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Royal photographers weigh in on photo editing fiasco

<p>Royal photographers, brothers Zak and Samir Hussein have opened up about the realities of altering royal images - including what is and isn't allowed. </p> <p>"It's pretty clear what we're allowed to do – we're allowed to basically use darkroom techniques," Samir - who has also taken official portraits of members of the royal family - told <em>9Honey</em>. </p> <p>He then explained what darkroom techniques entail: "So what photographers in the days when they were shooting film used to do in the dark rooms.</p> <p>"We're pretty limited in what we can do, it's sort of a basic crop, maybe a bit of colour correcting and that's how we edit our photos basically.</p> <p>"Sometimes you look at picture and you think 'Oh, if I crop it like this, it will stand out more, this will be more impactful'. So it's usually, if I'm honest, when looking back at the picture that's taken, that's the first thing I look at – how can this be cropped to make it have the impact that it should really."</p> <p>Zak, who has taken many photos of Prince Harry and Meghan as well as other royal family members agreed and said that the photographers do their best to get the shot right to reduce the need for editing. </p> <p>"You try and get it right first time around when you're taking the picture," he told 9Honey. </p> <p>"Ideally, you don't want to have to do too much to the picture but yeah, it's very basic what we do.</p> <p>"I think cropping is really important because you're trying to find the best version of that picture, so if it means cropping in tighter to make it a nice portrait or keeping it wider to show more in what's going on in the event.</p> <p>"It's pretty basic what we do to the picture because it's all about when you take the picture, you're looking through the viewfinder [and] that's when you want to get it right."</p> <p>The topic of re-touching royal photos sensationally <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/princess-kate-sensationally-speaks-out-over-photo-fiasco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made headlines</a> over a manipulated image posted by Kate Middleton, and has now made its way back into the spotlight following the launch of the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/incredible-treasure-trove-of-unseen-royal-images" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new exhibition</a> at The King's Gallery exhibition in the Buckingham Palace.</p> <p>The exhibition which runs until October 6 has noted darkroom techniques including  cropping and framing out backgrounds or brightening up levels in a few of the negatives, including one label that read: "retouching is an essential part of photography.</p> <p>"Analogue retouching can occur at three stages: Modifying the negative, Manipulating the image during printing, direct retouching on the final print."</p> <p><em>Image: 9Honey/ </em><em>Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.</em></p>

Art

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Queen Elizabeth’s 21st birthday speech edited in Harry and Meghan doco

<p dir="ltr">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new documentary has edited the Queen’s 21st birthday speech to give it a completely new meaning.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first three episodes of the Sussexes new documentary <em>Harry and Meghan</em> have now aired on Netflix.</p> <p dir="ltr">And now voice coach Susie Ashfield has pointed out that in the first episode, the Queen's speech – in which she says “whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong” – is included.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then she takes viewers to episode three, in which the Queen’s speech has been edited, giving it a completely new meaning.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She shared another video showing glaring edits of the late Monarch titled: “The Queen Vs Netflix. Spot the difference…”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wasn't going to say anything about the Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary because it's nothing to do with me,” she said.</p> <p>"I'm a communications coach. I help people make speeches."</p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"> </p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 619px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7176949431789505798&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40royal_family_2022%2Fvideo%2F7176949431789505798%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26q%3DSusie%2520Ashfield%2520%26t%3D1671075706777&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-va.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-maliva-p-0068%2F76ca61686cde4add87422c08f0ebf380_1671013766%3Fx-expires%3D1671094800%26x-signature%3Da9QorsOB83kO1sfr6MVMnQwclsE%253D&amp;key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">“But I really like speeches, which is why when somebody told me about some potential editing that might have happened on the Queen's 21st birthday speech. I had to check it out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So let's play a game together. Spot the difference,” she said, before showing part of the Queen's unedited speech.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I should like to make that dedication now, it is very simple,” Queen Elizabeth II is heard saying.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Susie then points out: “That was the original, unedited copy and the transcript reads the same. Now let's look at Harry and Meghan's version."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen’s voice is then heard saying: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Did you hear the difference?" asks Susie. "And did you notice how just removing a few words changes the meaning of the statement entirely?"</p> <p dir="ltr">The words 'to your service and' were edited out of the Queen's speech.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't know what the lesson to learn is here, but I suppose if you are going to be speaking and it will be recorded there is a chance you will get misquoted, your words might get taken out of context or in this case some part might be removed to change the meaning of the statement itself.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So try not to let that happen to you. And if it does happen to you, remember there will be some people out there who might notice.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok/Getty</em></p>

