The Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel was launched by photographer Mark Laita in April 2016 to showcase the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. The name of the channel comes from Winston Churchill’s World War II phrase referring to the vulnerability of Italy.
Laita used this metaphor to highlight the deeper problems and invisible actors in American society.
Mark Laita, who previously worked as a successful commercial photographer for big brands such as Apple and Coca-Cola, took a dramatic turn with this project. The channel focuses on homeless people, sex workers, drug addicts, gang members and other marginalised groups. The interviews are conducted in a minimalist studio in a simple setting in Los Angeles’ notorious Skid Row neighbourhood. The channel’s simple visual style focuses attention on the content of the stories. It’s all about the people!
The astonishing stories and facts
Soft White Underbelly interviewees often talk about life situations that are almost unimaginable for most people. These stories are shocking and often disturbing, but that is why they are important.
- “Smiley,” the notorious gang member: In one interview, Smiley, a Los Angeles gang member, talked about growing up in a violent environment and the pressure to uphold the rules of the “family”. He talks about murders, drug dealing and the brutality of street life.
- Amanda, the sex worker: Amanda’s story is heartbreaking: she started out in a relatively stable family environment, but as a teenager she became addicted to drugs and found herself on the streets. During the interview she talks about how, although she is deeply ashamed of her lifestyle, she has no other way out.
- The Whittaker Family: One of the network’s most controversial series is about the Whittakers, a family of inbreds living in West Virginia. The story shows how social isolation and extreme poverty can lead to intergenerational problems.
- Mothers of addicts: in another interview, a mother of a heroin addict talked about her struggles with addiction and caring for her child. She spoke candidly about how she prays every day that she will not lose her children.
Astonishing facts
- In the US, Skid Row, one of Los Angeles’ best-known homeless neighbourhoods, is home to more than 8,000 people, many of whom are addicted to drugs or struggling with mental illness. Laita’s studio is located in this community and witnesses the misery on a daily basis.
- Some interviewees inject heroin more than 20 times a day, often with a shared needle.
- Several subjects reported being victims of sexual abuse as children, which directly contributed to their later trauma and addictions.
Why is it important to pay attention?
I think it is important to look beyond our own lives sometimes. We are among the lucky ones – no matter how much we sometimes blow our problems out of proportion. We live in a strong middle class or above, we have a place to live, we have food to eat and we have people around us who look after us. This is a huge gift that we don’t always perceive, because everyday worries cloud our gratitude. But not everyone’s fate is like that.
There are people who never experience the security we take for granted in their lives. The lives portrayed here offer an insight into a world that most of us avoid, or simply don’t notice or know anyone who has experienced anything even remotely resembling the same trauma.
Mark Laita’s project is a special mission: not just to document, but to support his subjects, trying to contribute in some way to improving their lives.
To find out more, visit Soft White Underbelly ‘s YouTube channel or their official website: www.softwhiteunderbelly.com. These stories go beyond words – they are mirrors of reality.
