Microsoft's Photoshop Blunder: Racist or Shortsighted?
Microsoft doctored a stock image to appeal to its Polish customers by literally whitewashing the color from one of the photo's subjects. While US web visitors were greeted by 3 racially diverse business people, Polish visitors saw one man replaced by a Caucasian doppelganger. And it was so poorly done we wondered if it was a joke. The Polish site now bears the original US image, but the damage has been done. Said CNET's Ina Fried, "Although Microsoft would be within reason to use a different photo on its Polish site--the country is very racially homogeneous--the company is coming under significant criticism."
The braniac that signed off on this obviously didn't think about the racism discussion on this week's launch of Ghettotweets or the anger that ensued after the Japanese "underclass" Google map was released. By quietly trying to conceal a man's race, Microsoft has inadvertently made race an issue.
While the decision to change the image may have simply been due to someone trying to save a few hundred dollars on stock photography, the marketing blunder has extremely negative public implications.
Does racism exist in even the most progressive companies? Absolutely. But was Microsoft's decision to change this particular image racist or just shortsighted? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Racist? Who knows, I was just glad to see SomethingAwful take up the opportunity for more remixes :)
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3191740
I have to say, it's one of the poorest photoshopping jobs I've seen. I'm disappointed that everybody seems to think they have to tweak images, perhaps it's the ad agency's way of making more money, but this is one case where they took it too far. This image should have been rejected on several counts, including the 'whitewashing' of a black man.
Actually the original guy's head looks photoshopped on as well.
Not Racist, quite the reverse. The ethnic mix in different countries is different and images meant to represent ethnic diversity in one country just look like US cultural imperialism in another, provoking a negative response. I can usually tell when an ad is from the US by the ethnic mix of those who appear in it, even when it has an Australian voice over.
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/poIfVLJ1yN9b8U6BHb1BFNvEwN_g#25f4e
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August 25, 2009 10:26 PM
It's not racism. It's localization
Whoever was smart enough to even do the "whitewashing" didn't have there head screwed on there shoulder. It's really hard to tell if there were racist motives behind it but in this day and age we walk a fine line on such topics.
What's the guarantee that the original guy wasn't photoshopped in to ensure diversity? And the Caucasian chap is, in fact, part of the original picture?
Not racist...just another clumsy example of political correctness. In the first instance the inclusion of an Asian, an Afro-American and a woman within a three person photograph is about the minimum Microsoft could get away with in a single shot. Obviously the proportion of Afro-Poles in the Polish population didn't warrant using the same shot.
Personally, I find the American obsession with getting the racial mix right for every corporate picture rather weird and must present some major problems for art directots. As for the Photoshopping...as clumsy as the gender/ethnic mix.
http://robertwalls.wordpress.com
Dear Dana,
I think that Microsoft's move is not racism. I think it is tuning the ad to the potential customer (ad target). You would not advertise A/C to the Eskimos, you would not advertise toothbrush to the toothless...
Bear in mind that 99,9% of Poles are white (Caucassian). The remaining 0,1% is in majority Asian. It means that the majority of Polish people have never ever seen a Black man in person. Not to speak about middle-aged Black person... (most of the Black people seen in Poland are students coming from Africa).
So the Poles perceive the "tuned" ad like appealing to them, whereas the original one is completely out of their world. They cannot identify with people photographed and in consequence would not buy the product.
Take care.
I don't think it is racist. As lisa said, it is localisation. That way, even the Asian should have been removed for the Polish ad. :oP
What's next asking for Guest post ? LOL :)
Excellent
LOL. I strongly suspect that this brilliant decision of photoshopping the stock photo instead of simply using more suitable one (whatever the reason behind it), must have been made by some executive of Polish origin.
As said by one of the commenters,
It's not racism. It's localization.
If you are targeting an ad for asian countries, you have asian people participate in it, is that racism? If you are targeting an african country, you would have the ad made by black participants...
It is not racism.
I think the elephant in the room is that there is significant xenophobia and racism in many Eastern European countries, and that having a black person in the photo would alienate a lot of the people with these attitudes. The ethical dilemma is then: Is it OK to "localize" to cater to those tastes?
On the one hand, if everything is whitewashed, how are Poles to get a greater experience of diversity. On the other hand, local players would never pick a photo with a black guy, and the role of localization is to create ads that are in tune with what local marketers would do.
Oh, I thought it was Microsoft pandering to Polish racism. It's the only way it seems to make sense from their perspective.
@7: maybe the fact that his hand is still black?
