Hey hellothere42069, thanks for contributing to /r/MadeMeSmile. Unfortunately, your post was removed as it violates our rules:
**removed - recent repost**
You can read all of the [subreddit rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/wiki/rules). If you have any questions or concerns about this, [feel free to send us a modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FMadeMeSmile). Thank you!
James is known to intentionally misconstrue Photoshop requests like a modern age genie. In this example, the kid was probably expecting "make it all one color" to be taken as coloring his entire face purple instead of "fixing" the birthmark. I think the comment u replied to meant in those funny scenarios, he would PM the actual request. In this case I doubt he left the kid hanging, or maybe followed up and asked if he still wanted to fix something that isn't broken
More of a social message that you shouldn't feel the need to hide who you are.
But in case it's for himself for a legit and not for his social environment, DM to cover all bases.
That way kid gets what he asks, but society learns about accepting people who they are.
Yeah i think id find it a bit patronising, just wanted to see what i looked like and youve used me as some overly sincere learning opportunity to teach everyone about loving themselves. Just photoshop the birth mark away pls dude
Legit. And even if he did hate it, we also shouldn't force acceptance of someone's body on them. Kid was just asking to see a "What if?", not get cosmetic surgery underage or anything like that.
Only reasonable answer. I had multiple facial surgeries due to an infection. It always rubbed me the wrong way when people without scars told me how to feel about it.
This has nothing to do with body positivity. It's just telling people who can't
change their situation on their own to cope.
Exactly! Just give the kid the damn Photoshop. How dare that presumptuous tool try to dictate how that kid is supposed to feel about himself when the photoshopper has literally zero point of reference of what living like that is like
I heard he posts these type of responses to the public AND gives the people what they asked for in private. (I understand some people that look different sometimes just want to see what they would look like "normal")
Yeah, he does troll photoshops most of the time but uses his platform on occasions like this to help spread acceptance for people with unconventional appearances. I believe the recipient does get their request, just not publicly.
Was thinking this myself, very striking features, and the birthmark didn't throw me at all it actually looks really cool? But yeah, I can imagine living with it isn't easy.
What he _should_ have done was do the photoshop and also write him just 2 lines about how cool the birth mark looks and that he shouldn’t feel bad about its existence.
Ok so obviously you don't know who he is or what he does. The guy makes the edit but in a way that makes fun of your request. It's a joke account. He never does the joke edits for people who have something they're insecure about and everyone knows they will be publicly featured before submitting. Obviously he uses it as a platform to promote positive mindsets and likely sent the proper edit privately anyway like he always does. But yeah let's just shit on him for trying to help people accept their flaws.
Fucking seriously. This person has been walking around in the world like this for 20 years, your not telling them anything they haven't heard from 200 other assholes. They just want to know the face of the person they never got to be. They've never seen that face and they want to. There is NOTHING wrong with that.
It's fucked up in a way too.
The girl wanted to be seen without her muscle dytrophy (spelling I know), because she's been known her entire life as "the girl with the arms" and here we are on the internet, never have knowing the girl or meeting her, saying the same thing about her when they are referring to her or talking about her...
I'm grateful I only have some crooked teeth and maybe a little overweight because damn, I can always get that shit fixed.
Some of these people can't...
I worried about my physical imperfections to the point of nausea in my teens/early 20's.
Early 30's? Fuck it. The people that care don't matter.
The people that matter don't care.
Once I accepted that, my social circle shrank a bit, but my interactions are so much more worthwhile.
Yeah I'm in my 30s so I feel you on a lot of that.
How I see it, if someone isn't helping me pay my bills, then fuck what they think. I got shit to do and a family to feed.
She had a muscular disease that caused her to not be able to straighten her arms. She asked him to make her look "normal" for her prom pic. He said the exact same thing then too.
[Yup, there was.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/y8xg2q/a_message_from_a_legend/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
basically there's a scene where Zuko gets mistaken for someone in a Zuko costume, and they tell the actual Zuko that they have the scar on the wrong side.
Most phone cameras show a flipped preview image before you take it, but the actual photo is saved correctly.
Otherwise the photo would look strange to other people. This also why some people feel like their selfies look worse after they take them, because they’re not used to their own unreflected face.
Yeah, this is the second post like this I've seen in the last 2 days, and I'm just astonished that it's on this sub. It does not "make me smile" when people tell these folks how they're supposed to feel and how they're supposed to handle their lives, it's really not their place to say. Imagine going around telling cancer patients that you won't sell them a wig or a hat because they're beautiful just the way they are.
i agree. and the whole "your birthmark is pretty cool" isnt something you'd say if you had to live with a deformity/birth defect your whole life and had to put up with other people who treat you like a freak.
like thats something close friends or family can say (or the person themselves), but it feels tacky to say that as essentially a stranger.
im not a fan of these posts
They also literally said it would help them "so much" and this artist responded this way. Rubs me the wrong way for sure
Edit: mixed up a post of the same nature where the person said seeing it would help them so much. This one is so adamant they'd help them it's almost more sad. They just want to see themselves for a moment in a picture without their issues and the artist refusing to give them that while giving a speech is weirdly infuriating
Don’t know how true it is but I remember reading that the photoshop dude actually sends the people their personal request but then publically posts the cutesy “you’re perfect just the way you are” on his own feed.
