Over the counter was a printout of a Photoshopped image featuring George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. They're both wearing preppy sweater-vests and smiling. Bush has Hussein in a headlock and is giving him a friendly noogie. Bush's expression is very goofy and "fun" -- Saddam is sort of chuckling.
Here come the hardcore semiotics: I can think of many, many ways to interpret this image. What do you think? Ponder it for a second before reading the next post, in which I will reveal a piece of information that you may or may not find relevant to your analysis.
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)
― hstencil, Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)
I was also going to note that the results of a google image search for "noogie" are heartwarming and strange.
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)
Anyway: out of context the image provoked a lot of interpretations -- I know this is the equivalent of trying to explain why a joke is funny, but can anyone tell me how they "read" it?
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)
Ah what the heck, they all look alike...? ; )
― hstencil, Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)
One other reading that crossed my mind, Daniel: "imagine friendship instead of conflict here." I agree with you about their expressions sort of blocking a pro-war reading, but that wouldn't stop some people.
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)
― hstencil, Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:24 (twenty-two years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)
― teeny (teeny), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)
― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 5 April 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)
http://accel16.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/0/06/84/12/binladen-bush-noogie.jpg
― and what, Thursday, 24 January 2008 13:33 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.vanillaice.com/gallery/photos/fans/johnson_dustin01.jpg
― and what, Thursday, 24 January 2008 13:37 (seventeen years ago)
That's not very hard to parse.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 24 January 2008 13:37 (seventeen years ago)
v-ice taking a very bold anti-osama stance
― J0hn D., Thursday, 24 January 2008 15:01 (seventeen years ago)
Even bolder beard-bead-braiding stance
― nabisco, Thursday, 24 January 2008 16:17 (seventeen years ago)
I have to admit, I really like that Bin Laden shirt!
― Hurting 2, Thursday, 24 January 2008 16:24 (seventeen years ago)
so gonna happen
― Savannah Smiles, Thursday, 24 January 2008 18:13 (seventeen years ago)
that kid looks embarassed
― n/a, Thursday, 24 January 2008 18:17 (seventeen years ago)
tell you what's hard to parse: attractive young female holding a ron paul 08 sign, sitting with two guys in "stop the NAU" shirts. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 24 January 2008 18:25 (seventeen years ago)
My problem with the Bin Laden shirt: does it really need the explanatory legend "Osama Bin Laden" at the bottom?
― nabisco, Thursday, 24 January 2008 18:26 (seventeen years ago)
start the wau
― and what, Thursday, 24 January 2008 18:27 (seventeen years ago)