President Barack Obama may be receiving all the backlash from a selfie snapped by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the Nelson Mandela memorial, but now the selfie initiator herself has a message for the world…
Chill out.
Denmark’s PM is defending the photo she took with Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, saying that it wasn’t at all inappropriate.
“There were lots of pictures taken that day, and I just thought it was a bit fun,” Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt told Danish paper Berlingske on Wednesday, as translated by British paper The Telegraph. “Maybe it also shows that when we meet heads of state and government, we too are just people who have fun.”
But fun isn’t what the internet wanted to see. When the photograph (taken by Roberto Schmidt of AFP) of the leaders snapping the selfie went viral, the world reacted, criticizing Obama and his friends about their “poor” behavior at such an important event. But Thorning-Schmidt said the mood wasn’t at all sad.
“There was a sadness, but it was basically a festive event that also celebrated a man who has lived for 95 years and achieved so much in his life. There was dancing on the stands. … And then we took a really fun selfie,” Thorning-Schmidt said.
Schmidt, the photographer, echoed the Danish PM’s sentiments in a blog he posted regarding his now infamous picture.
I took these photos totally spontaneously, without thinking about what impact they might have. At the time, I thought the world leaders were simply acting like human beings, like me and you. I doubt anyone could have remained totally stony faced for the duration of the ceremony, while tens of thousands of people were celebrating in the stadium. For me, the behaviour of these leaders in snapping a selfie seems perfectly natural. I see nothing to complain about, and probably would have done the same in their place.
Cameron also spoke out, not so much defending the picture, but also not agreeing with the critics.
Britain’s prime minister David Cameron also responded Tuesday saying “it was only polite to say yes” to Thorning-Schmidt’s request for a photo.
“Perhaps, in my defense, you should always remember that the television cameras are always on,” Cameron said.
Well, there you have it. Inappropriate or not? Sound off below.
SOURCE: Politico | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter/Roberto Schmidt
