Jennifer McKendrick, a photographer who makes her living photographing kids barefoot and with acoustic guitars, recently caught wind of a Facebook group students were using to harass other girls at their school. Think of the Burn Book from "Mean Girls" if that movie had been made, like, half a year later when books became basically obsolete.
When Jennifer realized that she had booked senior photography sessions with four of the girls involved in the group, she promptly returned their deposits and canceled their senior photo sessions. "I mean how could I spend two hours with someone during our session trying to make beautiful photos of them knowing they could do such UGLY things," Jennifer said. So here we have people who are pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside. Think opposite Beast from Beauty and the Beast.
Who does one root for in this situation? The girls who picked on their most scared and confused peers or the woman who stood up for basic human decency and assumedly doesn't call herself a photographer just because she can point an iPhone at a mirror?
Oh man stories with clear-cut heroes and villains are refreshing.
Of course, this story has blown up and people are flocking to Jennifer's Facebook page to let her know what they think of her actions. And you know what? There hasn't been one person who disagrees with her cancelations. Think about that for a second. Not one negative comment from the internet. Do you understand what an accomplishment that is? Even pictures of baby penguins hugging their penguin mommies will get some downvotes on Reddit.
So at the end of all of this, Jennifer McKendrick comes out looking like some kind of superhero. Who is also a photographer. Hey, there's an idea! A photographer superhero. No, scratch that. That's kind of dumb.
A few of the moms of the girls- you know, the despicable ones- replied to Jennifer's cancellation e-mail with apologies, claiming to not know what their daughters were up to. Which happens. Parents can't monitor their kids all the time. But there are some ways for parents to keep tabs on what their kids are up to. Step one is communication. And I mean open, honest, potentially embarrassing communication about their lives and their fears.
After that, step two is nothing else at all because just keep doing step one all the time.
So now these four girls are unable to get their senior photos taken and will end up as a silhouette in their final high school yearbook. It's okay girls, my yearbook quote was "Photograph Not Submitted" too.
Maybe they can take their own senior photos. There are always iPhones and mirrors.
What do you think? Obviously I'm all about McKendrick's actions, but maybe its not up to her to judge other people's inner beauty? Maybe she should stick to her job and provide the services people pay her for? I don't know, maybe she did something the girls' parents should have done a long time ago? Let's hear what you think in the comments.
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