Link

Microsoft Edits Black Man Out of Photo, Apologizes

Tuesday , August 25, 2009

// ADVERTISEMENT

LOS ANGELES—

Software giant Microsoft Corp. is apologizing for altering a photo on its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.

A photo on the Seattle-based company's U.S. Web site shows two men, one Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room table. But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The color of his hand remains unchanged.

The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.

"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday. "We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image."

Article

What do you think?

Dunno, but I will tell you what it is: Funny

everything is racist nowadays except when a white is the victim

everything is racist nowadays except when a white is the victim

Phoenix6359

Something about that phrase made me laugh hard :lol:.

yes it is somewhat. why did they includxe him in the photo if they were gonna shop him white?...weezyfb

I think they only shopped his photo on the Polish site. My guess is there aren't many black people in Poland so they figured it would be more natural to use someone white. Epic fail on not changing the hands though.

Dunno, but I will tell you what it is: Funny

Chutebox

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

corwinn01

[QUOTE="corwinn01"]

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

weezyfb

[QUOTE="weezyfb"][QUOTE="corwinn01"]

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

bean-with-bacon

Yeah but did anyone cry racist.

[QUOTE="weezyfb"][QUOTE="corwinn01"]

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

bean-with-bacon

Did he have white hands :lol: ?

lol it's such a bad shop as well

That word is thrown out to much now days. Most ethnic minorities don't consider something racist until some white do-gooder, or MP points it out as being so. Nobody cares, I think a vast majortiy of the population (not all) are over race hating, people need to stop living in the 60's.

Funny as hell though.

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

corwinn01

[QUOTE="weezyfb"][QUOTE="corwinn01"]

If it would have been a white guy I don't think anyone would be crying racist.

bean-with-bacon

Link

[QUOTE="Article"]

Microsoft Edits Black Man Out of Photo, Apologizes

Tuesday , August 25, 2009

// ADVERTISEMENT

LOS ANGELES-

Software giant Microsoft Corp. is apologizing for altering a photo on its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.

A photo on the Seattle-based company's U.S. Web site shows two men, one Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room table. But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The color of his hand remains unchanged.

The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.

"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday. "We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image."

What do you think?

:lol:

as for whether it's racist or not... it depends on whether the guy was shooped due to him being black or due to him looking hilarious in the original pic. Could be either to be honest.

It's not racist, it's an advertisement targeted to a specific audience. I would have done the same.Unassigned

Really? Why would you leave the hands black?

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"][QUOTE="weezyfb"] the thing is it is never a white guy....LJS9502_basic

I remember seeing an article on it a while ago, I'll see if I can fish it out.

EDIT: Here are some examples where black people have been edited in or out, though I don't if it's real or not because some of the edits are hilariously bad.

http://www.11points.com/Misc/11_Photos_Where_Black_People_Were_Awkwardly_Photoshopped_In_or_Out

[QUOTE="Unassigned"]It's not racist, it's an advertisement targeted to a specific audience. I would have done the same.ownage_denied

Really? Why would you leave the hands black?

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"] I assure you there have been many a times when a white male has been photoshopped into a black male.bean-with-bacon

I remember seeing an article on it a while ago, I'll see if I can fish it out.

EDIT: Here are some examples where black people have been edited in or out, though I don't if it's real or not because some of the edits are hilariously bad.

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"] I assure you there have been many a times when a white male has been photoshopped into a black male.bean-with-bacon

I remember seeing an article on it a while ago, I'll see if I can fish it out.

EDIT: Here are some examples where black people have been edited in or out, though I don't if it's real or not because some of the edits are hilariously bad.

[QUOTE="weezyfb"]yes it is somewhat. why did they includxe him in the photo if they were gonna shop him white?...ownage_denied

I think they only shopped his photo on the Polish site. My guess is there aren't many black people in Poland so they figured it would be more natural to use someone white. Epic fail on not changing the hands though.

no, I dont think it is racist if thats the cause. Its simple marketing and demographics.

And who knows...maybe Poles are racist and MS is simply adapting to them?

Not a big deal on the hands; the original man was pretty light-skinned for a black person, the hands dont look that bad.

Why is it racist to like a color better than the other one? :|Solid_Tango

:shock:

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"]

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]Could you provide some evidence on that? Logic...why not just photograph the race that is sought?

LJS9502_basic

I remember seeing an article on it a while ago, I'll see if I can fish it out.

EDIT: Here are some examples where black people have been edited in or out, though I don't if it's real or not because some of the edits are hilariously bad.

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"][QUOTE="weezyfb"] the thing is it is never a white guy....LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"]

I remember seeing an article on it a while ago, I'll see if I can fish it out.

EDIT: Here are some examples where black people have been edited in or out, though I don't if it's real or not because some of the edits are hilariously bad.

bean-with-bacon

Just for the record I don't think this was a racist act.ownage_denied

[QUOTE="ownage_denied"]Just for the record I don't think this was a racist act.jimmyjammer69

I tried to find a reason for this also. They could have easily saved themselves from this embarrassment.

[QUOTE="bean-with-bacon"][QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]Er...that looks like someone playing with photoshop and not professional ads where the race was changed.

LJS9502_basic

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country. But yea race definitely played a part.

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country.

Ace_WondersX

So it's not a case of racism, but target audience I guess.

[QUOTE="Ace_WondersX"]

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country.

AikiSpirit

So it's not a case of racism, but target audience I guess.

Yea, but It kinda shows that the guys at Microsoft might have thought that Polish people might have racial bias. Maybe not though.

[QUOTE="AikiSpirit"]

[QUOTE="Ace_WondersX"]

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country.

Ace_WondersX

So it's not a case of racism, but target audience I guess.

Yea, but It kinda shows that the guys at Microsoft might have thought that Polish people might have racial bias. Maybe not though.

[QUOTE="Ace_WondersX"]

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country.

AikiSpirit

So it's not a case of racism, but target audience I guess.

[QUOTE="AikiSpirit"]

[QUOTE="Ace_WondersX"]

I don't think it was the malicious type racism, but more of a business decision. Poland is majority white, so the Microsoft guys for Poland probably thought this would be more appealing to the people of this country.

Ace_WondersX

So it's not a case of racism, but target audience I guess.

Yea, but It kinda shows that the guys at Microsoft might have thought that Polish people might have racial bias. Maybe not though.

Probably just a case of demographic marketing. Maybe there just aren't that many people of African (including all African nations) descent in Poland.