Chicopee John Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Microsoft Edits Black Man Out of Photo, Apologizes Tuesday, August 25, 2009 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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. T Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Who was the genius that decided to do this? Did they get the ideal from the obama joker posters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mz. Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 What's there to talk about, John? I think we'll all agree it's lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicopee John Posted August 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 What's there to talk about, John? I think we'll all agree it's lame. Please explain, Mike. You have a marketing and advertising background. If you were given the guidelines, what you think/do? Is it lame that the US version had one Black, one White, and one Woman -just like all the PBS kid's shows. There is too much to talk about than to simply respond that it is lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Apparently in Poland, black is the new Jew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Or black isn't relevant. Not as in not important....as in non existent. I don't see the big deal. You advertise to your market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 That could be part of it, but I doubt it's all of it. After all, they didn't remove the Asian guy from the ad, and I doubt there are many Asian Poles. Maybe I'm extrapolating too much from the memory of our Polish tour guide making an awful racist joke, but anti-African racism does seem to be a problem in Poland. Refugee tried to infect innocent Poles with HIV, screams the tabloids! Polish football's racism problemIn How Soccer Explains the World, Frank Foer details the struggles African footballers face in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, I can't remember if he specifically mentioned Poland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mz. Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Please explain, Mike. You have a marketing and advertising background. If you were given the guidelines, what you think/do? Is it lame that the US version had one Black, one White, and one Woman -just like all the PBS kid's shows. There is too much to talk about than to simply respond that it is lame. It's the criticism of Microsoft that I find lame. Clients/advertisers for multinational companies in the US/Canada/Western Europe/South America generally like to have a racial mix in their advertising, I reckon to make folks of all races/nationalities feel as if the product/service being advertised is made for them. Since there are probably zero black folks in Poland, and perhaps because Poles are a little, well, let's say behind in their racial thoughts, the company found it best to just make the dude white. I see no issue with this at all. It's just the way advertising works IMO. Apparently in Poland, black is the new Jew. Now that is just hilarious. But that's in the Ukraine, not Poland... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Meanwhile... ...back in the states... The latest PC ads feature an interracial couple. Go figure. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicopee John Posted August 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Thanks for your clarification, mz the pussy. Perhaps not suprisingly, I misinterpreted your response. See what happens when you assume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Apparently in Poland, black is the new Jew. Well you know they are using Microsoft Paint, this editing sucks balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mz. Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Thanks for your clarification, mz the pussy. Perhaps not suprisingly, I misinterpreted your response. See what happens when you assume? Not your fault, John. I was flippant in my response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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