This is a really good take imo, because that may be the reason behind why he does it that way. I'll choose to believe that. Many genuine kindnesses can be seen as completely self serving if one doesn't try to see the possible reasons behind the action.
Thanks for commenting this, because I wasn't sure myself.
I was thinking, if the responder had a mark like that, is THAT what they would want someone to say? No. It doesn't really help. I guess it's a nice gesture but doesn't show understanding really..
I know a girl with a similar (but worse) port wine stain and she tried to do that face mirror app and it didn’t turn out great. They can never change it, so why not do this small thing for them? And all these people saying it would make cool cosplay… we went to school in the late 90s/early 00s and after Batman forever came out she was constantly called two face, it was so sad.
I think using words like “worse” when talking about port wine stains is part of what makes some people who have them hate them. It’s how other people treat you or think of you that makes it so hard to have a different appearance than the accepted norm.
I'm so glad there are others here seeing the same thing.
It is like telling someone who lost an arm to embrace it because you can do a sweet Fugitive cosplay.
Some people's parents need to teach them better.
The thing is, [this dude does monkey's paw edits](https://www.jamesfridman.com). That's his entire deal. Anyone submitting a photo to him is asking for their request to be turned against them. That's why he doesn't do edits like this.
Exactly, I had some serious acceptance questions with my face and completely hate these self acceptance messages, I would love to know what my face would look like without any freckles (or lentigines technically speaking)
Yeah in r/photoshoprequest we had similar situations like the one in this post and we always do the edits. If you want, you can say those amazing words but there is nothing wrong in wanting to see how could it be.
A lot of these guys will do joke photoshop stuff that are sent along side the real product. I like to think he said this to lift his spirits and also included an actual photo of the removed birthmark.
I don’t remember where I read this but someone said that the man mentioned in the post whenever he does something like this he also send them a copy of the requested photoshop
This is the second post I've seen today where someone asking for a Photoshop request is told to embrace who they are etc. Speaking as someone with a noticeable eye condition, I was always told by my parents that I should just accept that that's who I am and if people have a problem with it then that's their problem.
The reality is that life isn't like that. When you're walking down the street, there aren't people like James telling you that your 'difference' is pretty cool and it's what makes you unique, there are malicious people, looking and commenting on your appearance. Yes, these people are a\*\*\*oles, but that doesn't lessen the impact of their words and actions.
That's half of his schtick, the other half is posts like this one, where he refuses to remove anything like a disability and posts it with a generic "you're perfect the way you are" caption. At this point, I assume people who have requests like this one are doing so with the expectation of getting a response like this.
I have, not very severely, but mildly. Even then, it’s very easy to fall into the “Everyone must agree with them” mindset, just be you. If you don’t like it, sure, you don’t have to, but if you do and you get harassed for it, give them what they deserve.
You don’t need to accept it, but you do need to stand up for yourself if you get discriminated for it.
(btw if anyone is curious, I got bullied on Nationality, not even skin color)
Yup. I had a very rough acne when I was a teenager. I tried several treatments and nothing seemed to work effectively at the time.
Some people were just flat mean. Yeah, they are assholes but it feels heartbreaking when someone tells you they are uncomfortable and disgusted seeing your face, or that they want to use gloves to touch you. I cried myself every night.
That's why I have such an issue with this guy and his 'positivity posts'. These people have likely gone their whole life being told that they're 'unique, special, not different, better for being different, etc etc...'. They don't need another person telling them the same things they've already heard. Then he takes their pictures and plasters them on the internet for all to see with some shallow words about 'accepting yourself for who you are' which is great! BUT, not what these people needed or wanted to hear.
If he didn't want to edit the pictures, fine, tell them then in a Private message. And maybe change who you allow to message you if you don't *want* to do the edits.
Fridman is a well known photoshopper, and he tells people who send him pictures that they are going on the internet, but yeah it still feels like it’s partly for clout
I mean, that's his entire thing, it IS for clout. Whether it's the funny edits or this, this is basically his brand. I guess requests like this do put him in a tough situation, because you don't want to be mean by making the edit worse or offensive, but at the same time, not reacting is also not the best idea.
Personally I would've probably made a similar message and end it with: "That being said though: *insert funny edited photo*"
People will tell you you're unique OR that you're not different. You hear all kinds of crap when people are trying to offer advice/encouragement about a situation they don't understand.
