'Grabass': A Parody Starring 'Sean Penn' as 'Harvey Milk' and 'A Guy from Canada'

This guy from Canada was captured in front of a movie poster depicting

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, noted Gay political activist from San

Francisco who was assassinated, and on the Canadian guy's seeing

the juxtaposition, made his own joke, which I captured (it does not

necessarily represent my political opinion). Your rates and critiques are

invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or very critically, please

submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your superior

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks!

Enjoy! John

This is meant to be fun.

 

Even Harvey Milk had a good -- even excellent -- sense of humor about his gayness and how it was perceived.

 

I am sure he would have enjoyed this..

 

RIP, Harvey, we remember you well.

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

Beautiful creattion. 7/7 at Recent.

Nice capture, made me laugh. Regards

Makes me laugh each time I see it. I know Harvey Milk would too; he had a fine sense of humor.

 

This Canadian guy's family all (and there were many) all laughed out loud -- they were enthralled at Dad's humor.

 

Thanks to him for his great sense of humor.

 

I think his name is Mark, but I may be mistaken.

 

Thanks for commenting.

 

John (Crosley)

If you knew (or knew of) Harvey Milk, you didn't have to be homophobic to laugh at this capture, despite the beilef maybe of some more short-sighted individuals.

 

He had a fine sense of humor about his gayness and would have enjoyed this parody, I am sure.

 

;~))

 

Thanks for smiling. It makes my day.

 

John (Crosley)

cute photo; good show

Not a G A Y from Canada.

 

G U Y, repeat G U Y.

 

Probably it's obvious.

 

He had a GREAT sense of humor.

 

I intimated to him that in a prior photo taken Harvey Milk's hand was touching his bottom and in the next photo a female hand from one of his group is shown showing him the same thing.

 

Then he did this spontaneously, which I recorded a number of times on 'C' drive (like motor drive) and we all almost doubled over laughing as we all reviewed these shots.

 

Then the group of hsi relatives and his daughters' friends quickly went their way; the father a hit with his teenage girls for being a cool group leader and dad.

 

I LOVE this . . . and to my mind it's not homophobic and in fact pokes fun at the homophobes -- it's so outrageous . . . . just in the same way . . . maybe as Harvey Milk was a little outrageous and outspoken in his gayness . . . .

 

Who among us is more outrageous in their humor than many of the more ardent gays? Well, I wish to join them, in my version of outrageous humor, and hope they accept this as pure parody, without malice.

 

Photography can be lots of fun sometimes.

 

;~))

 

John (Crosley)

The question may arise, 'how spontaneous was this capture?' It obviously is 'set up', but was it preconceived and produced or was it extemporaneous.

 

Comments above should show that the 'guy from Canada (G U Y not G A Y) above, with the outrageous face, was leaning against this advertising post base, slightly to our right, and more upright, and in first frames I took a photo of him standing there. He wanted to move out of frame, and I convinced him just to remain standing and not be wary of me.

 

I had seen Harvey Milk's hand of course.

 

It was in his backside, but not demonstrably or much.

 

So, I took those frames, and then showed them to this guy.

 

He needed some prompting to visualize what was the point of the outstretched hand, and I explained to him who Harvey Milk was (First Gay Supervisor/political leader out of the closet in San Francisco with a huge following in the Castro Street area) and that he was very openly gay.

 

A frame shows a female finger from this guy's (G u y ' s ) group pointing out Mr. Milk's outstretched arms, so our Canadian dad could visualize it.

 

Then in seconds, this guy from Canada had figured out the joke and began playing with the idea that Harvey Milk (played here by Sean Penn) could seen to be touching his backside AND he could be acting outraged but in a totally overblown fashion -- strictly for laughs.

 

He succeeded in my mind. There are about five or six 'C' drive frames just like this.

 

When I was young, it was fashionable for young men who were not gay to be homophobic.

 

I went to an all-male college (Columbia College, Columbia University) so it is a good bet a HUGE number of my classmates were very gay.

 

That was accepted and well known. One classmate had a gay guy he'd picked up from the street, living in the storage space above his huge closet at a time when women were banned from the dormitories and having a woman in the dorms got you suspended but not so to have your resident homeless gay guy, however).

 

A friend of mine got a great job (I got it for him).

 

His boss employed only young men, gave them full ride scholarships through Columbia. The boss was very openly and effeminately gay.

 

I worked for a University Vice President.

 

Looking back I understand fully now he was totally gay, but I didn't care. He was just smart, clever, and a huge asset to the University (and he had me do things like 'fly to Minneapolis for lunch after cutting classes, or go to events a thousand miles away with Lionel Trilling and Jacques Barzun, which no other student did at that time or possibly ever.)

 

I tended his rent-controlled flat when he traveled sometimes -- a student from Oregon living just off Fifth Avenue. . . . . with the hoi poloi. I was totally uncaring of his sexuality, and it was NOT an issue at all.

