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Afaik, Lena herself said she'd like her image to stop being used as a test image. And IEEE already retired its use. Even if you think it's woke, there's good r

Afaik, Lena herself said she'd like her image to stop being used as a test image. And IEEE already retired its use. Even if you think it's woke, there's good reason to respect the model's wish

userbinator 2y ago
https://www.wired.com/story/finding-lena-the-patron-saint-of-jpegs/ https://www.wired.com/story/finding-lena-the-patron-saint-of... Lena doesn’t harbor any resentment toward Sawchuk and his imitators for how they appropriated her image; the only note of regret she expressed was that she wasn’t better compensated. In her view, the photograph is an immense accomplishment that just happened to take on a life of its own. “I’m really proud of that picture,” she said.
- hhh 2y ago
  https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/How-a-Nude-Playboy-Photo-Became-a-Fixture-14878319.php https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/How-a-Nude-Playboy-Photo... This is what’s cited on Wikipedia about the cessation of use.
- g15jv2dp 2y ago
  She later said she wanted people to stop using the picture. https://finchcompany.com/projects/losing-lena-trailer/ https://finchcompany.com/projects/losing-lena-trailer/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/31/tech-publisher-bans-playboy-centrefold-test-image-from-its-journals https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/31/tech-publ... > Forsén herself has also suggested that the photo should be retired. In 2019, she said she was “really proud” of the picture and she re-created the shot for Wired magazine, which called her “the patron saint of JPEGs”. But later that year, the documentary Losing Lena spearheaded the latest effort to encourage computer science to move on. “I retired from modelling a long time ago,” Forsén said on its release. “It’s time I retired from tech, too. We can make a simple change today that creates a lasting change for tomorrow. Let’s commit to losing me.”
  - AlexandrB 2y ago
    Doesn't it seem weird that she was proud of the picture when interviewed in a neutral context (Wired), but wanted it removed (not very strongly might I add) when interviewed by documentarians making a film with the express purpose of trying to get her picture removed? In the movie quote she even alludes to the title of the film: "Let's commit to losing me". It basically sounds like she gave them the soundbite they wanted.
    - g15jv2dp 2y ago
      What's weird here? She can be proud about the picture and think it's a thing of the past that needs to stopped being used.
      - account42 2y ago
        Or you she might have been incentivized into expressing a different opinion (financially or otherwise).
        g15jv2dp 2y ago
        Why? She cannot have thoughts or agency?
    - cinntaile 2y ago
      Imo the reasonable thing to do would be to assign a higher credibility to her opinion in the Wired article higher than her opinion in the activist documentary.
      - chrisjj 2y ago
        More reasonable would be to consider how much each was paying her.
Jamie9912 2y ago
Not really, if she understood well what the photograph was being used for at the time, you can't retrospectively wish against it. That's like saying Oh I don't want to be a pornstar anymore, take down all my content thanks.
- biorach 2y ago
  > you can't retrospectively wish against it She absolutely can. And we, collectively, can choose to respect that wish by using a different test image in future. And why not? It's no real burden to make the change.
  - petee 2y ago
    I agree, being a decent person is an active choice we should all strive for. The burden here is that a number of people are so afraid of being "woke" that they'd rather double down being scummy than just find a different jpeg. If it was their daughter I'm sure they'd have a different opinion
    - josefx 2y ago
      > If it was their daughter I'm sure they'd have a different opinion Are we back in the 60s where a father has to sign off on the daughters job application? We are talking about a woman who willingly signed up for a playboy photoshoot, had been aware of the image being used and circulated for decades with no issues.
      - biorach 2y ago
        > Are we back in the 60s where a father has to sign off on the daughters job application Strawnan bs. No one advocated anything like that. > We are talking about a woman who willingly signed up for a playboy photoshoo Yep. And decades later asked it to not be used anymore. You can waste as much time with long winded arguments as you want. Or you could just be decent and not use the image. Your call.
FeepingCreature 2y ago
The anti-woke, respectful move would be to find another Playboy centerfold.
- account42 2y ago
  Why?
  - FeepingCreature 2y ago
    Because the legitimate argument "it is against the wishes of the model" masks the underlying, foundational but hidden reason, which is "it appeals to the prurient interest of men in women, which I find detestable". Thus, finding another model who both consents to having her picture used but still appeals to the prurient male interest fulfills the stated claim while frustrating the unstated one. I'm sure Naomi Wu would be up for it.

