Photo Shopped!

Did I really just include a picture that has clearly been visually modified, and has subtitles to it? Well, I did, and here are my reasons: (1) All the time people play with how we perceive different pictures, especially in our world where computer technology makes it so easy to artificially adapt a scene. (2) These “digitally modified” pictures often cause us to laugh. (3) What is added or modified to the picture usually accurately reflects hidden ideas or beliefs.

The jacked, varying in height male Americans standing in a line are what one calls rowers. And yes, they do get to walk around all day in spandex looking like a boss. The woman to the right is one of Beijing’s 2008 Olympic ceremonial women who helped give out medals to competitors. First, let us look at the pictures composition – where people are standing, and their size. Presumably, the rowers are randomly arranged in order from tallest to shortest, or strongest to weakest depending on how you view it. The tall Chinese woman stands close to the men, as if she wants to be compared to the jacked rowers. One might argue that she is as large as two of the three men, and on top of her size, she is relatively attractive.

Similarly, after closely observing the picture, one must look at its subtitles. Webster’s Dictionary defines “polyandry” as “where a woman has more than one husband.” Thus, the phrase “Olympic Polyandry” refers to the possibility that this single Chinese woman could marry the three rowers, and produce children with incredible Olympic genes. These genes might include height, muscularity, and good looks. The final subtitle in smaller letters says, “And China takes another gold.” While this statement can have numerous connotations, it primarily connotes the fact that China won many gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, and, arguably makes a critical statement on how China is “breeding” their children to become super-humans. Just as the Chinese took many gold’s, this Chinese woman hopes to take many Olympic husbands, demonstrating true “Olympic Polyandry.”

The woman is clearly well above her sex’s average height. She dwarfs the petite man, and is slightly taller than the middleman. She becomes an oddity in the eye of the beholder, as though something extraordinary must have happened to make her so exceptionally tall. The fact that all the men’s heads are turned attentively towards her, proves that she is important and unusual enough for the men to gaze upon her inquisitively. Americans want to laugh at anyone who challenges the U.S. in any way. This woman challenges Americans by being so immensely tall, while at the same time beautiful. Despite the rower’s attempts to look jacked, this single Chinese woman dwarfs the majority of them, and looks beautiful while doing so.