I wasn't going to blog about this, because, quite frankly, I am never surprised at the behavior of those in corporate A-merry-ca (and A-merry-ca in general) when it comes to matters of race. But this latest gaffe by Microsoft is just too rich to pass up.
Most of you know the story by now: Microsoft is running this ad in Poland because they probably don't think the Poles think too highly of us black folks when it comes to intelligence. (I was going to say something else, but I will leave it alone.) So, as a result, they decided to pull a switcharoo and replace the brotha with a white guy. Poland being Poland, I guess they didn't think it be too cool to put a black guy in an ad with something they are trying to sell over there. But why not just use a white guy? Why photoshop the brotha? And such an innocent looking non threatening Negro at that. Look at how that Negro is smiling? I bet that white woman sitting next to him doesn't even feel threatened...let me stop.
Nice try Microsoft, but you made one little mistake in your photoshop fiasco: you forgot to match the white guys hands with the face. Yeah, I know this is the age of Obama, but we still aren't ready for people who are literally half and half just yet.
This is too funny. Of course, as is usually the case with these little racial faux pas, Microsoft is trying to figure out what went wrong, because they are soooooo not racist. The following is from The Times Online:
"Microsoft used its own Twitter feed to apologise. “We are looking into the details of this situation,” a company spokesman said. “We apologise and are in the process of pulling down the image.” ...Later, a spokeswoman for Microsoft in Poland said that the doctoring was a “simple mistake” and was not racially motivated. The picture was taken in September last year, she said, and all four people responsible for editing it had left the company some time ago. “We would really like to apologise,” she said. “We are a multiracial company and there isn’t a chance any of us are racist.”
Soooo, because you are a "multiracial company" there "isn't a chance any" of you are racist? Are you kidding me Ms. spokeswoman? Now I see why your company embarrassed itself with this ad. You people really have no clue, do you?
Anyway, back to your normal lives everybody. This was just a little corporate speed bump on our way to racial harmony here in A-merry-ca. Besides, speaking of speed; I have to go and work out now. I think my man racism is calling me out from down in Texas again. [Thanks Anastassia]And you all know that he doesn't play. I might have some serious chasing to do.