Afaik, Lena herself said she'd like her image to stop being used as a test image. And IEEE already retired its use. Even if you think it's woke, there's good reason to respect the model's wish

userbinator 2y ago

https://www.wired.com/story/finding-lena-the-patron-saint-of-jpegs/ https://www.wired.com/story/finding-lena-the-patron-saint-of... Lena doesn’t harbor any resentment toward Sawchuk and his imitators for how they appropriated her image; the only note of regret she expressed was that she wasn’t better compensated. In her view, the photograph is an immense accomplishment that just happened to take on a life of its own. “I’m really proud of that picture,” she said.

hhh 2y ago
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/How-a-Nude-Playboy-Photo-Became-a-Fixture-14878319.php https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/How-a-Nude-Playboy-Photo... This is what’s cited on Wikipedia about the cessation of use.
g15jv2dp 2y ago
She later said she wanted people to stop using the picture. https://finchcompany.com/projects/losing-lena-trailer/ https://finchcompany.com/projects/losing-lena-trailer/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/31/tech-publisher-bans-playboy-centrefold-test-image-from-its-journals https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/31/tech-publ... > Forsén herself has also suggested that the photo should be retired. In 2019, she said she was “really proud” of the picture and she re-created the shot for Wired magazine, which called her “the patron saint of JPEGs”. But later that year, the documentary Losing Lena spearheaded the latest effort to encourage computer science to move on. “I retired from modelling a long time ago,” Forsén said on its release. “It’s time I retired from tech, too. We can make a simple change today that creates a lasting change for tomorrow. Let’s commit to losing me.”
- AlexandrB 2y ago
  Doesn't it seem weird that she was proud of the picture when interviewed in a neutral context (Wired), but wanted it removed (not very strongly might I add) when interviewed by documentarians making a film with the express purpose of trying to get her picture removed? In the movie quote she even alludes to the title of the film: "Let's commit to losing me". It basically sounds like she gave them the soundbite they wanted.
  - g15jv2dp 2y ago
    What's weird here? She can be proud about the picture and think it's a thing of the past that needs to stopped being used.
    - account42 2y ago
      Or you she might have been incentivized into expressing a different opinion (financially or otherwise).
      - g15jv2dp 2y ago
        Why? She cannot have thoughts or agency?
  - cinntaile 2y ago
    Imo the reasonable thing to do would be to assign a higher credibility to her opinion in the Wired article higher than her opinion in the activist documentary.
    - chrisjj 2y ago
      More reasonable would be to consider how much each was paying her.

Jamie9912 2y ago

Not really, if she understood well what the photograph was being used for at the time, you can't retrospectively wish against it. That's like saying Oh I don't want to be a pornstar anymore, take down all my content thanks.

biorach 2y ago
> you can't retrospectively wish against it She absolutely can. And we, collectively, can choose to respect that wish by using a different test image in future. And why not? It's no real burden to make the change.
- petee 2y ago
  I agree, being a decent person is an active choice we should all strive for. The burden here is that a number of people are so afraid of being "woke" that they'd rather double down being scummy than just find a different jpeg. If it was their daughter I'm sure they'd have a different opinion
  - josefx 2y ago
    > If it was their daughter I'm sure they'd have a different opinion Are we back in the 60s where a father has to sign off on the daughters job application? We are talking about a woman who willingly signed up for a playboy photoshoot, had been aware of the image being used and circulated for decades with no issues.
    - biorach 2y ago
      > Are we back in the 60s where a father has to sign off on the daughters job application Strawnan bs. No one advocated anything like that. > We are talking about a woman who willingly signed up for a playboy photoshoo Yep. And decades later asked it to not be used anymore. You can waste as much time with long winded arguments as you want. Or you could just be decent and not use the image. Your call.

FeepingCreature 2y ago

The anti-woke, respectful move would be to find another Playboy centerfold.

account42 2y ago
Why?
- FeepingCreature 2y ago
  Because the legitimate argument "it is against the wishes of the model" masks the underlying, foundational but hidden reason, which is "it appeals to the prurient interest of men in women, which I find detestable". Thus, finding another model who both consents to having her picture used but still appeals to the prurient male interest fulfills the stated claim while frustrating the unstated one. I'm sure Naomi Wu would be up for it.