TV

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Toni Collette forced to edit statement announcing divorce

<p dir="ltr">Toni Collette has edited her statement announcing her divorce from husband David Galafassi after explosive images of him kissing another woman surfaced.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie actress, 50, took to Instagram to confirm that she and husband Galafassi, 44, have broken up after photos emerged of him making out with another woman.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, just a few days later, Collette was forced to edit her statement to explain that she and Galafassi had been separated for a “substantial period”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her new statement reads: “After a substantial period of separation, it is with grace and gratitude that we announce we are divorcing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re united in our decision and part with continuing respect and care for each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our kids are of paramount importance to us and we will continue to thrive as a family, albeit a different shape.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3-GTgBYtF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by TONI COLLETTE (@toni_collette_official)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We’re thankful for the space and love you grant us as we evolve and move through this transition peacefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Big thanks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Collette’s shock statement came less than 24 hours after the paparazzi images were published in the Daily Mail.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair share two children together, aged 14 and 11, and split their time between Australia and the United States.</p> <p dir="ltr">They first met back in 2002 at the launch of Galafassi’s band Gelbison's debut album Metal Detector in Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">They ran into each other again a few days later and Collette said “he was the first person I saw when I walked in the door”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He kissed me on the cheek and I just kind of melted. I planned to stay for ten minutes… I was there for 12 hours. It was a good day,” she said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

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Tabloid slammed for bizarre photoshop edit of Kate Middleton

<p>British publication The Mirror appears to have edited a photo of Kate Middleton to the point where she is almost unrecognisable.</p> <p>The popular UK-based tabloid covered a story about the Royal Family attending a Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in London recently.</p> <p>Joining Kate Middleton at the event were King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and the Princess of Wales. Despite the attendance of the other royals, the outlet still chose to use a sombre photo of Catherine on the front page.</p> <p>The tabloid was then widely called out for the bizarre photoshop edit of that image. A very confused audience took to social media, calling out the publication for the rough photoshop hatchet job of the Princess.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">When i saw an image of kate doing rounds on Twitter, i thought it was photoshoped. This morning I went to my local co-op and took this pic of todays <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DailyMirror?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DailyMirror</a>. Surely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KateMiddleton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KateMiddleton</a> doesn’t look like this? <a href="https://t.co/kysKlr27zt">pic.twitter.com/kysKlr27zt</a></p> <p>— HK (@hasifah23) <a href="https://twitter.com/hasifah23/status/1592082881781805056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What in the ever loving god did they do to Princess Catherine’s picture? How disgusting to photoshop the photo in this way! <a href="https://t.co/ziMhSnVy2h">pic.twitter.com/ziMhSnVy2h</a></p> <p>— Royal Tea With Brittany (@brittanygadoury) <a href="https://twitter.com/brittanygadoury/status/1591962064050098176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Both The Royal Family or The Mirror are yet to comment.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Why an edit button for Twitter is not as simple as it seems

