21 Responses to “World Press Photos of the Year”

1. #1 |  Eric |  November 12th, 2012 at 1:02 pm

   The shot that won was just heartbreaking.

   This one was, too. And the tagline seems to have missed the point: “A portrait of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, decorates a building in the country’s capital Pyongyang. The ‘Great Leader,’ as he was known, was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il, in 1994.”

2. #2 |  Dave T |  November 12th, 2012 at 1:47 pm

   Let me rewrite that one:

   “The city sits mired in darkness and poverty, a 3rd world country due to the policies of the man whose portrait here is lit.”

3. #3 |  Bob |  November 12th, 2012 at 3:37 pm

   The picture of Pyongyang:

   Before I realized that was a light illuminating the picture of fearless leader, I thought that was the lone illuminated room.

   So… there is electricity there. At least for the light on the picture.

   Is there no one living there, does no one there have electricity (or candles, etc.) or are the people there under orders to be in darkness? I have to assume that it’s the first one… no one lives there.

4. #4 |  JLS |  November 12th, 2012 at 4:23 pm

   Y’all ever see this Pyongyang commercial?

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-K9fv_oRvI

5. #5 |  celticdragonchick |  November 12th, 2012 at 9:37 pm

   Jesus. That picture make Warhammer 40K urban images positively cheerful.

   http://www.google.com/search?q=warhammer+40k+hive+city&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=AaOhUPXmG-yx0AHRsIHgDg&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=597

6. #6 |  John David Galt |  November 12th, 2012 at 11:43 pm

   My guess is it’s a public billboard and the homes have been blacked out due to “shortages”.

   Something tells me the people looking at that picture are not thinking what the Dear Leader would want them to.

7. #7 |  Paul |  November 13th, 2012 at 12:57 am

   Terrible, especially since Seoul is such a beautiful and prosperous city. If only a few North Korean officers were man enough to stage a coup and save their country from another generation of serfdom!

8. #8 |  el coronado |  November 13th, 2012 at 3:39 am

   Don’t see what y’all are complaining about here. Pyongyang & NorK is a perfect example of the remarkable effectiveness of the UN in peacefully and efficiently solving sticky international conflicts. See also the glorious successes of Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo and Darfur.

   The interesting thing is how this sad, impotent, pathetic, deeply corrupt, so doomed to failure a 4-year-old can see it coming a mile away notion (A “United Nations!”)(pause for heavenly trumpet fanfare) is still taken seriously – and tirelessly sold by our state-run propaganda arm. Wonder why that is….

9. #9 |  AlgerHiss |  November 13th, 2012 at 5:28 am

   A chilling satellite image of Korea at night:

   http://molivam42.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/a-satellite-view-of-the-two-koreas/

10. #10 |  Bob |  November 13th, 2012 at 11:37 am

    #6: John David Galt

    My guess is it’s a public billboard and the homes have been blacked out due to “shortages”.

    I thought of that, but even then… if people were actually living there there would be at least a FEW windows illuminated by a candle or two.

    I have to wonder. How many people are left in North Korea?

11. #11 |  Mattocracy |  November 13th, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    @ celticdragonchick,

    You get an extra point from me for making a 40k reference.

12. #12 |  celticdragonchick |  November 13th, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    @Mattocracy

    I’ve played 40K since 2nd Edition back in the mid 90′s. I’m teaching my son now. :)

    For The Emperor

    A. Dickey, Explicator
    Ordo Malleus.

13. #13 |  JLS |  November 13th, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    If that picture could talk it would say “I’m so ronerey.”

14. #14 |  Psion |  November 13th, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Why would it say that, JLS?

15. #15 |  Bob |  November 13th, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    Oh, that was bad, JLS.

    The 50′s called! They want their racial stereotypes back.

16. #16 |  el coronado |  November 13th, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    Yo, Bob: Not only does your post reveal you’re just a *tad* too exquisitely Racially Sensitive for this Harsh Cruel World, it also indicates you don’t get out much. Am I right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ

17. #17 |  Bob |  November 13th, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    el coronado:

    LOL I loved that movie! I had forgotten that bit!

    Funny story… I was driving around in my giant vehicle one day, just enjoying life and having a good time while depleting the planet’s limited supply of fuel… I was at a traffic light singing “America! Fuck Yeah!” when I happened to turn to my left at the car next to me. Two little girls were in the back seat looking at me in shock.

18. #18 |  JLS |  November 13th, 2012 at 7:22 pm

    Psion and Bob , it was from that movie Team America, world police:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ

19. #19 |  JLS |  November 13th, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    lol coronado beat me to it!

20. #20 |  el coronado |  November 14th, 2012 at 3:26 am

    Oh, all right, *fine*. I’ll just go ahead & scrape the bottom of the barrel for all y’all ‘team America’ auteurs out there – and you know who you are.

    Pathos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKqGXeX9LhQ

    True Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7tXpBrpecA&feature=related

    Realpolitik: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32iCWzpDpKs

    PS – While we’re at it, ‘Citizen Kane’, Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman, Fellini, ‘American Beauty’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ are overrated as hell, too. And any close look at the ouvre of Martin Scorcese can only lead one to conclude that the guy hates life.

21. #21 |  World Press Photo of the Year – North Korea « BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades! |  November 21st, 2012 at 6:26 am

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