Hey, look at me. I'm featured on the front of my local newspaper.

May 30, 2013 6:20 PM

Local People With Their Arms Crossed
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants (47 comments total)

There is so much good newspaper photography out there but when it's bad it's just awful.
posted by photoslob at 6:26 PM on May 30, 2013

Local people are so simple and small, right? They don't deserve to cross their arms in resolve or pride.
posted by Halogenhat at 6:26 PM on May 30, 2013 [12 favorites]

I feel like this is a cousin to the 'hands over the crotch' pose you see rugby players do. Like its some expression of wannabe hypermasculinity. Which works sometimes, but falls flat in the 2nd and 3rd photo.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 6:27 PM on May 30, 2013

This is a local newspaper for local people. There's nothing for you here.
posted by superquail at 6:31 PM on May 30, 2013 [28 favorites]

Every time I've seen someone interviewed on camera (these all being non-media people types) there is a half second pause where the interviewee thinks "what do I do with my hands?"

Probably the same thing for people having pictures taken for media. Crossing arms and hands in pockets are likely the most common immediate go to for standing poses. I imagine busy newspaper photojournalist get tired of telling people to stop posing like that...
posted by midmarch snowman at 6:31 PM on May 30, 2013 [5 favorites]

I know the guy who started this. Cliches are funny.
posted by kat518 at 6:32 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

I guess as long as they aren't standing in a Walmart, it's OK to point and laugh a bit, eh?
posted by HuronBob at 6:33 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hey, it could be worse...
posted by quiet coyote at 6:34 PM on May 30, 2013 [12 favorites]

What, ladies don't stand with their arms crossed looking slightly menacing?
posted by Leezie at 6:36 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

"A 'Palace' for Sex Offenders" has the be the most rage-baity headline I've seen in a while.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:40 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Angry People in Local Newspapers.
posted by adamg at 6:46 PM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]

"Pose Helps Hands With Nowhere Left to Go"
posted by notyou at 6:55 PM on May 30, 2013 [8 favorites]

If they weren't folding their arms, their hands would be cut off the bottom of the picture and we'd have a blog about that.
posted by DU at 6:57 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd put my hands on my hips, and push my chest out like there was the word Super in front of my name.
posted by QueerAngel28 at 7:23 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Crossed-arms is common body language for (at least) the following emotions: Defensiveness, agression, self-confidence, arrogance, or facing someone the subject doesn't like. Seems like a pretty normal posture for most front page pics.

Me? I always give a big smile and a thumbs-up. Always.
posted by KGMoney at 7:25 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

If it hasn't been done yet, someone needs to do a tumblr of the in-show TV promos for other shows of two guys standing back to back with arms crossed.
posted by birdherder at 7:31 PM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]

So do people in big city newspapers pose with their arms crossed? Never?
posted by tommyD at 7:32 PM on May 30, 2013

"beau daniel van auken" really should be hiding his face in shame; it's not like he was booked for peeing in an alley. He was booked for sexual battery on a minor under 12; and he was done at least once for probation violation.
posted by NiteMayr at 7:38 PM on May 30, 2013

Everybody's 'local' to somewhere and crossing arms is something people do when they're not used to having their picture taken.
posted by jonmc at 7:43 PM on May 30, 2013

Local people are so simple and small, right? They don't deserve to cross their arms in resolve or pride.

I guess as long as they aren't standing in a Walmart, it's OK to point and laugh a bit, eh?


I honestly hadn't thought of this as a mean point-and-laugh show, so now I'm trying to articulate why. This one is my favourite. Does that mean I think little girls in the local paper need to be taken down a peg?

I'm not always cognizant of why something's funny, but I don't think I'm looking down at anyone because of how they held their arms during a photograph. I think I'm more laughing at the artifice of being in the newspaper. How many of them pose like this for non-newspaper photographs? Are they doing this because the photographer asked them to, or do they just do it because that's what the've seen in the newspaper?


Somehow this train of thought has lead me to imagine a newspaper where all the photos are duck-face selfies.
posted by RobotHero at 7:55 PM on May 30, 2013 [17 favorites]

Have you ever watched, like, America's Next Top Model or other shows where people are posing for a camera, and they do all kinds of crazy shit with their arms?

There are really only three things you can do with your arms that doesn't look like you're pulling crazy model shit. Hands hanging down at your sides feels *super* awkward when you're not used to standing in front of the camera, and you spend all your time thinking 'what do I do with my hands?' Hands clasped behind you looks dorky, and if you're female, like you're pushing your boobs out. That leaves arms crossed in front of you.

Even if the photographer takes a bunch of pictures, chances are, the arms crossed one will be the one where the person looks most comfortable, because it's the one where they actually *are* the most comfortable. So that gets printed.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:55 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Local people are so simple and small, right? They don't deserve to cross their arms in resolve or pride.

