The Dismissive Nod To History
POST BY PADDY JOHNSON
LEFT: Sean Lennon with girlfriend Kemp Muhl RIGHT: Lydia Guevara posing for PETA
What do Lydia Guevara and Sean Lennon have in common? Those hoping to read the answer “not that much” will be disappointed to learn that Lennon now shares Guevara’s legacy of posing for poorly conceived homages of their relatives. Just this spring, Lydia Guevara, granddaughter of the iconic guerrilla from Argentina, posed naked for PETA in an ad campaign promoting animal rights and vegetarianism. It’s a sexy photograph of course, but it’s hard not to question whether the representation trivialized her grandfather’s role in the Cuban revolution by creating a false equivalency with a vegetarian lifestyle.
Fast forward three months and The Huffington Post reports Purple has published a photograph of model Kemp Muhl, naked and attached to her boyfriend Sean Lennon’s clothed body. The image is a reversal of Rolling Stone’s iconic photograph capturing Lennon’s parents, John Lennon and Yoko Ono and was shot by Annie Leibovitz only a few hours before the rock star was assassinated. As a remake it’s unclear what if anything the new photograph intends to achieve besides monetizing an iconic image and powerful history. Unlike the original, the gender power reversal no longer exists. This may be good news for Muhl, as she’s unlikely to be vilified, but it also removes much of the photograph’s intrigue for staged lust. In fact, the expressions borne are almost indistinguishable from any American Apparel ad.
haha, this is hilarious! they do look like dumbasses
its even worse then an ad…puke.
i don’t know, but i don’t think you’ve lived until you’ve strapped on some carrot gunbelts…
Yeah, gag-worthy.
Brings to mind George Harrison’s son on Conan last night pimping his ‘The Beatles’ video game.
No respect.
While she’s shopping for iconic images of her grandfather to water down, I wonder if round 2 for Lydia will be reenacting the death photo? She could be laying on a bed of lettuce.
next stop: some 3rd tier reality television show
Lydia Guevara’s photo looks like it’s straight out of a lad mag covering “Girls Gone Revolutionary” - a mad capped spring break weekend filled with hot sexy socialist vegan co-eds who could kill you with a Salad Shooter.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kca5Daij6hk/Sf2bLfAihEI/AAAAAAAACE8/CvAzb5Xhh0I/s400/Sir+Richard+Branson+Has+Some+Cuckold+Dude%27s+Nude+Model+Girlfriend+By+The+Name+of+Denni+Parkinson+on+His+Back+www.GutterUncensored.com+2.jpg
It happens to also be using a common image in our culture (see jarmusch’s new film The Limits of Control).
The photo of John lennon and Yoko Ono was powerful because of its intimacy. Lennon being nude created an image no one had seen before–A man with lots of money in a position needing, or adoring, a woman. It made them equal and the photo delved past the show of advertising.
This photo of sean Lennon becomes just another picture propagating male power. As though we need another image to stress that men with money attract extremely sexual women whom they can show off to whomever they please.