Talk:Thirst trap

Image in lead
I am restoring the image to the lead, which was in the initial revision of this article, and was its illustration when it was on the front page as a WP:DYK entry, and clearly holds encyclopedic value as an illustration of the subject matter. I cannot think of any reason to remove this image, or alter it; if anyone has a disagreement beyond WP:IDONTLIKEIT, please feel free to chime in. jp×g 06:10, 2 February 2021 (UTC)


 * Why does it have to be a male specifically? There should be a second example of a female, to make it balanced. 84.170.4.142 (talk) 18:15, 20 September 2023 (UTC)


 * JPxG: I think that this picture, added in September, is a better illustration of the concept. The person in this picture is more specifically trying to "entice [the] viewer sexually", showing his face and more of his body, and doing a sexy pose. The pic that's currently in the article doesn't seem to be trying to "entice" in the same way: the posture is casual, and the phone is covering the person's face. Do you have an objection to me swapping this picture instead? — Toughpigs (talk) 04:05, 20 February 2021 (UTC)
 * I agree, but it would be even better if it were a girl. Benjamin (talk) 16:33, 20 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Strongly disagree with inclusion of any image of some random nobody. There's no justification for posting an image of some random built person (regardless of sex) unless the image itself is a verifiable and notable thirst trap.
 * The problem otherwise is that English Wikipedia would be making someone "the face of the thirst trap" and that's just not helpful at all. Peter Isotalo 17:37, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think it's a question of what helps the reader understand the concept. "Thirst trap" is not a self-evident phrase; it's helpful to see an example of what the article is talking about. I agree that it would be preferable to have a more "notable" thirst trap, if there are any that are freely-licensed, but in the absence of an alternative, this is an appropriate illustration. The creator of this picture made the effort to upload it as freely-licensed; if somebody else wants to be "the face of the thirst trap", they could do the same. Toughpigs (talk) 17:44, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * @Toughpigs, I agree that it's less problematic if someone genuinely contributed the image with the intent of being the illustration of the concept. Is that something we can actually confirm, though?
 * But then we run into a different problem: "thirst trap" is not really a self-descriptive idea, but something bestowed on an image by others. So how relevant is it to show an image of someone showing off their body unless it's actually been characterized as a thirst trap? Peter Isotalo 17:58, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Yes, if you look at the file page, you can see that the picture is titled "Topless thirst trap.jpg", and the person who uploaded the picture described it: "A topless male "thrist trap" defined by his masculine features such as large muscles and a defined jawline."
 * For your second point, the article defines a thirst trap as "a type of social media post intended to entice viewers sexually." The defining characteristic is the intention of the poster, not necessarily the reception on the other end. Toughpigs (talk) 18:06, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * "Thirst trap" isn't an objective, neutral concept, though. It can easily be pejorative just like hipster, social justice warrior or RINO. You're right that it absolutely is about the intention of the poster, but that's not always evident or even agreed-upon. It's also very much about how the image is disseminated; a private image intended only for a partner can be re-interpreted as a thirst trap if it's posted for public consumption.
 * I think it's morally dubious to use an image of some random anon in an article, even if we can genuinely prove that they've chosen to become The Face of the Thirst Trap. Peter Isotalo 18:46, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think that you're putting too much emphasis on being "the face of the thirst trap" — this isn't a competition, it's an encyclopedia article that needs an appropriate illustration. As I said, the person who took and uploaded the picture specifically intended it to be an illustration of the concept of a "thirst trap". Why would it be "morally dubious" to include it in the article? Toughpigs (talk) 18:51, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I didn't get a reply, so I'm going to restore the image to the article. The main concern as I understand it is that the subject and uploader of this picture is a "random" non-celebrity whose photo has not been widely cited as a thirst trap. However, the odds of a celebrity becoming known for a viral image and then uploading it to Commons so that we can use it on this page is essentially zero.
 * Therefore, if this page is going to have an illustration — and it's a visual subject, so an illustration is especially helpful — then it seems fitting that we use the picture that a contributor has uploaded specifically for the purpose of illustrating the concept. Toughpigs (talk) 23:20, 18 March 2024 (UTC)