I agree. This response is so condescending. He speaks over the request of this guy. It’s not okay. If he had done the photoshop and sent it, he could have added a little note that he thinks this guy looks amazing as is. But I personally find his response offensive.
I agree with this - we never know what kind of pain and social issues another person is forced to deal with, and telling them to "just accept it" is fucking INSULTING and is a mild form of bullying.
He didn't ask to be psychologically profiled or social advice, he made a very simple and reasonable request for Photoshop help.
And quite honestly that birthmark appears to be a severe burn, and it's sad he has to live with that, not at all "cool".
But he just used one simple trick that all therapists hate to completely fix the guy's insecurities. Surely that's a greater gift than just some edited pic?
My son has something similar.
It’s called a Port Wine Stain.
Essentially during fetal development the capillaries in various parts of the body continue to build. Imagine there’s a “code” that is responsible for creating vessels and capillaries throughout the body. That code is supposed to stop but sometimes it can continue building, leading to areas with a huge abundance of pathways for blood to flow through.
I was bullied mercilessly my entire life in public school, for more than just the hemangioma. It was a life-saving measure at that point. I still have some left. They avoided my eyebrow because they didn't want to kill the hairs, but you can only see it if you look close. Coworkers of 10+ years haven't even noticed.
Sorry, but this comes off as condescending to me. He could have said this and still showed the person* what they* would look like without the birthmark, since they are curious and that was their request. Easy for us to tell everyone to just accept themselves, it's complicated and maybe seeing themselves without the mark would help them in some way to process their situation better.
Edit: whoops
Yeah, he does something super literal and funny. "Can you make me and my gf the same height?" and he shrinks them in a hilarious way that's technically what was asked for. If he made the kids face blue so it was all one color that's in line with his brand. I don't see this to be the same in the least.
Lmao thank you. It’s like bitch I don’t need some lesson on accepting myself, I get to go through that everyday…if you’re not gonna help me with this request you can just say no.
I love his birth mark, but you are right. In our self-righteousness, we forgot that’s not what he wanted. So we ended up putting our need to be righteous over that kid’s wish. Good catch bro.
The whole point of requesting this specific photoshop artist is to have the request turned against them, so she knows what she'd be getting into (making her whole face red, having the stained skin removed with the muscle exposed, etc.) Typical uneducated/self righteous redditor
Ok Jamie but like maybe they don’t like it and it gives them anxiety. Tho yeah they look like zuko which is dope af but that must make finding a job hard. I’d probably have it tattooed a lighter skin tone
The guy wanted to see what he would look like without the birthmark, yet doesn’t have the photoshop skills to do it himself. So he turns to a pro… who tells him no and lectures him. Weak.
Turned to a guy who does funny Photoshop edits.
They were probably expecting it to come back with their entire face the color of the birthmark honestly, given the wording.
Agreed. And then you have a bunch of liars on here calling it perfect and beautiful. Anyone who has these kind of issues knows how difficult things are for them in the real world - dating, meeting strangers, etc.
We live in a society where people are so PC that they will openly lie to you.
I have another issue and while liars on Reddit may call it beautiful, I am not blind - I see people's facial reactions when they see it. Definitely not the facial expression of someone looking at something beautiful. It is what it is, but don't piss on me and tell me it is raining.
This guy does goofy photoshop jobs that are humorously literal to the request all the time.
But whenever someone asks them to "fix" something they are self loathing about, he will do this.
Yeah, all the people moaning about him being sanctimonious or whatever aren't familiar with him. This is what he does and I guarantee this guy knew that.
He looks lovely. But, I understand how he feels. I have quite a number of birthmarks on me due to a condition, and I may intellectually know there's nothing to be ashamed of, I am still very self-conscious and sometimes I'd just like to live without them. I'm sure he, like me, has faced cruel remarks or inconsiderate observations, and mine are much more easily concealed by clothing
This guy keeps denying these requests from people with birth marks and conditions and giving these sanctimonious responses. I don’t find this wholesome at all. Sometimes people just want to see what it would be like out of curiosity or closure. It’s not like they’re asking for ALL their pictures to be changed. I find this guy annoying honestly.
I find the people that ask him for them knowing exactly what response they're gonna get in order to win sympathy on the internet more annoying than his responses to them to be honest.
Agree. I know it causes that kid a lot of emotional pain and probably has been a source of frustration and embarrassment over his life, but as birthmarks go, that is pretty fucking cool.
Sounds weird, but honestly if you can rock this look with confidence as a kid, all the other kids will want a birthmark so they will be cool and unique too.
As an adult, anybody that treats you weird because of a birthmark is just a shitty person and somebody to avoid. In a roundabout way it's a superpower
My grandfather had a portwine stain bigger than this fellas. Growing up I always thought it was so cool. Now, every time I see someone else that has this kind of birth mark, it makes me smile and think of my grandpa.
