Photographer Refuses to Take Portraits of Facebook Bullies

[ShyGuyInChicago]

Photographer Refuses to Take Portraits of Facebook Bullies - TIME NewsFeed (http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/08/22/wont-shoot-ugly-people-photographer-refuses-taking-pictures-of-cyber-bullies/)


A Pennsylvania photographer canceled senior photo sessions with four high school girls after spotting nasty comments they made on Facebook.Jennifer McKendrick says she came across a ‘burn book' Facebook page, created by teens for writing negative comments about their classmates. You might think it's a phase every gossipy high schooler goes through, but this one went a little too far, at least for McKendrick. Appalled by the cruel comments, the photographer also realized that the names on the screen matched the names of the clients who made an appointment with her for their senior photos.
(MORE: How to Bully-Proof Young Girls (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2013184,00.html))
McKendrick decided to cancel the sessions and posted on her blog (http://jenmckenphoto.com/blog/2011/08/17/if-youre-ugly-i-wont-take-your-photo-indiana-county-pa-photographer-personal/)that she doesn't want to photograph "ugly people."
“Realistically I know by canceling their shoots it's not going to make them ‘nicer people,'” she wrote. “But I refuse to let people like that represent my business.”
Then, she emailed the four girls and their parents. She sent them explanations of why she was canceling the appointment along with screen shots of the mean Facebook comments as a proof. Later, she reported on her blog that two parents replied with apologies and saying that they were shocked by their daughters' actions.
(VIDEO: Chris Colfer Talks, Glee, Bullying and Being Yourself (http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,912336601001_2066590,00.html))
In an interview with WTAE-TV (http://www.wtae.com/r/28907376/detail.html), McKendrick said that the students' comments crossed the line.
“It was beyond ‘your clothes are ugly' or ‘you don't have any brand clothes' or ‘you are ugly, your hair is not right,'" she told WTAE-TV. “It was vicious. It was talking about sexuality.”
So far, McKendrick's received floods of support on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jenmckenphoto) and her blog, but she said she is ready for criticisms.
MORE: 'Means Girls' Explained: Why Disliking The Same Things (Or People) Spells Friendship (http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/29/mean-girls-explained-why-disliking-the-same-things-or-people-spells-friendship/)




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READ OTHER RELATED STORIES ABOUT THIS:

Photographer refuses to take the pictures of high school Facebook bullies, telling them 'You're too ugly... on the inside' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2028164/Facebook-bullies-Photographer-Jennifer-McKendrick-refuses-picture.html)(Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/))
Jennifer McKendrick, Pennsylvania Photographer, Refuses To Photograph Teen Bullies (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/19/jennifer-mckendrick-penns_n_931324.html)(The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/))
I Won’t Photograph Ugly People: Photographer Against Teen Cyber-Bullying (http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/201547/20110822/i-won-t-photograph-ugly-people-photographer-against-teen-cyber-bullying-pennsylvania-indiana-county.htm) (International Business Times (http://www.ibtimes.com/))
Photographer Says 'No' To Senior Pictures For Bullying Students (http://www.wtae.com/r/28907376/detail.html) (WTAE-TV (http://www.wtae.com/))

[Amnesiac]

No matter how "morally right" the actions of this woman are, I can't agree with the idea of getting paid to perform a service and then not doing it because you have personal reservations. It's like the pharmacists who refuse to fill in prescriptions for birth control pills.

[Bougainvillea]

No matter how "morally right" the actions of this woman are, I can't agree with the idea of getting paid to perform a service and then not doing it because you have personal reservations. It's like the pharmacists who refuse to fill in prescriptions for birth control pills.

Its not the same concept.

I'm sure she reimbursed the money. But she has every right to not do business with people she doesn't want to. Especially people who she feels will represent her business in a negative way. I fully suport her. At least she's acknowledged those girl's actions. And besides, you shouldn't compare a photographer and a pharmacist. They're both denying service, yeah. But for two completely different reasons. Plus, she owns the business.

[Amnesiac]

Its not the same concept.

I'm sure she reimbursed the money. But she has every right to not do business with people she doesn't want to. Especially people who she feels will represent her business in a negative way. I fully suport her. At least she's acknowledged those girl's actions. And besides, you shouldn't compare a photographer and a pharmacist. They're both denying service, yeah. But for two completely different reasons. Plus, she owns the business.

You're right, she has every right to refuse service. But still, even though what she's done is justified, it just irks me that she felt the need to publicize the issue. Also, while she has the right to deny them the photo shoots, I don't really see how they "represent her business in a negative way" either. I mean, no reasonable person would connect her to any of the girls' actions – she's just a fucking photographer. So why does she feel the need to "defend" her business from them?

But eh, whatever. In her eyes, she did what she thought was right, and for the most part it was.

[Korashk]

You're right, she has every right to refuse service. But still, even though what she's done is justified, it just irks me that she felt the need to publicize the issue. Also, while she has the right to deny them the photo shoots, I don't really see how they "represent her business in a negative way" either. I mean, no reasonable person would connect her to any of the girls' actions – she's just a fucking photographer. So why does she feel the need to "defend" her business from them?
Free publicity, and countering the possibility of lost business if word gets around that she refused service to a customer without the reason being known.