This has nothing to do with racism, it's political correctness and localization– an ad with a african-american will NOT appeal to clients in most European countries. You need to understand, America is NOT the only country in the world– your law, correctness doesn't apply on this continent.
The simple fact that people confuse localisation with racism highlights the problems in our society.
I am web designer and i use photoshop and i enjoy to using it.your info is very interesting and helping me for up to date.
The commentary on this incident overstates Microsoft's role in producing the image. At best the work was done internally by some first year designer and approved by a mid-level project manager with zero design or communications experience. More likely it was outsourced to a 3rd party design shop and approved at a glance by the same mid-level project manager, probably in Poland.
While it's fair to call out the image for what it says about race and society, and fair to be vaguely critical of MS for not doing better quality control, it's kind of silly to draw large conclusions about Microsoft's "progressiveness" from this incident.
If we're going to talk about whitewashing, we could set our sights on places with much more pervasive problems - like Hollywood. Nobody says a word when a cast of white celebrities (with mediocre voices) are selected to voice Japanese characters in the US releases of Miyazaki films, but they freak out over a crappy photoshop job by Microsoft? The good folks at www.racebending.com are doing some great work on whitewashing issues, and more general race issues, in Hollywood.
both.
Who gives a sh*t?
Poland may not even have any black people, so removing the black guy from the picture may make more sense for Polish.
Why does everything have to be about race? Forget about race for one moment, would you please? Seriously...
Am I the only one outraged here?
Instead of going on istockphoto and paying what, another $3-$10, for a more appropriate photo, instead someone does a hack job at photoshopping the level of diversity for the targeted country. And "hack job" it is.
Come on, this is Microsoft, they can afford two royalty-free images.
It's racist.
If it was 'localized' they would have taken a different photo.
Nice job not bothering to change the hand, moron.
The reason why there is a big backlash in the US and probably not in Europe is b/c of the history of race in the US. Racism is ingrained in our system and it is a slap in the face to those that have been fighting it to see something like this pop up. True, there are probably not many black people in Poland, so why not do a separate photo shoot, with polish people in it than badly doctor up a photo from the US? I dont't know much about European history given that much of what i learned was in high school, and any college going american can tell you that our high school books are screwed, but I do know a lot about the dark history of American racism. The fact that someone said why can't we forget about racism in an earlier comment, shows the biggest problem faced by anti-racist people today. The issues of racism have gone underground and are largely unnoticed by the majority of americans, although many ethnic minorities still face the traumas of a racist society everyday.
I can not speak for all of America, since I am only one part of a huge country with varying oppinions, the fact that microsoft even made the tokenized american photo makes me a tad bit sad.
It's capitalism-based racism. The motivation to make a profit by removing a black face that may or may not affect sales to a predominantly white nation is just as ugly as removing a black face for personal-based racism. Shame on Microsoft!
It's not racism - it's marketing to a target audience with really really bad editing. A 5 year old could have done a better job with cut and paste clip art. It's just plain lazy with zero attention to detail.
I'm a dark skinned African American and my fiance's family is from Poland. It's true that a good number Polish people have never seen a black person before. Not necessarily a bad thing, just the way it is. Makes for an interesting "first encounter" to say the least.
Now if this happened in an ad for the US, I'd probably have a different take on it.
It is racist.
At first that makes a bit of sense, until you stop and ask why they would replace the black guy but not the asian guy?
Are they playing on the stereotype of asians and technology? Do they think Polish people are uncomfortable with black people? In the end, it doesn’t matter what the reasoning behind the switch. They specifically singled out the black person for no other possible reason than that he was a black person. That is racist. Marketing demographic strategy excuses be damned—it’s racist.
If you look close you will also notice how the black man’s hand has been lightened… in both photos! Again, I have to ask: what is their thinking behind this? Is it intentional? Yes. Is it racist? Yes. Is it a bit bewildering that a corporation the size of Microsoft would be so obvious about it? Yeah, a bit
that is what you get using Paint for a Photoshop job :)
Somebody needs to register for Localization World Silicon Valley in October!
East Europeans have a narrow view on racism... though they have been 'freed' from Communism... Still a long way to go to accept a multi racial society!
Absolute rubbish, you removed the figure because you thought it was inappropriate for the Polish market. We are telling you it is. We have thousands of Poles living in the UK and they know what black people look like and we are here to stay. Localisation is another work for unacceptable, not caucasian enough, not white enough, not human enough. Its a pity that ignorance and endemic racism is still with you. Its in your psyche, a part of your brain washed heritage to be ignorant and not able to live in the oneness of a multi-racial society.
