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Microsoft Apologizes for Changing Race in Ad Photo
AP
August 26, 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.”
© 2009, YellowBrix, Inc._
shortstop20
2 months ago
6 comments
Who really gives a crap. Political correctness is killing this country.
jfermo
2 months ago
8 comments
@jmotley: I see your point, but I don't agree that a business decision should always determine choices in advertisements, especially when such a decision undermines a core philosophy of a company or actively suggests (or encourages) a form of discrimination.
Plus, it's very cynical. There may be some people who do not identify with someone who looks different from them, but it's still a narrow mindset - and the last-minute change is both sloppy and unprofessional. I think an ad with a bunch of bland people sitting in a meeting for a business product did not need to have this change.
leonpwhirl
2 months ago
10 comments
no if this was a white man that was changed for a black man, where would this story be? Just saying it's only an issue because someone wanted to make it a issue.
paulabeth129
2 months ago
176 comments
That's okay. Every time I take a photo with my man, he photo shops in Chuck Liddell. Should I worry?
jmotley
2 months ago
10 comments
Yws I think this was wrong but at the same time it was nothing more then a business decision. How many polish people do you see that are black. Personally I've seen 0. People want to buy a product that they can identify with. If your dealing with a culture that is over 90% white then it makes good business sense to place a white guy on the cover.
cthenkhaus
2 months ago
102 comments
Wow, couldn't even change the color of the hand. That's just sloppy