Picture

I saw this picture

At first glance, I thought this picture could be the best I’ve seen all year.

The message the picture portrays is pretty clear: ignorance is bliss.

Man’s wearing a MAGA hat while using his anti-pandemic face mask as an eye cover, poetically signifying blindness.

A friend then asked me: “What if the mask he’s wearing isn’t a face mask, but is supposed to be an eye-cover? Or what if the picture is staged?”

I thought about the intrinsic message of this picture, and possibly pictures in general, and decided it doesn’t matter.

For example, in this picture, there are two very likely interpretations, and neither changes the message of the picture (but would change the target of the message).

Let us name this picture: Ignorance Is Bliss

Interpretation 1:

“HA! He’s wearing a face mask meant to protect others and himself from the virus as a tool to blind his eyes. He’s clearly a Trump supporters who doesn’t believe in the mask’s effectiveness, and has blinded himself to reality.”

This interpretation would indeed be “ignorance is bliss”. Picture has succeeded in achieving in this message.

Interpretation 2:

“The man is in fact pro-mask and left-leaning. He posed this picture (and bought a MAGA hat) and coordinated with his friend for the picture to be taken. We, as viewers, were ignorant of this fact, and therefore felt bliss.”

The picture would have once again demonstrated “ignorance is bliss,” we, a part of the audience, were just the source of ignorance, rather than the Man in Interpretation 1.

The picture’s message was achieved in both interpretations, meaning its intrinsic value stayed the same.

Either viewpoints can claim the other as ignorant, and remain in bliss. This fits the picture’s title.

So really, whether I’m ignorant or not, the picture has brought me bliss, and is therefore likely the best picture of this year so far.