Irony in travel through photos

February 6, 2008 6:27 AM

I need help tracking down photos that display irony in travel.

Two that came to mind right away were the tribesman with an ipod and automatic weapon, and the "portable pedestrian."

I'd like to track down more images like these -- ones that express the irony that you see in travel: a Mongolian herdsman on his cellphone on the steppe, or a Bedouin kid in a Metallica t-shirt, or a Chinese punk rocker at the family shrine. Stuff like that.

Thank you.

posted by nitsuj to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

maybe not exactly what you are looking for but this is a picture of a tourist trap in the off season. I think it's got some irony.

I'm not sure the pictures you mention are ironic. I think they are weird/unexpected juxtapositions. I'm not sure I spelled that right.
posted by sully75 at 6:32 AM on February 6, 2008

I think you need to redefine your search - you're not looking for irony, but incongruity.
posted by benzo8 at 7:00 AM on February 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

There were plenty of pictures taken after the tsunami of tourists sunbathing amongst the devastation. Is that the kind of thing you're looking for.
posted by essexjan at 8:27 AM on February 6, 2008

You're looking for photos of scenarios that don't conform to ignorant stereotypes. That's not irony. (That being said, i have a picture at home of people selling chickens on the sidewalk with a big glass office tower in the background. I'll see if i can dig it up.)
posted by Kololo at 8:42 AM on February 6, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for the hints so far, but after looking up "irony" in the dictionary and noticing that the definition mentions incongruity, I think I've used it properly in this situation.

Irony: "An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity."

Just sayin'.
posted by nitsuj at 9:43 AM on February 6, 2008

There's a photo I saw a few years ago of a trench-digging crew in India. There's a big sign saying "Men At Work," with a crowd of men relaxing around the ditch and one woman in the bottom of it heaving a pick-ax.

I'll try to remember the photographer's name and search for you later.
posted by hippugeek at 9:57 AM on February 6, 2008

I can't remember where I saw one of a little girl in tears, throwing a tantrum (possibly even an ice cream thrown down at her feet) in front of the big floral arrangement at the Disneyland entrance (y'know .... "the happiest place on earth")...
posted by jkaczor at 11:33 AM on February 6, 2008

Response by poster: FWIW, I found a bunch by digging around Flickr:

http://flickr.com/photos/latitudes/113536540/
http://flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/565020765/
http://flickr.com/photos/tatianacardeal/3801167/
http://flickr.com/photos/44589687@N00/353820790/ (nsfw)
http://flickr.com/photos/danielygo/125148783/
http://flickr.com/photos/kendrickbrinson/489048019/
http://flickr.com/photos/kirk_thorsteinson/359904223/
http://flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/76468122/
http://flickr.com/photos/isolatediguana/106043599/
http://flickr.com/photos/lukescheminger/48624891/
http://flickr.com/photos/27047646@N00/332027054/
http://flickr.com/photos/nairoozdotcom/105799507/
http://flickr.com/photos/80695122@N00/441116809/
http://flickr.com/photos/bamassippi/38747007/
http://flickr.com/photos/lostamerica/321381684/
http://flickr.com/photos/zsofijobbagy/753088435/
http://flickr.com/photos/carmon/381933524/
http://flickr.com/photos/uselessnanhai/12534283/
http://flickr.com/photos/mariomc/221916172/
http://flickr.com/photos/73858850@N00/418599260/
http://flickr.com/photos/kk/1320154693/
http://flickr.com/photos/ebacchus/73630473/
http://flickr.com/photos/randomrules/212335682/
http://flickr.com/photos/eland/213708432/
http://flickr.com/photos/14293304@N06/2066870435/
http://flickr.com/photos/danikagoes/148371323/
http://flickr.com/photos/11613980@N08/2238303955/
http://flickr.com/photos/thepassingstrange/1550786819/
http://flickr.com/photos/crystaln/522413826/
http://flickr.com/photos/cobraphil8/180559283/
http://flickr.com/photos/kellyharmon/2098797571/
posted by nitsuj at 3:54 PM on February 6, 2008