What I recommend is looking at anyone who makes fun of you for using an app with "cartoonish" pictures and speaking to them in another language. People are usually amazed when another language comes out of you! And who knows? Maybe they will try Duolingo too!

Wait... that's what DuoLingo looks like? Oh well, it might be different in the app... I suggest you don't be embarrassed because it does not look like a childrens' game... but it is nice flat design.

If anyone looks at you funny for that, I'd honestly be inclined to say it's their problem.

The other solution? If you're really honestly that embarrassed, make sure to practise the languages that don't have those pictures when you're out and about. (With the disclaimer that I mostly use the website, at least the last time I was on the app, some of the languages still had the photos.)

I don't know about for the app. I've turned off the pictures in the Chrome browser before. It was something like turning off the auto-load of images. I don't know if that helps but it's my only experience with it.

Just remember, 200,000,000 people use Duolingo. And there are even more people than that who have tried Duolingo. As time goes by, there is increasingly higher chance that the people who see you on Duolingo are aware that you're interacting with Duolingo. :)

Yeah, they're complete unnecessary. Wish I knew a way to have the answer to your query be yes!

I agree that it would be nice to have the option of removing them. I don't use the app that often, but find the pictures distracting and they tend to be more harmful than helpful. I sincerely hope that they will not be added to the desktop version.

Your English looks fine. I don't see any mistakes.

That's very inhumane of you :P.

Why so embarrassed towards complete strangers? Not even to mention that they'd have to be enormous -> insert offensive word here <- to look down at you for it. The Duolingo art isn't overly childish (yet? :P).