Could Neda be the new Che?

After reading " On the Rights of Molotov Man" we discussed how images, after numerous reproduction can often be taken out of context and loose the original meaning the photographer had intended. Like the Molotov Man, images of Che Guevara have been reproduced time and time again on everything from tee-shirts to coffee mugs. It is safe to say that many of the people walking around New York City wearing a Che shirt know little if anything about who Che Guevara actually was.

This Summer, a video began circulating on television, as well as a still image version in newspapers and magazines of a young woman named Neda. Neda who was brutally shot dead on the streets of Tehran while protesting the unjust election results in Iran. Quickly, Neda became the voice of the revolution and was hailed as a martyr. However, with all the reproduction of her image over and over again, it is important that the meaning of her death and the circumstances surrounding it not be lost in translation. Another important issue in the reproduction of Neda's video is the rights of Neda as a subject. While Neda is dead, I think it is important to consider the rights of her family. I believe they would have be proud of what Neda was protesting for, however, they would not want people to become de-sensitized to her death by the amount of sheer reproduction the video has gathered. 

Will we be seeing the image of Neda on a tee-shirt in twenty years? I think that the disturbing nature of the video makes this unlikely, however the endless amount of reproduction that is bound to happen with the passing of time does threaten the deep meaning behind the original image.

here is the still image of Neda for those who haven't seen it....  http://veggiemacabre.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/neda-iran-video.jpg