Fidel: The Poster
With all the Castro imagery flooding the net, I was most interested in this collage circulated by AFP.
As much as the White House and the presidential candidates want to infuse the retirement with political weight, this story is mostly about mortality and the exit of a political rock star.
Why else would four whole rows here be devoted to emphasizing his very early days, with the last row framing Fidel as such a historical artifact that he barely made it to the "color era?"
Castro (Notes On Politics, Theory and Photography)
Castro retires (Chris Bertram/Crooked Timber)
Castro and the Colossus (Robert Sheer/HuffPost)
(images: AFP)
Why else would four whole rows here be devoted to emphasizing his very early days, with the last row framing Fidel as such a historical artifact that he barely made it to the "color era?"
The use of the medium, black & white vs color, does seem to marginalize Castro, throwing him in with movie stars that disappeared early then show up in "celebrity" settings decades later.
It also mirrors our official position on Castro, a form of denial that Castro's Cuba even existed. In a way that block of pictures says 1950's over and over, then jumps to 2008. Seen through the lens of our embargo, the island nation has been some place close to Albania for all those years, not a few miles south of Florida.
Posted by:black dog barking | Feb 21, 2008 at 07:20 AM
;-)
Fidel: A Physiognomic chronology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiognomy
Posted by:jtfromBC | Feb 21, 2008 at 09:13 PM
On the good side, the only thing that could possibly talk W out of invading Iran is the opportunity to invade Cuba (Jeb could be the first Viceroy.)
Even JFK knew we would be greeted as liberators...
Posted by:wmcq | Feb 22, 2008 at 09:10 AM
ref : “Why else would four whole rows here be devoted to emphasizing his very early days, with the last row framing Fidel as such a historical artifact . . ?”
. . . no country for old men.
Posted by:MonsieurGonzo | Feb 25, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Let us not overlook the important rows, rows where Fidel is Revolutionary!... The actions which even US with the help of Gusanos, were not able to reverse.
Posted by:lytom | Feb 25, 2008 at 10:06 AM
MrG, noting a fashion clad female fighter smoking i thought 'You've Come A Long Way Baby' as another peculiar notion for achieving PKK 'gender equality' !http://tobaccodocuments.org/ads_pm/2058500255.html
...'country for old men' leads me to suggest this Pythonesque doc
638 Ways to Kill Castro (some commercials)
Part I http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=2695497521595164067 44:41
Part II http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4935089743890595330 44:43
Posted by:jtfromBC | Feb 25, 2008 at 12:35 PM