Monday, December 08, 2008

What Is Wrong With This Picture

I could give all the gory details of the RS Enrichment Christmas Party last Thursday and the Ward Christmas Party Program last Saturday, both of which I was in charge of. I could give glowing reports of each and lie convincingly that both "went off without a hitch." The truth is that they each had their ups and downs, I've put in more hours of work for church over the last few weeks than I have since my mission, and there were many hitches. In addition, my lack of sleep shot my resistance against the disgusting germs my boys have been passing around and I think I'm getting a cold.


Still, the feedback from the sisters in the ward tells me that the party was enjoyable and I heard several stellar comments about the program I wrote. (Truthfully, I think the latter is more of a tribute to just how BAD programs in Christmas past have been.)


But I don't want to post about any of that today. Or that I'm decorating for Christmas. Or that my parents are surprising my kids with a visit later this week.


I want to post about this picture and the accompanying story found on the cover of our newspaper this morning:



Look closely. What do you see? Keep in mind that in the paper, the image was cropped and most of the food at the bottom cut out, but the green box near her head and her face were larger.

Here is the letter to the editor I fired off about ten minutes ago:

Dear Editor,

Kudos to Billie Richardson for the impressive and inspiring FOOD For Lane County drive she is doing in her community. However, either the photographer or the story editor gets a big thumbs down for running that particular picture of her. It takes close scrutiny to see that the case of Miller Light next to her face is merely being used as a storage box for other goods. My initial impression was that somebody had donated a case of beer to her goods drive. It wouldn't have taken a degree in fine arts to move the case from the shot, which was obviously posed. FFLC is unlikely to appreciate the run on their facilities over the appearance that they are handing out beer in addition to other "essentials."

Sincerely,

STM

12 comments:

Christy said...

Some people I know would consider beer an essential ;)

Science Teacher Mommy said...

Hence the quotation marks. . .

Sunnie said...

huh, honestly people. get it together. also, fun to have a visit from the parents! and i bet the activities were just awesome.

Janssen said...

Oh man, I'm so hoping you post next week to quote a headline saying "Big rush on facilities after beer picture in the newspaper" or something like that (snappier, though, because my headline there just drug on and on).

Also, my "green is the new black" shirt came from the girls' sale rack at Old Navy. I love it!

Z. Marie said...

Really, how hard would it have been to just move the box? Or use a different photo? (Having helped edit photos at numerous papers over the years gives me an extra right to be irked about this, I think.)

emandtrev said...

Yes, "Cointreau" jumped right out at me. Good letter. I'm sure like a PP said, there would be *someone* who thinks that alcohol is, in fact, an essential. :-p

I certainly DO think you should make the 700-mile trek to join us for book group! We're doing a cookie exchange at DesMama's house, so I think that warrants the trip.

Science Teacher Mommy said...

Zoe, the worst part is that it was the very front page of the paper. She was the lead story.

Em, just rub it in why don't you. Are you going to have to do emergency childbirth at Desmama's house?

Desmama said...

Huh? Emergency childbirth?

Anonymous said...

this is billie's mom and we don't do alcohol at all. it was just a box. a lot of different people donated thier boxes to us. and she ended up with 1,235 pounds

Anonymous said...

This is a long time friend of Billie's family and I think you people are ridiculous! To take a picture of a little girl doing more good then probably any of you people here, and making something negative out of it, you all are disgusting and shameful. If you attempted to use the brains in your skull, you would notice it is all in different boxes, as donated goods usually are. Above all this nonsense is the story of a little girl who found it in her heart to go out EVERY NIGHT so 'the poor people could have food'. She also chose to take her monetary christmas gift from her great grandma and sponsor a giving tree family, stating she had enough christmas gifts. This is a little girl who lives in a family who uses the food box program as well. Can you claim such endearing actions from your children? They are probably to busy worrying about which box to put their canned goods in, not wanting to anger their anal mommy.

Anonymous said...

billie says u r mean

Anonymous said...

Science teacher mommy,
I'm close friends with Billie Richardson and her family. Its really sad that you have to bring down a little girls extremely good deed by picking apart her picture in the news paper. The fact that she went out every single night to help her community (especially at the extraordinary age age of seven) should have gained way more praise than the fact of a simple box in her picture.