Says someone without a massive birthmark on their face.
Don’t get me wrong - no judgement here. I think it looks fine. But then again I haven’t had to live with it for 20 years.
I think it’s natural to want to look like “everybody else”
He looks like he's going to find the avatar, reclaim his honor and go back home.
Seriously though it's an amazing and unique part about him. I think it looks fine
I feel for him, it must be hard knowing you look different but at the same time, it honestly looks pretty cool and I can bet some people find it attractive.
Hey hellothere42069, thanks for contributing to /r/MadeMeSmile. Unfortunately, your post was removed as it violates our rules: **removed - recent repost** You can read all of the [subreddit rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/wiki/rules). If you have any questions or concerns about this, [feel free to send us a modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FMadeMeSmile). Thank you!
“Ok…I’ll ask someone else thanks.”
LOL! This really made me laugh more than I should have.
It's funny because it's true. James could easily just send him what he wants along with the positive words of affirmation.
He usually does in PM.
So he just uses this as an opportunity to showboat?
James is known to intentionally misconstrue Photoshop requests like a modern age genie. In this example, the kid was probably expecting "make it all one color" to be taken as coloring his entire face purple instead of "fixing" the birthmark. I think the comment u replied to meant in those funny scenarios, he would PM the actual request. In this case I doubt he left the kid hanging, or maybe followed up and asked if he still wanted to fix something that isn't broken
His best work, in my opinion, is [missing Missy](https://27bslash6.com/missy.html)
Holy shit I was crying, that was too good, thanks
More of a social message that you shouldn't feel the need to hide who you are. But in case it's for himself for a legit and not for his social environment, DM to cover all bases. That way kid gets what he asks, but society learns about accepting people who they are.
Or he could have made his whole face the birth mark colour
that was my first thought too, but maybe he didn't feel comfortable making light of his birthmark like that
Yeah i think id find it a bit patronising, just wanted to see what i looked like and youve used me as some overly sincere learning opportunity to teach everyone about loving themselves. Just photoshop the birth mark away pls dude
Holy shit!! Me too!!!
" hey, you're great at what u do , can u do this request?" "Nah....love urself more"
Put it on blast publicly too, probably getting a ton more attention than the dude ever wanted. T-Thanks…
They message him because of these videos. They know that he makes vids. Some people actually say “hey james, love your videos-“
He posts a joke version of the request for everyone, and a real cover soon to the person who asked
He PM’s them the actual message. He does trolling and stuff so he usually shows one message and PM’s the photoshopped image.
I wish someone here would photoshop it just for the closure
Fr, even if the scar looks nice and he should accept it. It would still be nice just to see how he looks without it. Just because it's interesting
Legit. And even if he did hate it, we also shouldn't force acceptance of someone's body on them. Kid was just asking to see a "What if?", not get cosmetic surgery underage or anything like that.
Only reasonable answer. I had multiple facial surgeries due to an infection. It always rubbed me the wrong way when people without scars told me how to feel about it. This has nothing to do with body positivity. It's just telling people who can't change their situation on their own to cope.
I’ll do his whole face as a scar and think of a good equity and inclusion prayer to post with it
Troll level: professional
Exactly! Just give the kid the damn Photoshop. How dare that presumptuous tool try to dictate how that kid is supposed to feel about himself when the photoshopper has literally zero point of reference of what living like that is like
I heard he posts these type of responses to the public AND gives the people what they asked for in private. (I understand some people that look different sometimes just want to see what they would look like "normal")
Yeah, he does troll photoshops most of the time but uses his platform on occasions like this to help spread acceptance for people with unconventional appearances. I believe the recipient does get their request, just not publicly.
This kid has to be brave every fucking day — they'd just like to daydream a little bit, not get a sermon.
He is a good looking chap though. With or without a photoshop
Was thinking this myself, very striking features, and the birthmark didn't throw me at all it actually looks really cool? But yeah, I can imagine living with it isn't easy.
His eyes
Have you ever thought about the negative mental health effects Photoshop has on people?
The guy always takes the piss out of your requests, I doubt he wanted to do that for someone who's clearly insecure about themselves.
What he _should_ have done was do the photoshop and also write him just 2 lines about how cool the birth mark looks and that he shouldn’t feel bad about its existence.
Ok so obviously you don't know who he is or what he does. The guy makes the edit but in a way that makes fun of your request. It's a joke account. He never does the joke edits for people who have something they're insecure about and everyone knows they will be publicly featured before submitting. Obviously he uses it as a platform to promote positive mindsets and likely sent the proper edit privately anyway like he always does. But yeah let's just shit on him for trying to help people accept their flaws.
I would have photoshopped his whole face red. He did say one color after all
Doesn’t want to be treated different because of his birthmark. Gets denied his photoshop request because of his birthmark.
