
Wikipedia image of Venus of Willendork with OnlyFans logo.
It's another tale of the age-old war between art and censorship. When two museums in Vienna were banned on social media for risqué works, they turned to the one place where they knew their adult subject matter would be welcomed: OnlyFans.
In July, the Albertina art museum had its TikTok account blocked for displaying the art of Nobuyoshi Araki, whose photographs (like the one seen below) have a reputation for blending eroticism and bondage. So, okay, sure, his work explores sexual themes. But does it really warrant a social media ban?
Screenshot from a blog depicting Araki's Sentimental Journey2.bp.blogspot.com
Only one month later, another museum, the Leopold, experienced a similar form of overly strict censorship when Facebook flagged its post of a piece made by Art Nouveau illustrator Koloman Moser. Does this image look "potentially pornographic" to you?
"Liebespaar" by Koloman Moser
Facebook even deleted a post by the Natural History Museum of Vienna showing the Venus of Willendorf. I mean, I guess it can be considered lewd for those with a Paleolithic fertility fetish.
Ve us of Willendorf on Wikipedia
This brings up a nuance that A.I. has failed to grasp: nudity ≠ sex. And by not recognizing this, social media outlets restrict arguably uncontroversial subject matter while simultaneously failing to actually prevent anyone from being exposed to inappropriate content.
In a recent press release, the Vienna Tourist Board labeled the clearly flawed social media algorithm as a "new wave of prudishness." So they had to go to the least prudish place on the internet.
As part of the "Vienna Laid Bare" initiative, the museums have teamed up with OnlyFans, a platform that not only allows nudity and sex, it prospers from it. Not without its own history of crackdowns against sexual content, OnlyFans nevertheless maintains a reputation for being a safe place to share NSFW images. Free from the scrutiny of Facebook, virtual visitors may now look upon the works of previously censored artists like Araki and Moser. All for only $4.99 a month. What a steal in the name of rebellion!
Though it has been quite the marketing maneuver, Helena Hartlauer, head of media relations at the Vienna Tourist Board, says it's more than a publicity stunt. According to an article in Art News, Hartlauer said the platform pivot was also to "show solidarity with artists who are censored. If you can't show your artwork on social media this can really be an obstacle to your communications efforts, and even to your career."
The launch didn't happen without a few hoops to jump through. The Guardian reported that Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all rejected links to the platform, delaying actual promotion for weeks. In the article, Hartlauer remarked that the obstacle presented is just another clear-cut example of suppression of artistic expression made by the all-powerful social media platforms.
Hartlauer continued, "This marketing initiative of ours is not the ultimate solution for this problematic relationship between the art world and social media, but … we want to stand up for our values and our beliefs. … Vienna has always been famous for being open-minded."
Hopefully, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can also become a little more open-minded.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."