I guess as long as they aren't standing in a Walmart, it's OK to point and laugh a bit, eh?

The joke is the cliche, not the people. See: "local man" in all those Onion stories.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:02 PM on May 30, 2013 [16 favorites]

The only thing better than these random Tumblrs are the people looking for a high horse to mount so they can be offended by us enjoying them.

I have this vague notion that "Now, cross your arms" is just one of those things photographers do when they're posing you but my memory is really vague.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 8:03 PM on May 30, 2013 [9 favorites]

* sits on hands *
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:16 PM on May 30, 2013

I have never understood this. I would grin like a bleeding fool and wave with crazy hands. It's a newspaper photo not a bar fight. Sheesh.
posted by ishrinkmajeans at 8:20 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Grinning like a bleeding fool and waving your crazy hands around seems like it'd be the safer move in a bar fight situation.
posted by ODiV at 8:30 PM on May 30, 2013 [7 favorites]

Somehow this train of thought has lead me to imagine a newspaper where all the photos are duck-face selfies.

Quoting myself, because a few posts down, I discover that The Chicago Sun-Times has laid off its photography staff. Obviously they should just get everyone to photograph themselves and it will be one step closer to achieving my dream.
posted by RobotHero at 8:41 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

HOW DO I ADD MY OWN?!
posted by alex_skazat at 8:44 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

tommyD: Featured on this Tumblr site are photos from The New York Times and the Houston Chronicle.
posted by raysmj at 8:54 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

I love these. And as someone who once appeared above the fold on A1 resting head on thoughtful fist, I couldn't mock even if I wanted to. Strange things transpire when you're having 50 pictures taken in a minute at the target end of a lens larger than a dachshund while an impatient dude on deadline barks orders.
posted by gompa at 9:02 PM on May 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

I discover that The Chicago Sun-Times has laid off its photography staff.

It's okay. The cadet journos can do it. There's probably a three-hour course they can do. And if they bring their own iPhones they can upload some video for the website as well.
posted by Mezentian at 9:18 PM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]

I'd be in the crane stance as soon as the camera came out. Strength and grace.
posted by Greener Backyards at 10:57 PM on May 30, 2013

More folks should just relax
posted by lordaych at 11:02 PM on May 30, 2013 [4 favorites]

Stop with the prayer hands – it just looks like you're out of ideas.
posted by timshel at 1:31 AM on May 31, 2013 [1 favorite]

People, people, what are you doing? Akimbo is clearly the answer here!
posted by gkhan at 3:40 AM on May 31, 2013 [1 favorite]

I prefer Angry People in Local Newspapers
posted by alanbee at 4:23 AM on May 31, 2013

North Korea expert & diarrhoetic humourmonger @scaryduck has been doing this for years in Angry People in Local Newspapers .
posted by Boggins at 5:02 AM on May 31, 2013

It reminds me of how the full-page splash photo of the profile subjects in the early years of People frequently had them leaping in the air. I think it was when Steve Martin was profiled and he insisted on being photographed doing this that their photo editors became a little self-conscious and reduced the number of airborne shots.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:11 AM on May 31, 2013

Angry People in Local Newspapers

Is this an English thing? None of those people LOOK angry.
posted by dabug at 6:17 AM on May 31, 2013 [2 favorites]

I once made the front page of my local newspaper, but managed to avoid the "What do I do with my arms" conundrum because I was playing a banjo at the time.
posted by usonian at 6:28 AM on May 31, 2013

I once made the front page of my local newspaper, but managed to avoid the "What do I do with my arms" conundrum because I was playing a banjo at the time.

I recommend this to everyone, and not merely because my Local People Playing Banjo tumblr is still sadly short of content.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:42 AM on May 31, 2013 [2 favorites]

Not the same, but this reminds me of Women Struggling to Drink Water.
posted by zardoz at 7:13 AM on May 31, 2013

Our newspaper photographer asks people questions and then takes pictures of them gesticulating. Looks much better.

I've never understood this crossed arms thing and am quite bored and mystified with this blog. (Not a criticism of the blog, obviously other people find it amusing...but why?!)
posted by Omnomnom at 7:25 AM on May 31, 2013

Hah, this looks a lot like my local rag. Every year they break out the 'people jumping having passed exams' trope as well.
posted by Ness at 7:28 AM on May 31, 2013 [1 favorite]

Now do one with people posing with praying hands trying to look sincere.
posted by panboi at 8:36 AM on May 31, 2013

God, looking at that made me so tense--mainly because I still have my mom's dictum that "crossing your arms is a sign of low self-esteem" echoing in my head. Please don't make me worry about whether it's class warfare too.
posted by psoas at 9:47 AM on May 31, 2013

Half the portraits in Business Week and Investment Manager Weekly have their arms crossed.

It says... Your money's safe with me.
posted by surplus at 12:46 PM on May 31, 2013