Black people do travel to Eastern Europe actually you half witt. What do you know!! Are you there at the airports to see who arrives? If it's not about race then the skin tone should not have been lightened. Were the white images changed to ones with afro hair and dreadlocks. Know there weren't. This is not acceptable. Do black people not buy Microsoft Products? Yes they do. As a consumer I expect people of colour to be represented in your advertising. You are happy to take in black peoples money when they purchase your products you hippocrits.
I'm Polish-American and have visited Poznan on numerous occasions. And everytime I've gone, the ethnic majority is always the same: predominantely white with a few Asians (Vietnamese I believe). The one or two black people that I did see really stood out because there just aren't many of them there. So coming from a realistic MARKETING standpoint, the change makes sense! The whole point of advertising is to appeal to the demographics of the consumers (why WOULD you want to sell a toothbrush to the toothless lol). Everyone screaming "racism" needs to think realistically and not be so damn sensitive.
From a marketing standpoint, it makes perfect sense. In Poland, Microsoft is targeting a different audience... which is mostly white because Poland is less ethnically diverse. Therefore, they include more white people in the photo. Yes, they were rather cheap to use the same photo in both ads, but racist? Personally, I don't see it.
Localization or whatnot is fine and yes, I do see the marketing strategy behind it, but like many have already mention, another istockphoto or another shoot is the better route.
Racist? Definitely. In a more and more internationally intertwined world, especially with the internet, it really ought to click that your target audience is not your only audience.
Racism exist systemically in all cultures and in all countries. It's an underlying factor that people take for granted because people are "homogenous" or because "it's over, so last century." When you have to change a photograph through digital manipulation to fit your demographics, that is racism. Period. It's saying, "we do not acknowledge your existence." You want localization? Get a local photographer to take a photo of your local demographic.
And let's talk about asians. In Hollywood movies, Asians are rarely ever the main protagonist. And if they are, it's usually some martial arts flick where they are portrayed as not greatly educated. And even that role is increasingly taken away. Forbidden Kingdom stars a white guy. Dragonball Evolution's Goku, a clearly asian character, is portrayed bby a white guy. And in the upcoming The Last Airbender, the entire group of protagonists are protrayed by white kids, when it should be an asian and 2 inuits.
It's racist, without a doubt. Localization? Come on... Microsoft thought Polish were racist and instead of putting principles first and profit later, they showed the world what is their position on principles.
Such behaviour shouldn't be acceptable at all in our societies and consumers should consider banning racist companies from their suppliers list.
what amazes me is the bad photoshop.
The light is coming from the right yet the light on the guy in the middle in the changed photo is coming from the left.
That's why the picture does not "read" and looks planted in, which is exactly what it was
Whatever,
Americans blow this out of proportion. I'm Polish living in Canada and I can see how people in North America can get offended by this change. However if you do not know the culture for which this ad (change) was targeted, there is no reason to say that's racist. There are very few black people in Poland. The culture is very much homogeneous in terms of skin color and normally one would never think about hiring a black person simply because there would be very few and only in the largest cities. So this is target marketing. Besides, because of the homogeneous history of Poland, people's perception of other skin colors is skewed and many of them, how should I say, are simply racist (which is not necessarily a bad thing). In Poland a black person is considered exotic. It will simply take time to adjust to the fact that black people are all over the globe and can also exist in Poland.
On the other hand the ad is crap anyways and the replacement of the black person with white simply horrible ... LOL !
whatever... chill...
Maciek
..I think the American version is really the horror here.
I want to know which one of those 3 people is gay and what are their religions! I mean it. Why doesn't it clearly say that too?! They should be clearly labeled! Which one of them is a lefty? How dare they not state that they are lefty-compliant?!
I'm gonna sue them!
As for the Polish version - it's localization. Try having black men on a software ad for the Eskimos.
Get a brain people.
For me, the important thing about this ad is what a terrible job Microsoft did changing the guy's race. It's pretty insulting to people in Poland that Microsoft didn't even bother to put the white guy's head on his body correctly
I wrote an article on my blog about it
http://tinyurl.com/mym7ad
For those who tried to weigh in with the weak, it's not racist it's localization types of responses. You need to check out the truth before you make such comments.
Check Microsoft's website for North Africa (an American/European looking Caucasian is featured - I supposed they'll say that's the predominant type of person in No. Africa) http://www.microsoft.com/northafrica/default.aspx
South Africa's MS site features now one - guess they didn't want to touch that.
