Verb.
To trotsky an image is to remove a person from an image through physical or digital
manipulation, similar to how Stalin removed Leon Trotsky from several famous images of himself with other powerful Soviet leaders.
The word can also be used to refer to
manipulation of other media such as photos, videos, and music to wipe out
imperfections, typically in the name of painting a more flattering picture, or to deceive the viewer.
Ex. 1
Joe: “Did you see how Jay removed Danny from his wedding pictures with photoshop?”
Eric: “Yeah, he totally trotskied him. Makes sense after he slept with his mom, though.”
Ex. 2
“There used to be homeless people
sitting on that bench in
the original image. However, the city digitally removed them in order to pretend they don’t have an
affordable housing issue.”