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True story?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by YankeeFan, Jul 8, 2015.

  1. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    I like Humans of New York. I think it's interesting storytelling in short form. Everyone who complains about the Cult of Schlongform should embrace the *idea* of HofNY, at least. Because people love that shit, and when done well, it's quite good.

    I also think this pic feels a bit like a plant, but Stanton (the guy who does the pics) has a pretty great track record. I'm giving him the benefit of doubt.
     
    HC and Dyno like this.
  2. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Alright, so admitting to sgreenwell's criticism to some degree, while I've heard of Humans of New York, I can't say that I know a ton about it.

    Is it crowd sourced, or is it all one guy's photos?

    And, does he purport to tell true stories, or does he tell stories based on the pictures?
     
  3. Big Circus

    Big Circus Well-Known Member

    Keys being "interesting" and "done well." HoNY, to me, is neither of those.
     
  4. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    It's one guy, Brandon Stanton. He's a professional photographer and, I guess, kind of a journalist. (Documentarian is probably more accurate.) All the people in the photos are real people he finds in New York and interviews, and all the quotes are supposed to be accurate.
     
  5. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Why don't you think it's true? Besides Hillary getting involved?
     
  6. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    Is this the gay kid? So he's a Republican?
     
  7. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Just doesn't seem real to me.

    First, the idea that he spots this kid crying at the very moment he's overwhelmed with worry about being gay seems a little odd.

    Second, it's NYC, and it's the week gay marriage became legal everywhere in the U.S. Now, maybe he doesn't follow the news closely, but being gay is hardly something that is looked down upon in NYC. Unless his family speaks ill of gays, where did he get the idea that it would be so terrible?

    Third, if the kid is actually worried about it, then why would the photographer put him out there for the world to see and judge? Do we out kids as gay now? Did his parents agree to it?

    Fourth, if it was real, the kid and his parents would have been interviewed by Anderson Cooper tonight on CNN instead of Donald Trump. When a story like this goes viral, we find out who the people are behind the story all the time. Add in the Hilary factor, and this kid would have been identified. Unless the Today Show is holding him for an exclusive tomorrow morning, it doesn't ring true to me.
     
  8. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Maybe he lives on the second floor.
     
    BDC99 likes this.
  9. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    Like, in its entirety? I strenuously object. Some are far better than others, but to me it's not all that different than what Avedon did, except Stanton was proof that you could find the shared humanity with something a simple as an iPhone instead of a large format camera in a studio. People who say they don't like them seem to assume they're all pap and "faux inspirational" but that's not true. That may be what shows up in your Facebook feed, but the variety of what he shoots and chooses is great.

    My Favorite Humans of New York | Messy Nessy Chic
     
  10. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Don't tell me Luka wasn't real?

    (God I hated that song. It was so popular one summer, and it was totally the kind of song that would get stuck in your head -- like right now!)
     
  11. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Looking at his site now, it seems pretty cool.

    But, if he did make up the story behind this photo, then he's probably done it before.
     
  12. Big Circus

    Big Circus Well-Known Member

    I'll give it a whirl. I admit I haven't seen anything other than what gets shared into my feed, which skews inspirational and weepy. I always saw it as a dressed-up Upworthy, but I'll check out your link.
     
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