<p>Most people who use Twitter have had the experience: you fire off a quick tweet, realise it contains a typo, then get annoyed you can’t click “edit” to fix it. Twitter users have been <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90376786/a-brief-history-of-not-being-able-to-edit-your-tweets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clamouring for an edit button for years</a>.</p> <p>Elon Musk, who has recently been buying up shares in the microblogging platform and has made a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-15/elon-musk-offer-to-buy-twitter-worlds-richest-man/100994580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US$48 billion offer</a> for the whole company, asked his 82 million followers if they wanted an edit button. His (deeply unscientific) poll attracted 4.4 million responses, with 73% in favour.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Do you want an edit button?</p> <p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1511143607385874434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Other social media platforms let you edit posts after you’ve sent them. It seems like it would be a simple feature to add – so why doesn’t Twitter do it?</p> <p>Well, the time may at last have arrived. Independent of Musk’s poll, Twitter has confirmed that <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/5/23011327/twitter-edit-button-blue-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an edit button may be in the works</a>. Enterprising users have even dug out some hints of what it <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/18/twitters-in-development-edit-button-offers-hints-as-to-how-the-feature-could-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might look like</a>.</p> <p><strong>So what’s the fuss about?</strong></p> <p>Why has Twitter been so opposed to an edit button? The answer might be that it isn’t as simple as it appears.</p> <p>The first thing to know about tweets is that, unlike posts on many other platforms, there is fundamentally no way for Twitter to pull them back after they are sent. The reason is that Twitter has what’s called an Application Programming Interface (or API) which allows third parties such as other apps or researchers to download tweets in real time.</p> <p>That’s what powers Twitter clients such as TweetDeck, TweetBot, Twitteriffic and Echofon, which together account for some <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/17/6-million-users-had-installed-third-party-twitter-clients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6 million users</a>.</p> <p>Once third parties have downloaded tweets, there’s no way for Twitter to get them back or edit them. It’s a bit like an email – once I’ve sent it and you’ve downloaded it, there’s no way for me to delete it from your machine.</p> <p>If a user <em>were</em> to edit a tweet, the most Twitter could do is send out a message saying “please edit this tweet” – but the third party could choose whether or not to actually do it. (This is currently what happens when tweets are “deleted”.)</p> <p><strong>Cats and dogs</strong></p> <p>More importantly, an edit button might have unintended consequences, and could be weaponised.</p> <p>Consider this. I, a cat lover, decide to tweet “I love cats!”</p> <p>Then you, being also a cat lover (because why wouldn’t you be), decide to quote my tweet, agreeing “I do too!” (Remember when Twitter used to be this innocent?)</p> <p>Now, what happens if I edit my original tweet to declare “I love dogs”? You are now misrepresented as a dog-lover, and when your cat-loving friends see this (which they will when I reply to your tweet, mentioning them all), they disown you.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459030/original/file-20220421-70799-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A screenshot showing a tweet reading " /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">A Twitter edit button could be used to change statements after others have retweeted or endorsed them.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>Yes, this is contrived, but it doesn’t take much imagination to see how the edit button might be used in this fashion, particularly by things such as bot armies. Will Twitter users be happy to trade this possibility for the convenience of fixing typos in their tweets?</p> <p><strong>‘Warts and all’: a bug or a feature?</strong></p> <p>Twitter has built its reputation on being the most “real-time” of the social media platforms – the place where <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquakes are reported quicker than by scientific instruments</a>. However, for many people the “warts and all” nature of Twitter postings is starting to look like a bug, rather than a feature.</p> <p>Will an edit button change Twitter’s unique brand? There may be ways to ameliorate this, such as only allowing edits within a short time of posting, but it is surely a consideration for the company.</p> <p>More generally, the design of media platforms shapes the type of discussion that occurs on them.</p> <p>The presence of the “like” and “retweet” buttons on Twitter encourage users to create content that will entice others to click these buttons, and make their content spread further. This, in turn, shapes the nature of conversation that occurs on the platform.</p> <p>Similarly, websites use algorithms and design to “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1476570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nudge</a>” users in particular directions – such as to buy a product.</p> <p>There is a rich body of research into the ways discourse is shaped by the design of social media platforms, which establishes that every “affordance” a user is given affects the conversation that ends up taking place.</p> <p>This means that beyond the fundamental technological challenges, Twitter must think about the possible unintended consequences of seemingly simple changes – even to the level of a humble edit button. The medium shapes the message, and Twitter must think carefully about what sorts of messages they want their platform to shape.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181623/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-mitchell-266859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lewis Mitchell</a>, Professor of Data Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-an-edit-button-for-twitter-is-not-as-simple-as-it-seems-181623" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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“We can fix it”: Dad sparks debate over Disney book edits

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A dad has sparked some controversy online after </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/dad-edits-daughter-disney-princess-210152973.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sharing edits</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to his daughter’s Disney Princess books to combat gender stereotypes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The parent took to his TikTok account (</span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dcaspers?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">@dcaspers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) to share pages from his daughter’s “Step Into Reading” books starring Disney princesses and the edits he makes to inspire his daughters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one video of his now-viral series, he takes issue with a book featuring Ariel from </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Little Mermaid</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In it, Ariel struggles to bake a cake for Prince Eric, and @dcaspers is quick to change it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Ariel changes her body, leaves her friends and family … and now she’s baking, all for him,” he writes over the clip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dad then shows the changes he made to the book, swapping Ariel’s piping bag full of icing for a slice of pizza.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Instead of baking, Ariel orders a pizza,” he writes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While the prince eats his pizza… with a fork,” he continues, “She finds her new love… in TikTok.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845262/dad-hack1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e3fc4d5a65c1435f8839a77e47a1c308" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another clip, the dad focuses on Rapunzel from </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tangled</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and writes, “Teaching my daughters not to settle for the stereotypes”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the original reader, Rapunzel enters a pie-baking contest and wins a blue ribbon, “which her bf (boyfriend) approves” of. But, after the changes, Rapunzel considers “her future” in front of a sign for Harvard University, and her boyfriend Eugene bakes her a pie “because she’s top in her class”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845263/dad-hack2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c189a0575b1345dd8ef6d6902e26f769" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many users have shared their approval of the dad’s efforts, while others believe they could do more harm than Disney’s original works.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You are such a great dad. This is what we should teach our daughters, not that women do the cooking, cleaning and chores,” one commenter said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I honestly love this! I can’t stand stereotypes, and for Disney to use them when most little kids look up to/love them is awful. You’re amazing,” another wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What’s wrong with baking? And how is spending all your time on social media better than a fun activity that anyone could do?” one person argued, referring to the Ariel video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The baking is a metaphor here. She pursued a goal, and achieved it successfully, while being cheered on by a loved one.. How can you see the bad in this?” another said, challenging his Rapunzel edits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Bruh, just don’t buy the book if it offends you,” a third user suggested.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response to the critics, one person wrote, “Why is everyone upset about a dad wanting to teach his daughters to be strong and independent?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the controversy, this dad has shown how he wants to challenge the messages and stories his daughters see and gone the extra mile to do it.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p>

