Palin "Make Up Sex" Cover

Michael Shaw | Posted 09.11.2011

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Runners World, Palin Newsweek, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Palin Newsweek Cover, Palin, Sarah Palin, Media News

Is this "make-up sex" for the notorious Sarah Palin Runners World cover?

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Reading the Pictures: "Diana at 50": Newsweek's Perverse Newsstand Seance

Michael Shaw | Posted 08.30.2011

Read More: Newsweek, Magazine Covers, Bagnewsnotes, Michael Shaw, Tina Brown, Media News

What an abusive thing to do to Kate Middleton! I could understand raising Diana's ghost around the royal wedding, but to raise the dead like this on the cover of Newsweek?

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