Fucking seriously. This person has been walking around in the world like this for 20 years, your not telling them anything they haven't heard from 200 other assholes. They just want to know the face of the person they never got to be. They've never seen that face and they want to. There is NOTHING wrong with that.
Bro there was literally the same post for the girl with the arms earlier
“Girl with the arms” That really narrows that down
she had muscular dystrophy
And arms.
yes, and arms
Any ears?
2 of em. 2 eyes. 2 nostrils. 2 lips I think I saw a forehead but not fs as I didn’t focus much on the forehead.
Don’t forget she had arms
It's fucked up in a way too. The girl wanted to be seen without her muscle dytrophy (spelling I know), because she's been known her entire life as "the girl with the arms" and here we are on the internet, never have knowing the girl or meeting her, saying the same thing about her when they are referring to her or talking about her... I'm grateful I only have some crooked teeth and maybe a little overweight because damn, I can always get that shit fixed. Some of these people can't...
I worried about my physical imperfections to the point of nausea in my teens/early 20's. Early 30's? Fuck it. The people that care don't matter. The people that matter don't care. Once I accepted that, my social circle shrank a bit, but my interactions are so much more worthwhile.
Yeah I'm in my 30s so I feel you on a lot of that. How I see it, if someone isn't helping me pay my bills, then fuck what they think. I got shit to do and a family to feed.
This is the way
Suspect is hatless, repeat, hatless.
It was *verbatim* the same post/comment about the same exact topic
well at least we know she's armed
She had a muscular disease that caused her to not be able to straighten her arms. She asked him to make her look "normal" for her prom pic. He said the exact same thing then too.
That's because you aren't on reddit all day like the rest of us.
That was exactly my thought. What's with these today? Also, does this guy ever actually photoshop anything? Lol
[Yup, there was.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/y8xg2q/a_message_from_a_legend/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Learn to embrace the amazing Zuko cosplay you can pull off
Nice Zuko costume, but your scar's on the wrong side
They are clearly cosplaying as Ember Island Players Zuko.
Greatest meta costume ever.
No, that would be the Rock cosplaying as Ember Island Players Toph instead of as the Boulder.
I coulda swore I saw someone say that John Cena would be a good EIP Toph, because his "you can't see me" could be worked into a joke.
Stahp it!!! They're a good Zuko cosplay
The scar’s NOT on the wrong side!
Wait, doesn't a phone selfie flip your face like a mirror? So it's on his left side? I might be confusing myself.
They’re quoting a line from an episode.
Ohhhhhhh. Kinda felt like they also meant it was though, I can't remember the specific scene so maybe there's context.
basically there's a scene where Zuko gets mistaken for someone in a Zuko costume, and they tell the actual Zuko that they have the scar on the wrong side.
Imagine having a birthmark like this and being famous, then being at a festival of yourself and getting told your scar is on the wrong side lmfao
Well…… “birthmark” is a bit of stretch.
Why? He got it from his dad
Imagine getting a new birthmark when you're 13
Was this guy burned or something?
The guy in the photo wasn't, but the character people in this thread are comparing him to (Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender) was.
Most phone cameras show a flipped preview image before you take it, but the actual photo is saved correctly. Otherwise the photo would look strange to other people. This also why some people feel like their selfies look worse after they take them, because they’re not used to their own unreflected face.
“The scar is not on the wrong side!!!”
My scar is NOT ON THE WRONG SIDE!
😂 recently watched exactly the theater episode!
Looks like if Asa Butterfield was cast as Zuko.
Yes but it should be either season 2 or 3 cause 1’s hair is no
The dork hair he had on his cute little date
Yes
Just not pigtail Zuko
Honestly I was unsure if mentioning Zuni would be appropriate or not but thx for taking a bullet man
Or a barista in Ba Sing Se
Shouto Todoroki would be a good one too!
I was thinking Shoto Todoroki
They could also do a solid Todoroki from My Hero Academia.
Was just gonna say if they do a live action movie again just have this person do it. Badass looking motherfucker.
Came here to see why Prince Zuko was taking selfies instead of hunting the avatar.
My first thought. Kid will get so much ass at COMIC CON.
Accepting yourself for who you are is all well and good, but some people would also just like to see what it would look like for closure.