Caring

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Parents' fury after school edits daughters' cleavage from yearbook

<p>A Florida high school has been blasted by parents for editing the yearbook photos of 80 schoolgirls to cover their chests - despite them wearing permissible clothes.</p> <p>The badly airbrushed photos from Bartram Trail High School's yearbook caused outrage among parents who questioned officials' apparent over-sensitivity.</p> <p>The school thought the girl's outfit to be "inappropriate" and took it upon themselves to edit the photos, said a board spokesman.</p> <p>Now some parents are demanding an apology, according to Action News Jax.</p> <p>“Our daughters of Bartram deserve an apology,” one mum said. “They are making them feel embarrassed about who they are.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841384/screen-shot-2021-05-24-at-11.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af9705989e404769a03c30e93388e608" /></p> <p>The school edited the yearbook pictures of the girls but left pictures featuring boys wearing Speedos unedited.</p> <p>Riley O'Keefe, a ninth-grader whose picture was digitally altered int he yearbook to make her outfit more conservative, said that the school's action made girls feel uncomfortable.</p> <p>“You’re not only affecting their photo, it’s not just for protecting them, you’re making them uncomfortable and feel like their bodies aren’t acceptable in a yearbook,” O’Keefe told Action News Jax.</p> <p>The school approved O'Keefe's outfit before taking her yearbook photo and confirmed that her clothes complied with the school's dress code, but still edited her picture.</p> <p>Other parents are also dealing with the same issue as they criticised the school’s dress code policies, according to Action News Jax.</p> <p>“I felt confident that day and I looked good, in dress code,” nineth grader Zoe Iannone told Action News Jax.</p> <p>“When I sent it to my mom and all of us saw it, I felt very sexualised, like that was what they were worrying about,” she added.</p> <p>The school said it will refund the students’ money if parents are not pleased with the yearbook.</p>

Beauty & Style

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China's failed gene edited baby experiment proves we're not ready for human embryo modification