 

We were co-workers.

 

Period.

 

We did great work that helped Columbia.

 

Period.

 

He probably was gay, very gay, but so what?

 

We did not let it become an issue - ever.

 

John (Crosley)

who the hell is harvey milk? And what is all this talk about gay and why and GUY not GAY? What does they have to do with this photo? I am completeyly lost myself.

Brilliant work, John! My admiration!

Who the hell is John Crosley? And who is Sean Penn? And this Milk guy does he work for a creamery? What the hell is going on here? (ref. above)

 

;~))

 

We all have our crosses to bear (or menorahs or whatever).

 

Brad, joking aside (and I like to do kidding sometimes as this photo shows, all aided by my very, very willing subject who had a GREAT sense of humor) I am most delighted to accept your compliment.

 

I give compliments to those who earn them and brickbats to those who don't. I give lots of compliments during a day's time, too, (building up my store of Karma for when I have to give a healthy criticism to someone).

 

Now who the hell is this Milk fellow again and that Penn guy, does he work for a railroad or something - one with those steam locomotives that race across the country pulling those passenger trains at 89 miles per hour while dining car waiters serve dinner?

 

Or am I in a parallel photographic world?

 

;~)))))

 

Hope you don't mind the kidding; I prefer to show humor rather than irritation.

 

John (Crosley)

Was not meant to be irritation. I really do not know who is this "Milk" guy. I did not say Penn guy because I know of him -I do not like him. I said "hell" to inject a little humor also. Railroads, brickbats, crosses to bear, Karma and parralel worlds went over my head. Always enjoy readding your thoughts even when in parallel world to mine

I've just spent the better part of an hour going through some small part of your portfolio and another trip through your special 'highest-rated) folder -- photos of others.

 

What a treat (again).

 

Of course, if you didn't' know it, it clearly shows -- you are a perfectionist.

 

You may say, of course, that 'oh,no, I'm not a perfectionist . . . .I make flaws; See this defect here and this one there and this one over here . . . and so on.

 

But the hallmark of the perfectionist is the relentless striving for perfection -- a trait I share, but I have long given into my more slovenly side in the interest of getting something -- anything -- done, for if I tried to be as good as you at anything - nothing at all would be done.

 

I LOVE your personal photography, and if I were photographing inanimate objects such as landscapes, etc., I would tend to do so similar to how you have approached the craft, but I have a short attention span.

 

So, I photograph people, and the exigencies of catching them excuses my lack of attention to every detail -- just catching 'that moment' is worth all the detail in the world. (and as I perused your 'highest rated of others' photos, there was my beloved, near the end . . . quelle surprise.')

 

I'm new to the area . . . .and just exploring a little, as you can see (11 days now) and still will travel when I get the chance, but this area is marvelous. Just met photographer John Humble, whose portfolio (his work has been purchased by The Getty) is sardonic and witty as well as insightful and quite different from anything else you've seen. (Met him at Nikon repair facility.) (I meet a lot of people here -- met the artistic director *former* of 'Desperate Housewives* the other day and he reviewed my draft book for what seemed like two hours and just sent me an e-mail two days ago.

 

Unthinkable to make such connections in Portland or just about anywhere else. Walked a picket line with actors for SAG (photographic purposes only) (informational only picket), and didn't ask their names -- I have a policy against exploiting fame for my photos -- I'm not paparazzo.)

 

I'd love to say 'hello' in person some day and look at your print work (I don't print -- at least yet. Printing is a skillset I'm afraid to devote too much time too. I believe in the wisdom of Henri Cartier-Bresson who stopped printing after WWII; he had everything printed for him. Smart choice for his style of photography.

 

I'm much too prolific to spend time in a darkroom; better to spend that time taking photos and have someone skilled work them up for printing and to print them.

 

You have a selection of 'highest rated of others' photos that should be featured in itself (PN once had a selection of five such artists -- one chose own such folder to refer to -- but I have stopped rating at all, almost, -- even to place photos in that portfolio.)

 

Thanks for your kind remarks above, and pardon my attempts at humor -- I get enthusiastic, which is both a strong point and a weak point, depending on if you're a supporter or a detractor.

 

Best wishes,and thanks for kind words of support.

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

Total time to 'see' and 'capture' this was about one second, start to finish, including all related captures on my camera, with its captures set to 'c' (continuous servo), or just 'C', which is the modern-day digital equivalent of film's motor drive.

 

That's all.

 

Sometimes a good or better photo can happen in the wink of an eye or just a little more, then it's gone.

 

And I had several photos to choose from, as I had my camera set at 8 frames per second.

 

I don't very often take 'street' photos during strong daylight as here, but it sure improves image quality to shoot at a low-numbered ISO, as here.

 

I am sure, this fellow and his family look at this from time to time, and it's probably been reproduced and in a family photo album somewhere.

 

John (Crosley)