Day 52: The Donnies™ Nominations--Best Image sent to me by May 1

Donnies™ week begins with the nominees for Best Image. The Donnies™ live (on tape) will be available on May 17th and if you are reading this there is a nearly 100% chance you will be getting an e-mail link.

This is a highly contested, competitive field without one clear favorite in the category.

The nominees are "The Social Distancin' Bob,""2020 is cancelled," "Be Like the Beatles," "Buddha graffiti in Mumbai," and "Uncle Jim's Eye."

"The Social Distancin' Bob"

Sweatshirt: 29.95

According to TinEye, this image first appeared on March, 25 @Bob41Dylan. Peter Veldman started this Twitter account in April of 2016 and now has 20,600 followers and a website that sells Dylan themed (and licensed) apparel, wall decorations, and accessories.



The creator of this image, possibly Mr. Veldman  excised Suze Rotolo from the cover of "The Freewheeling' Bob Dylan."  The original photo was taken by a Columbia Records photographer in 1963  at the corner of Jones Street and West 4th Street in the West Village.

Given the Don's Basement enthusiasm for all things Dylan, this image is one of the favorites to take the Donnie™




 The image "2020 is Canceled" appeared on Imgur on March 20 posted by toaoros, whose description is "...I mean... *gestures broadly at everything*... right?...

Imgur is a social media site which began in 2009. According to its site it is "Powered by a passionate community of people from all around the world, anyone can join to share cool stuff and vote the best to the top. Millions of people. Billions of Cat GIFs.."

The most popular post on that day was an image of a cat edited into a raw chicken

"2020 Cancelled"

"2020 Cancelled" had very early buzz. Especially in light of how shitty 2020 had been previous to the virus and confinement:Iranian bombing, Impeachment- acquittal, Australian Wild Fires, Michael Bloomberg. I think it may have peaked too early. And I have lost track of time.
                        












On March 16, Loudwire posted "Be Like the Beatles." Loudwire launched in 2011. It is an online magazine that covers hard rock and metal music. Its tagline in '"Your No. 1 source for rock and metal subculture."

The parodied iconic image includes the same mysteries that have endured since the release of Abbey Road in 1969. Why is Paul barefoot? Why did anyone think he was dead? Where are they going?

"Be Like the Beatles"

Through no fault of its own, "Be Like the Beatles" suffers from the over-parodied syndrome. While it is a popular image, it is considered a long shot for the Donnie™.

NEVER FORGET, THE WORLD IS YOURS
*Terms and Conditions apply

The New York Times published an article entitled "India Scrambles to Escape a Coronavirus Crisis. So Far, It’s Working," on March 17. I have no idea what the situation is there now, two months later, but I did find the first online posting on the image "Buddha graffiti in Mumbai." The photo is credited to Indranil Mukherjee, a correspondent for Agency France-Presse, the world's oldest news agency. (1835)

The original Buddha graffiti was created by Tyler, a Mumbai street artist. He sums up his philosophy quoting one of his pieces.

"Buddha graffiti in Mumbai."

The photo has a lovely composition. The blue of the mask and the garment are striking. The Basement is a big fan of Buddha. 

Buddhas in the Basement

Our last nominee comes from the great state of Texas. Jim Schutze is a prize winning journalist and author of the Accomodation, called by "D" magazine, 'the most dangerous book in Dallas.'
He is also my brother in law.

"Uncle Jim's Eye"

Simple but elegant. Jim is not only a journalist but also a photographer. Here his visual pun (eye=I) points to the emphasis on the self which has been a feature of the current crisis. A popular choice to be sure.

Feel free to weight in on my analysis of the nominees. Tomorrow, I'll feature the nominees for Best Clips.