<p>More than a year ago, the world was shocked by Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui’s attempt to use CRISPR technology to modify human embryos and make them resistant to HIV, which led to the birth of twins Lulu and Nana.</p> <p>Now, crucial details have been revealed in a recent <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614764/chinas-crispr-babies-read-exclusive-excerpts-he-jiankui-paper/">release of excerpts</a> from the study, which have triggered a series of concerns about how Lulu and Nana’s genome was modified.</p> <p><strong>How CRISPR works</strong></p> <p>CRISPR is a technique that allows scientists to make precise edits to any DNA by altering its sequence.</p> <p>When using CRISPR, you may be trying to “knock out” a gene by rendering it inactive, or trying to achieve specific modifications, such as introducing or removing a desired piece of DNA.</p> <p>Gene editing with the CRISPR system relies on an association of two molecules. One is a protein, called Cas9, that is responsible for “cutting” the DNA. The other molecule is a short RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecule which works as a “guide” that brings Cas9 to the position where it is supposed to cut.</p> <p>The system also needs help from the cells being edited. DNA damage is frequent, so cells regularly have to repair the DNA lesions. The associated repair mechanisms are what introduce the deletions, insertions or modifications when performing gene editing.</p> <p><strong>How the genomes of Lulu and Nana were modified</strong></p> <p>He Jiankui and his colleagues were targeting a gene called CCR5, which is necessary for the HIV virus to enter into white blood cells (<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320987.php">lymphocytes</a>) and infect our body.</p> <p>One variant of CCR5, called CCR5 Δ32, is missing a particular string of 32 “letters” of DNA code. This variant naturally occurs in the human population, and results in a high level of resistance to the most common type of HIV virus.</p> <p>The team wanted to recreate this mutation using CRISPR on human embryos, in a bid to render them resistant to HIV infection. But this did not go as planned, and there are several ways they may have failed.</p> <p>First, despite claiming in the abstract of their unpublished article that they reproduced the human CCR5 mutation, in reality the team tried to modify CCR5 <em>close</em> to the Δ32 mutation.</p> <p>As a result, they generated different mutations, of which the effects are unknown. It may or may not confer HIV resistance, and may or may not have other consequences.</p> <p>Worryingly, they did not test any of this, and went ahead with implanting the embryos. This is unjustifiable.</p> <p><strong>The mosaic effect</strong></p> <p>A second source of errors could have been that the editing was not perfectly efficient. This means that not all cells in the embryos were necessarily edited.</p> <p>When an organism has a mixture of edited and unedited cells, it is called a “mosaic”. While the available data are still limited, it seems that both Lulu and Nana are mosaic.</p> <p>This makes it even less likely that the gene-edited babies would be resistant to HIV infection. The risk of mosaicism should have been another reason not to implant the embryos.</p> <p>Moreover, editing can have unintended impacts elsewhere in the genome.</p> <p>When designing a CRISPR experiment, you choose the “guide” RNA so that its sequence is unique to the gene you are targeting. However, “off-target” cuts can still happen elsewhere in the genome, at places that have a similar sequence.</p> <p>He Jiankui and his team tested cells from the edited embryos, and reported only one off-target modification. However, that testing required sampling the cells, which were therefore no longer part of the embryos - which continued developing.</p> <p>Thus, the remaining cells in the embryos had not been tested, and may have had different off-target modifications.</p> <p>This is not the team’s fault, as there will always be limitations in detecting off-target and mosaicism, and we can only get a partial picture.</p> <p>However, that partial picture should have made them pause.</p> <p><strong>A bad idea to begin</strong></p> <p>Above, we have described several risks associated with the modifications made on the embryos, which could be passed on to future generations.</p> <p>Embryo editing is only ethically justifiable in cases where the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.</p> <p>Technical issues aside, the researchers did not even address an unmet medical need.</p> <p>While the twins’ father was HIV-positive, there is already a well-established way to prevent an HIV-positive father from infecting embryos. This “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4779710/">sperm washing</a>” method was actually used by the team.</p> <p>The only benefit of the attempted gene modification, if proven, would have been a reduced risk of HIV infection for the twins later in life.</p> <p>But there are safer existing ways to control the risk of infection, such as condoms and mandatory testing of blood donations.</p> <p><strong>Implications for gene editing as a field</strong></p> <p>Gene editing has endless applications. It can be used to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02770-7">make plants such as the Cavendish banana more resistant to devastating diseases</a>. It can play an important role in the adaptation to climate change.</p> <p>In health, we are already seeing <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/11/19/780510277/gene-edited-supercells-make-progress-in-fight-against-sickle-cell-disease">promising results</a> with the editing of somatic cells (that is, non-heritable modifications of the patient’s own cells) in beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease.</p> <p>However, we are just not ready for human embryo editing. Our techniques are not mature enough, and no case has been made for a widespread need that other techniques, such as preimplantation genetic testing, could not address.</p> <p>There is also much work still needed on governance. There have been individual calls for a moratorium on embryo editing, and expert panels from the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00942-z">World Health Organisation</a> to <a href="https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-panel-experts-calls-ban-editing-human-dna-avoid-unethical-tampering-hereditary-traits">UNESCO</a>.</p> <p>Yet, no consensus has emerged.</p> <p>It is important these discussions move <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03525-0">in unison</a> to a second phase, where other stakeholders, such as patient groups, are more broadly consulted (and informed). Engagement with the public is also crucial.</p> <p><em>Correction: this article originally described RNA (ribonucleic acid) as a protein, rather than a molecule.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128454/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dimitri-perrin-392467">Dimitri Perrin</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gaetan-burgio-202386">Gaetan Burgio</a>, Geneticist and Group Leader, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-failed-gene-edited-baby-experiment-proves-were-not-ready-for-human-embryo-modification-128454">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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How to edit your closet