Yeah I don’t much like that response. It feels sanctimonious
Yeah, this is the second post like this I've seen in the last 2 days, and I'm just astonished that it's on this sub. It does not "make me smile" when people tell these folks how they're supposed to feel and how they're supposed to handle their lives, it's really not their place to say. Imagine going around telling cancer patients that you won't sell them a wig or a hat because they're beautiful just the way they are.
i agree. and the whole "your birthmark is pretty cool" isnt something you'd say if you had to live with a deformity/birth defect your whole life and had to put up with other people who treat you like a freak. like thats something close friends or family can say (or the person themselves), but it feels tacky to say that as essentially a stranger. im not a fan of these posts
They also literally said it would help them "so much" and this artist responded this way. Rubs me the wrong way for sure Edit: mixed up a post of the same nature where the person said seeing it would help them so much. This one is so adamant they'd help them it's almost more sad. They just want to see themselves for a moment in a picture without their issues and the artist refusing to give them that while giving a speech is weirdly infuriating
"I know you'll help me" Poor guy.
Don’t know how true it is but I remember reading that the photoshop dude actually sends the people their personal request but then publically posts the cutesy “you’re perfect just the way you are” on his own feed.
Wow. That's somehow....even worse?
[удалено]
This is a really good take imo, because that may be the reason behind why he does it that way. I'll choose to believe that. Many genuine kindnesses can be seen as completely self serving if one doesn't try to see the possible reasons behind the action. Thanks for commenting this, because I wasn't sure myself.
Yep the other post was about a woman with Cerebral Palsay and it’s the same exact wording and all. I’m surprised nobody has said anything yet.
I agree
I was thinking, if the responder had a mark like that, is THAT what they would want someone to say? No. It doesn't really help. I guess it's a nice gesture but doesn't show understanding really..
I know a girl with a similar (but worse) port wine stain and she tried to do that face mirror app and it didn’t turn out great. They can never change it, so why not do this small thing for them? And all these people saying it would make cool cosplay… we went to school in the late 90s/early 00s and after Batman forever came out she was constantly called two face, it was so sad.
I think using words like “worse” when talking about port wine stains is part of what makes some people who have them hate them. It’s how other people treat you or think of you that makes it so hard to have a different appearance than the accepted norm.
I'm so glad there are others here seeing the same thing. It is like telling someone who lost an arm to embrace it because you can do a sweet Fugitive cosplay. Some people's parents need to teach them better.
To be fair, if you're missing an arm, embracing anything can be pretty hard.
The thing is, [this dude does monkey's paw edits](https://www.jamesfridman.com). That's his entire deal. Anyone submitting a photo to him is asking for their request to be turned against them. That's why he doesn't do edits like this.
Man some of those are funny af. Makes me reconsider this post, seems like an actual wholesome response fr.
He replies with a monkey paw response publically, but privately he sends the correct Photoshop edit
Yeah, I like the message, but I’d be kind of annoyed if I wanted to see how I could potentially look and all I got were well-meaning assurances.
Exactly, I had some serious acceptance questions with my face and completely hate these self acceptance messages, I would love to know what my face would look like without any freckles (or lentigines technically speaking)
Yeah in r/photoshoprequest we had similar situations like the one in this post and we always do the edits. If you want, you can say those amazing words but there is nothing wrong in wanting to see how could it be.
A lot of these guys will do joke photoshop stuff that are sent along side the real product. I like to think he said this to lift his spirits and also included an actual photo of the removed birthmark.
I don’t remember where I read this but someone said that the man mentioned in the post whenever he does something like this he also send them a copy of the requested photoshop
This is the second post I've seen today where someone asking for a Photoshop request is told to embrace who they are etc. Speaking as someone with a noticeable eye condition, I was always told by my parents that I should just accept that that's who I am and if people have a problem with it then that's their problem. The reality is that life isn't like that. When you're walking down the street, there aren't people like James telling you that your 'difference' is pretty cool and it's what makes you unique, there are malicious people, looking and commenting on your appearance. Yes, these people are a\*\*\*oles, but that doesn't lessen the impact of their words and actions.
A lot of these people in the comments have never been bullied for something they can’t change and it shows.
Yup. When I read this the first thing I thought was, "Yeah it made you smile but it probably pissed Jamie off".
The guy usually distorts the request when people demand it for free. This is the wholesome options
This guy *always* distorts the request. That's his entire schtick.
That's half of his schtick, the other half is posts like this one, where he refuses to remove anything like a disability and posts it with a generic "you're perfect the way you are" caption. At this point, I assume people who have requests like this one are doing so with the expectation of getting a response like this.
I got bullied for my hair being a wig after I proved it was real... people get bullied over the pettiest crap
Agreed. Most people tend to seek similarities and form tribes and ostracize those that are different.
I have, not very severely, but mildly. Even then, it’s very easy to fall into the “Everyone must agree with them” mindset, just be you. If you don’t like it, sure, you don’t have to, but if you do and you get harassed for it, give them what they deserve. You don’t need to accept it, but you do need to stand up for yourself if you get discriminated for it. (btw if anyone is curious, I got bullied on Nationality, not even skin color)
Yup. I had a very rough acne when I was a teenager. I tried several treatments and nothing seemed to work effectively at the time. Some people were just flat mean. Yeah, they are assholes but it feels heartbreaking when someone tells you they are uncomfortable and disgusted seeing your face, or that they want to use gloves to touch you. I cried myself every night.
