Hannah Hawkes, a Louisiana photographer, is in hot water for her Christmas photo depicting a family that has all of its female family members duct taped with their mouths, while the father of the family who had their photo taken by Hawkes holding a “Peace On Earth sign.”
Vyckie Garrison at The Raw Story:
Hannah Hawkes, a Louisiana photographer, posted a family Christmas photo on her Facebook page which depicted a family of five celebrating “Peace on Earth” with Mom and two daughters with green duct tape over their mouths and their hands tied up with Christmas lights.
The Internet was not amused.
According to Inside Edition, the holiday photo, which was meant to be a joke, went viral and was quickly removed by Facebook after many expressed concerns that the image is not only not funny, but actually perpetuates a culture of violence and subjugation of women.
Jamie Peck at Death and Taxes Magazine:
It all started when Louisiana photographer Hannah Hawkes posted a recently shot Christmas card photo to her business’ Facebook page. In it, a man holds up a sign that says “Peace on Earth,” and his young son gives a big thumbs up while his wife and three daughters sit festively bound and gagged. Get it, because women and girls talk too much when actually, their opinions don’t matter at all? Take my wife, please!
It also looks a fair amount like the man and boy are holding their female family members hostage. “This time of year, it’s important to remember to take a moment to physically overpower and kidnap those you love most.”
Kristin Clifford at The Frisky:
It seems likely, or I very much hope it is, that this is an attempt at a “joke” gone awry. Certainly it’s in poor taste, but hopefully the little girls are not suffering from ripping off the painful duct tape, or the utterly bizarre experience of being tied up with Christmas lights, or from hearing the message: “Actually, the world is more pleasant when your voice isn’t in it.” Because that is the overall message and theme of this photo – women are better silent and unmoving than talking and taking action. That is what these girl are being told, even if you think this joke is “cute.”
[...]
I have to ask, why is this dog’s life worth more than the two little girls and their mother? Why is duct taping a dog abuse, but duct taping the mouth of a little girl while her father and brother grin in triumph is a hilarious joke?
It’s incredible to me that the lives and happiness of women can be viewed as so worthless, and so sad to me that some can’t even see that that’s precisely what this picture conveys. I’m surethese parents love their children. I hope they realize this little holiday portrait was a mistake and learn from the criticism. I hope those little girls – and their mother – don’t absorb the message that it’s better for them to be silent. I hope they grow up to be strong, carefree and always ready to share their thoughts, views – and truly hilarious jokes of their own.
Hannah Hawkes Photography’s Facebook Page defending their decision to shoot the sexist photo:
We have more evidence where their worldview comes from: the likes page of Hannah and Austin Hawkes’ shared personal FB page.
This is sexism and misogyny, plain and simple.