Microsoft’s photoshop blunder: racist or stupidity?
August 27, 2009 //
Microsoft photoshopped a stock image to appeal to its Polish customers by replacing the face of a black man with that of a white. Visitors to the site in the US were presented 3 diverse business people. Polish visitors saw the black man replaced with a white man. The image wasn’t even professionally doctored. Perhaps they should have employed someone fom Adobe?!
To use different types of people for different terrortaries is one thing, but to actually photoshop an image like they did is another. I think.
Were they being racist or just stupid?
Gerald Wiggins says 
marco goldschmied says 
Sharon Crossley says 
I think it’s a case of Microsoft bending to the realities of polish society in a less than intelligent way.
Now I might sound racist saying this: but the reality is that a lot of eastern European countries, such as Poland have a very high level of racism among people against people of different ethnic backgrounds, especially where skin tone is markedly different from what they are used to.
My guess is Microsofts marketing department knows this, and didn’t want to “rock the boat” in Poland, and as a result come off as bigotted idiots themselves
August 27th, 2009
I don’t see how racism and stupidity are exclusive.
However, what I see has happened is that a black man will not sell well to an Eastern European country, because as Willie says, there is a profound degree of discrimination in such countries. From race to sexuality.
August 27th, 2009
“Were they being racist or just stupid?”
I guess you’re opening the issue up for contributions, not simply offering a forced choice.
Racist? Depends on what you mean by racist, I’d say. Impossible to know what was in the mind of the people who decided it should be done, the person who allocated the work and the person who implemented the decision. Systemic behaviour certainly - I mean that many were involved.
It would be interesting to know what sort of discussion went on within Microsoft. Did they anticipate that the trick would be revealed and exposed to public debate? Is it possible that some deep thinking individual suggested it be done because it would be found out and MS would get so much additional exposure?
Is MS in such financial straits that it can’t afford to purchase two images? Are there any copyright issues involved in altering a stock image like this?
I better give you a straight answer to your question:
I’d call it ‘racist’ and stupid. It involved making a huge effort to take the black face out of the picture, when it wouldn’t have been half as controversial to have used a different image.
Maybe it was a deliberate attempt to undermine so-called racism in E Europe by drawing attention to it?
August 27th, 2009
I respect Microsoft, worked for them, had a great experience. Though in this case, the act is of stupidity for sure!
November 28th, 2009