Happy Valley Photo Essay

[_Jersey Girl]

Schryver on the TIME Lightbox blog:

Apparently he grew up on the "wrong side of the tracks". Alas, many did. Almost every county in America has neighborhoods on the "wrong side of the tracks". Shumway would have us believe his particular experience was typical of Mormon culture in general, and consequent to the (presumed) oppression of Mormon teachings. He would have us believe that the "slice of life" he pretends to spontaneously document in these photos is Mormonism. Of course, it's not. It's merely part of Utah, just as every poorly educated, culturally backward family in every bad neighborhood in every state is part of America.

"grew up on the wrong side of the tracks"
"poorly educated"
"culturally backward family"
"bad neighborhood"

Uh, Mr. Schryver? All of the above could be said of the Jesus that you folks claim to worship.

Hypocrite.

[_Kishkumen]

"grew up on the wrong side of the tracks"
"poorly educated"
"culturally backward family"
"bad neighborhood"

Uh, Mr. Schryver? All of the above could be said of the Jesus that you folks claim to worship.

Hypocrite.

Schryver is very self-conscious about his social standing. All of his mean-spirited jokes about trailer people and the like just scream "inferiority complex."

[_RockSlider]

There's a difference between being a "defender" and asking for more balance and fairness.

I explained this on Liz's now deleted board. Did you read it? I wrote there, ad infinitum, about my views, and you were there.

How many times, for God's sake, am I going to have to explain this?

I was actually only there a short time. You had written much on that board before I came along. I pretty much only read from when I started on and did not read the piece of which you speak.

Anyway, for what it's worth, you are well beyond "balance and fairness" and heavily come across as a defender. Once again, much like Why Me.

Just wondering why you are so motivated to provide your level of "balance and fairness". I don't get the motivation here?

[_LDSToronto]

Damn, Dan Peterson has stepped it up a level! How long before his head rolls, I wonder?

H.

[_Fence Sitter]

for what it's worth the photographer's description of no TV on Sunday except Disney was something my parents, along with some of my church friend's parents, enforced when I grew up is So Cal. Nor we we allowed to play with friends on Sunday.

[_Runtu]

for what it's worth the photographer's description of no TV on Sunday except Disney was something my parents, along with some of my church friend's parents, enforced when I grew up is So Cal. Nor we we allowed to play with friends on Sunday.

Same here. I grew up in Southern California, too, and my parents had exactly the same rules.

[_LDSToronto]

for what it's worth the photographer's description of no TV on Sunday except Disney was something my parents, along with some of my church friend's parents, enforced when I grew up is So Cal. Nor we we allowed to play with friends on Sunday.

Same here. I grew up in Southern California, too, and my parents had exactly the same rules.

I grew up heathen, but my wife's family had the same rules, as did a mo-friend of mine. I slept over at his house and the TV stayed off until 6pm, when Disney came on.

H.

[_Buffalo]

Portraying the LDS church without a PR spin is tantamount to an attack. We should know that by now.

[Guest]

-

[_Carton]

For perhaps the first time in recorded history, Schryver has issued a public apology for an offensive statement:

I want to publicly apologize to Mr. Shumway for having initially interpreted his photo essay as an attempt to portray his own family as culturally backward and oppressed. I now understand that he merely wanted to use staged photos of his family as a vehicle to portray Mormons in general as culturally backward and oppressed.

Unfortunately, I think that is as close to an apology as you'll ever get from the guy.