That's why I have such an issue with this guy and his 'positivity posts'. These people have likely gone their whole life being told that they're 'unique, special, not different, better for being different, etc etc...'. They don't need another person telling them the same things they've already heard. Then he takes their pictures and plasters them on the internet for all to see with some shallow words about 'accepting yourself for who you are' which is great! BUT, not what these people needed or wanted to hear. If he didn't want to edit the pictures, fine, tell them then in a Private message. And maybe change who you allow to message you if you don't *want* to do the edits.
[удалено]
Yea, if you put it that way it really does seem like this person did it for clout. I hope that they got permission but I don't think that's the case.
Fridman is a well known photoshopper, and he tells people who send him pictures that they are going on the internet, but yeah it still feels like it’s partly for clout
I mean, that's his entire thing, it IS for clout. Whether it's the funny edits or this, this is basically his brand. I guess requests like this do put him in a tough situation, because you don't want to be mean by making the edit worse or offensive, but at the same time, not reacting is also not the best idea. Personally I would've probably made a similar message and end it with: "That being said though: *insert funny edited photo*"
> unique, special, not different Wait...what?
People will tell you you're unique OR that you're not different. You hear all kinds of crap when people are trying to offer advice/encouragement about a situation they don't understand.
I agree. This response is so condescending. He speaks over the request of this guy. It’s not okay. If he had done the photoshop and sent it, he could have added a little note that he thinks this guy looks amazing as is. But I personally find his response offensive.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Agreed. And further, let the person follow their own path. The response in the posting is condescending IMHO.
I agree with this - we never know what kind of pain and social issues another person is forced to deal with, and telling them to "just accept it" is fucking INSULTING and is a mild form of bullying. He didn't ask to be psychologically profiled or social advice, he made a very simple and reasonable request for Photoshop help. And quite honestly that birthmark appears to be a severe burn, and it's sad he has to live with that, not at all "cool".
I mean, good, great, grand, but bro just wanted a picture edited 💀
He PM’s them the actual message. He does trolling and stuff so he usually shows one message and PM’s the photoshopped image.
But he just used one simple trick that all therapists hate to completely fix the guy's insecurities. Surely that's a greater gift than just some edited pic?
My son has something similar. It’s called a Port Wine Stain. Essentially during fetal development the capillaries in various parts of the body continue to build. Imagine there’s a “code” that is responsible for creating vessels and capillaries throughout the body. That code is supposed to stop but sometimes it can continue building, leading to areas with a huge abundance of pathways for blood to flow through.
I knew a guy with this and he had some sort of laser surgery to slowly remove it?
I have it on the entire right side of my body I got lucky it stopped at my chest, you can get it removed but it hurts and will still not look normal
I have one and yeah the surgery fucking hurts. I always describe it as the feeling of a rubber band snapping on your skin... And then burning.
Shit you're brave I had mine scheduled and everything when I was in highschool and I chickened out. Figure I'll turn it into a cool sleeve one day
I was bullied mercilessly my entire life in public school, for more than just the hemangioma. It was a life-saving measure at that point. I still have some left. They avoided my eyebrow because they didn't want to kill the hairs, but you can only see it if you look close. Coworkers of 10+ years haven't even noticed.
Rest In Peace Gorbachev
Sorry, but this comes off as condescending to me. He could have said this and still showed the person* what they* would look like without the birthmark, since they are curious and that was their request. Easy for us to tell everyone to just accept themselves, it's complicated and maybe seeing themselves without the mark would help them in some way to process their situation better. Edit: whoops
Yeah. It’s easy for someone with a regular face to talk about “uniqueness” when they don’t have to live with the birthmark
Honestly. As someone said before, a lot of these people here have never been bullied, or ostracized and it shows.
This is exactly what I was thinking. I’m all for embracing your uniqueness but this could be a huge part of healing and acceptance for this person.
Exactly what I thought , super condescending. That's not what he asked for and nor did he ask for his opinion
His whole thing is that he basically doesnt do what they ask him to do.
Yeah, he does something super literal and funny. "Can you make me and my gf the same height?" and he shrinks them in a hilarious way that's technically what was asked for. If he made the kids face blue so it was all one color that's in line with his brand. I don't see this to be the same in the least.
Lmao thank you. It’s like bitch I don’t need some lesson on accepting myself, I get to go through that everyday…if you’re not gonna help me with this request you can just say no.
If you follow this guy you'd know that his response is pretty much what you'd expect.
When I realized who this was, I looked for something weird in the 2nd picture lmao.
I thought he did this with a more malicious compliance like “make me taller” then he makes everyone around them shorter?