<p>How many times have you stared blankly into the abyss of your closet wondering how you can have so many clothes, yet still have nothing to wear? We’ve all been there, but don’t despair. What this usually means is that it’s time for a “wardrobe edit.” If you’re not sure how to do that, you are about to find out. A wardrobe edit basically means going through your closet to determine what’s working for you and what isn’t. It means taking stock of your clothing and simplifying things so that you have a wearable collection of pieces to choose from.</p> <p>The problem is where to start? The first step is to let go of the past. Fashion has changed. It’s become a form of self-expression rather than a list of ever changing trends that need to be followed. Now that you are open to a wider range of possibilities, it’s time to re-evaluate your closet. There may be dozens of outfits hiding in there that you don’t even know exist.</p> <p>However, before we start to organize your closet, there are some pieces that really have to go first. I know this may be painful, but no matter how attached you are to these pieces, it’s time to part company. They will only serve to make you look frumpy and out of date. Okay, are you ready?</p> <p><strong>Here are some items that you really need to retire:  </strong></p> <ol> <li>Holiday Sweaters: Anything with reindeer, pumpkins or snowflakes.</li> <li>Souvenir T-shirts</li> <li>Jackets with Big Shoulder Pads (usually from the 80s and 90s)</li> <li>High Waisted “Mom Jeans” (Google it)</li> <li>Velour Sweatsuits (Farewell Juicy Couture)</li> <li>Unflattering Elasticized Pants</li> <li>Clothing that no longer fit you</li> <li>Clothing that is worn or stained</li> <li>Clothing that does not flatter your figure or your coloring.</li> </ol> <p>Okeydokey, now it’s time to organize your closet. First, you need to separate your clothing by category (tops, blouses, sweaters, dresses, jackets, skirts, pants, etc.)  Next, try on each one of these pieces in front of a full-length mirror and get ready to be critical. Is it dated looking?  If so, toss it. Is it figure flattering? If so, keep it. How many different ways can you wear it? What does it go with? If you love it, but don’t have anything to wear it with, start a list, because you are going to buy something to go with it.  The idea is to create a wardrobe of pieces that you love, that are flattering to your figure, and also can be worn a number of different ways. This is called creating a “capsule wardrobe.” It’s better to have fewer pieces, but the right ones, which can be easily mixed and matched together.</p> <p>It may be a good idea to ask a friend to come over to help you cull your clothing because we all need an unbiased opinion when it comes to editing our closet.  It’s hard letting go of old faithful fashion friends, but the idea is to only keep the best pieces.</p> <p>Once you have purged your closet of everything unflattering, out of style and worn out, put it in plastic bags and set it aside to donate to charity.  Next, take digital photos of the remaining outfits that you love.  Are there some key pieces that are missing from your wardrobe? Add them to your list. This shopping list is key to updating your look, and creating a capsule wardrobe that will make getting dressed a pleasure rather than an exercise in frustration. If you are unclear what basic elements make a good capsule wardrobe, I have some suggestions.</p> <p><strong>Wardrobe Staples:</strong></p> <p>Two Classic Black Dresses (one for winter and one for summer)</p> <p>Pants in Black, Grey or Navy, and Camel</p> <p>Wide Leg Black Pants</p> <p>Black Straight Skirt (One to the knee and the other long)</p> <p>Denim Jeans</p> <p>Tailored Black Jacket</p> <p>A Sheer Summer Cardigan</p> <p>Classic Oversized Cashmere Cardigan</p> <p>Cashmere Pullover Sweaters in Black, White and a Color</p> <p>Tank Tops in Black, White and Gray</p> <p>White Blouse</p> <p>A Denim Jacket</p> <p>A Trench Coat</p> <p>Wide Leg Black Pants</p> <p>Dressy Black Top</p> <p>A Leather Jacket</p> <p>A Pashmina or Cashmere Poncho</p> <p>These investment pieces are basics that you will have and wear for many years. Add in the outfits that you already own and love, and you now have a well-edited, stylish wardrobe.</p> <p><em>Written by Dorrie Jacobson. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.seniorstylebible.com"><strong>Senior Style Bible</strong></a>.</span></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/11/emergency-fixes-for-your-clothes/">10 emergency fixes for your clothes</a></span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/10/never-throw-clothes-in-the-rubbish/">Scary reason we should never throw old clothes in the rubbish</a></span></strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/03/easy-wardrobe-updates/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 easy wardrobe updates</span></strong></a></p>

Beauty & Style