plain weird

Notice anything odd about this photo?

Jezebel: Ultra Orthodox Hasidic newspaper Der Tzitung is telling its readers like it isn’t – by editing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from the now-iconic Bin Laden raid Situation Room photo. Oy vey.

The religious paper never publishes pictures of women, as they could be considered “sexually suggestive.” Apparently the presence of a woman, any woman, being all womanly and sexy all over the United States’ counterterrorism efforts was too much for the editors of Der Tzitung to handle.

…Audrey Thomason, the counterterrorism analyst seen peeking out from behind another onlooker in the back of the original photo, was also airbrushed away, due to all of the sexy man-tempting that her very presence in a photograph would do.

Full post here

Update:

CBS: Brooklyn-based Hasidic newspaper Der Zeitung has apologized for publishing an iconic photograph of President Obama and his national security team with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security team member Audrey Tomason photoshopped out.

….Der Zeitung has now released a statement saying that “we should not have published the altered picture, and we have conveyed our regrets and apologies to the White House and to the State Department”….

…The newspaper offered kind words for Clinton and said it respects all government officials, but that religious considerations prevent it from showing images of women.

“In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women, which in no way relegates them to a lower status. Publishing a newspaper is a big responsibility, and our policies are guided by a Rabbinical Board. Because of laws of modesty, we are not allowed to publish pictures of women, and we regret if this gives an impression of disparaging to women, which is certainly never our intention. We apologize if this was seen as offensive.”

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I think I prefer this photo:

Thanks Fred!