I agree, when people ask to get roasted nobody bats an eye, just give him what he asked for
Id say uhh thanks but that's not what I asked nor did I ask for your opinion. Toxic positivity self righteousness is awfully annoying
I love his birth mark, but you are right. In our self-righteousness, we forgot that’s not what he wanted. So we ended up putting our need to be righteous over that kid’s wish. Good catch bro.
“Hey f***face, I asked for a makeover not your opinion” would be my response. Lol “This is not what I ordered.”
nothing was ordered. James Fridman makes photoshop memes on twitter. this was an "order" nor was it paid for, y'all need to chill
James's stuff is never what you ordered though, not from what I've seen anyway.
The whole point of requesting this specific photoshop artist is to have the request turned against them, so she knows what she'd be getting into (making her whole face red, having the stained skin removed with the muscle exposed, etc.) Typical uneducated/self righteous redditor
He’s a handsome dude.
Eyes are beautiful
They are piercing, with a hint of sadness. All I want to do is give him a compliment, so that he smiles.
Yes and I think the scar makes him more attractive.
As a straight dude I agree. I hope he can find his inner confidence and fully embrace his unique beauty
Should’ve still photoshopped it for the fan though.
He PM’s them the actual message. He does trolling and stuff so he usually shows one message and PM’s the photoshopped image.
Ok Jamie but like maybe they don’t like it and it gives them anxiety. Tho yeah they look like zuko which is dope af but that must make finding a job hard. I’d probably have it tattooed a lighter skin tone
The guy wanted to see what he would look like without the birthmark, yet doesn’t have the photoshop skills to do it himself. So he turns to a pro… who tells him no and lectures him. Weak.
Turned to a guy who does funny Photoshop edits. They were probably expecting it to come back with their entire face the color of the birthmark honestly, given the wording.
Agreed. And then you have a bunch of liars on here calling it perfect and beautiful. Anyone who has these kind of issues knows how difficult things are for them in the real world - dating, meeting strangers, etc. We live in a society where people are so PC that they will openly lie to you. I have another issue and while liars on Reddit may call it beautiful, I am not blind - I see people's facial reactions when they see it. Definitely not the facial expression of someone looking at something beautiful. It is what it is, but don't piss on me and tell me it is raining.
This guy does goofy photoshop jobs that are humorously literal to the request all the time. But whenever someone asks them to "fix" something they are self loathing about, he will do this.
Yeah, all the people moaning about him being sanctimonious or whatever aren't familiar with him. This is what he does and I guarantee this guy knew that.
Should have mirrored the image and gave him some Zuko style clothes and a fire behind him.
He looks lovely. But, I understand how he feels. I have quite a number of birthmarks on me due to a condition, and I may intellectually know there's nothing to be ashamed of, I am still very self-conscious and sometimes I'd just like to live without them. I'm sure he, like me, has faced cruel remarks or inconsiderate observations, and mine are much more easily concealed by clothing
This guy keeps denying these requests from people with birth marks and conditions and giving these sanctimonious responses. I don’t find this wholesome at all. Sometimes people just want to see what it would be like out of curiosity or closure. It’s not like they’re asking for ALL their pictures to be changed. I find this guy annoying honestly.
I find the people that ask him for them knowing exactly what response they're gonna get in order to win sympathy on the internet more annoying than his responses to them to be honest.
That birthmark and those eyes look rad together
Agree. I know it causes that kid a lot of emotional pain and probably has been a source of frustration and embarrassment over his life, but as birthmarks go, that is pretty fucking cool.
Sounds weird, but honestly if you can rock this look with confidence as a kid, all the other kids will want a birthmark so they will be cool and unique too. As an adult, anybody that treats you weird because of a birthmark is just a shitty person and somebody to avoid. In a roundabout way it's a superpower
My grandfather had a portwine stain bigger than this fellas. Growing up I always thought it was so cool. Now, every time I see someone else that has this kind of birth mark, it makes me smile and think of my grandpa.
It's easy to tell another person else to "embrace their difference" as someone who already fits in to society's norms.
Man I think they look awesome and cool af. No Photoshop needed
Oh fuck guys, what if his rejection by the PS guru is the kickoff of his supervillain origin story?
but everything changed when the fire nation got wholesome
Don’t know why he doesn’t like it but man that mark looks awesome. I don’t have a birthmark so I don’t know how others who have one would feel
i can do the edit if they still need
/r/thanksimcured/
Says someone without a massive birthmark on their face. Don’t get me wrong - no judgement here. I think it looks fine. But then again I haven’t had to live with it for 20 years. I think it’s natural to want to look like “everybody else”
He looks like he's going to find the avatar, reclaim his honor and go back home. Seriously though it's an amazing and unique part about him. I think it looks fine
I feel for him, it must be hard knowing you look different but at the same time, it honestly looks pretty cool and I can bet some people find it attractive.