Yet a quick check of Microsoft's Asian sites features Asians.
Hmmm... Why is that?
For the individuals that sugges this is a form of racism. What would you call this website www.365black.com?
If all things are equal, why isnt there other culture sites for the above link. Yet we don't even comment on this type of activity.
I think it's not racist,just another clumsy example of political correctness.
I am surprised at the comment of many people here who say its not racism but localization . its pure racism . I live in Poland and I am black . you guys don't have any idea what these people do to black people . I personally get insults everyday on the street just for my skin . let me tell its not the first time a black person has been used for advertisement in Poland .you go to some cities and see billboards with black people . even on TV . the problem here is that some poles are highly racist and someone in the organisation out of racist view edited the photo . Microsoft is an international body hence their publicity should show diversity . how can you argue that localization is a factor to consider . in other words support racism and suppress diversity , in order to make profit . that's highly stupid .people will use Microsoft software's no matter what ,as they are the biggest IT firm in the world . racist here will do everything to support this shameful act .
why did they not change the head of the Asian guy ,after all Asian are not much in Poland too and poles are not used to Asians too . foolish excuses .
Black people don't have a history of racial injustice like whites do. It's a reality that most whites probably carry racist genes, and it's probably still latent in their biology that still rears its ugly head at times to continue their quest to control natural resources and maintain monetary power through white supremacy. You can't ignore the facts that this country was built on human slave labor to be the most powerful in the modern world today, along with its far reaching business and political impact around the world. I don't think since slavery was abolished white people and the businesses they own just miraculously stopped being racist, they just learned to hide it in the climate of 'political correctness'. However you dress it up, that racist gene still lies beneath.
So why would a black person be Photoshopped out of a picture, so they can be replaced with a white head and keep the black hands?? I think it's insulting to the Polish people's intelligence. It's the 21st Century and Microsoft felt obliged to perpetuate this 'facade' that Polish people can't see blacks in advertisements or they will flip out because Poland is a sanctuary of homogeneous people with the same skin color... Like Microsoft needs to shoulder the weight of the world to shelter the Polish people from images that reflect blacks in professions where they participate everyday in business meetings through their ads. The shear ridiculousness of it all is why this even got press.
It's stupid obviously whoever made the choice to do it. If you are going to do it, don't keep the black hand on a body with a white face. DUH.
Anyways, yes of course there are racist implications. I don't care how oblivious white people are to this fact. They don't face this kind of discrimination where someone is going to Photoshop a white person out of a advertisement in a photo. It's ironic if white people say it's not racist, when a proportionate number of white Americans in their family roots and unfortunately have a long history of racial oppression, slavery, and any other human rights violation we can think of by subjecting non-whites e.g. American Indians, Japanese and blacks have been put through in our history. So to think we won't have that same mentality cross over in a Polish advertisement is totally baloney.
WOW, what do you smoke at night? Can you please pass the bong?
The problem is that we want to have equality, well guess what superchi, you can't have it ONE WAY!!!!!!!!!!
There are organizations like the rainbow coalition and the likes that protect the african american. Do you hear anything for the whites? Asians, Latinos, etc?
NO. That is the problem. If we are american, we need to be american and stop having the media and corporation split the country.
The argument that black people should be equally represented in Polish-language sites is ridiculous, and is offensively US-centric. Why are south Asians direly underrepresented relative to their proportion of the world population even in super-multicultural US ads? Is it because of our hatred of south Asians? Or is it perhaps because THERE AREN'T MANY SOUTH ASIANS IN THE US?
If you are localizing an ad to a population that is 80% Korean and 20% Latino, you probably focus on Koreans and Latinos. If you are targeting an ad at a population that is 97% African and 3% Caucasian, you have ads that primarily feature black people, with an occasional token white person. And if you're targeting an ad at a population that's something like 95% Polish or other Caucasian and 5% Vietnamese, you use mostly Caucasians with a sprinkling of Vietnamese.
As far as I can tell some of the posts in this thread are implying that there is something wrong with Poland, simply because the population is mainly Poles. You have to have your head up your ass to think that, because Poland might be as racially diverse as Western Europe if it weren't for the fact that they spent half the twentieth century being assf*cked by the Nazis and the Soviets.
The Polish didn't enslave black people and force them to work on their plantations. They didn't even colonize and oppress the third world like Spain, England, France, etc. On the contrary, Poland is still trying to recover from its own poverty and oppression.
So Americans need to back off and let them be.
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