- Home
- Business & Marketing (833)
- Editorials (671)
- Entertainment (2033)
- Fashion (1032)
- Highbrid (189)
- Honeys (2876)
- Humor (948)
- Music (5222)
- Need to Know (2224)
- News (2076)
- Podcasts (4)
- ARCHIVE
Thursday, August 27, 2009 | 7:51am
[RANT] Microsoft The Latest Victim Of Sharpton’s Race Gestapo
Activist’s self-serving interest have conditioned too many to see racist intentions in everyone
Cyber fam and fellow blogger, Urban Thought and I have often shared a common philosophy when it comes to the institution of racism. Those regular Highbrid Nation readers out there know that I firmly believe the race card has been extremely overplayed in recent years. The Jesse Jackson and “Captain African-America” Sharpton‘s of the world have lead us to believe that racial injustice is lurking behind ever corner ready to pounce on us and at a moment’s notice we must be prepared to march, protest and demonstrate against it.
What most fail to realize is that’s their hustle. Without racism there is no Sharpton, no Rainbow Coalition, no dough! So they condition their mindless followers, of which there are many to view everything with race colored glasses.
To stop the frustrating cry wolf trend, Urban Thought and I have only half jokingly discussed appointing a panel of intelligent and discerning individuals who would examine various incidents and determine based on the evidence if indeed there are racial undertones. We’ll keep you posted on that.
Anyway, at a time when social networking, and web 2.0 applications are bridging global communications private citizens and even large corporations are living their lives on the internet one tweet at a time. But as Microsoft recently learned, the benefits of becoming more intimate with consumers can put you at risk of becoming a victim of the race gestapo.
Over the past 2 days, Microsoft has been profusely apologizing for digitally removing a black man from one of its ads and using Adobe Photoshop to insert a white man in his place for the same ad targeting the Polish market. Naturally once noticed, the racial army mobilized on Twitter and the blogosphere expressing outrage forcing the tech giant to back peddle.
PHOTOSHOPPED IMAGE
ORIGINAL
“We are looking into the details of this situation,” a Microsoft representative told CNET News. “We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image” from the Polish site. The company even felt the need to issue a Tweet about the “mistake” and once again apologize.
MicroSoft: Marketing site photo mistake – sincere apologies – we’re in the process of taking down the image http://bit.ly/2B0Yk ^LG
And while I agree the photoshopping was a mistake, the question is what kind? If anything its the mistake of being lazy. With all Microsoft’s money, I’m sure it would have been quite easy during the photo shoot to ask the black dude to step out the shot while they put a polish looking man in his place. They opened themselves up for criticism but there’s no racism or injustice here. That would imply intent and Microsoft was just trying to adjust and image that THEY OWN to cater more to consumer their ad looked to target. Let’s stop getting bent out of shape because with each little tantrum black folks throw about these insignificant little incidents, the less credibility we have when we really do need to pull the race card.
FILED IN Editorials, News, Technology, Web 2.0
Al always reminds me of the mobsters who try to claim that the only reason they are being prosecuted is because of prejudice against Italian-Americans.
Good analogy. I think equating him to a mobster is perfect. He even has the slickback.
Whats with this “Captain African American thing”, that’s some crabs in a barrel shit. The bottom line is that no one else steps to the plate to defend African Americans and all Blacks for that matter more than Al Sharpton.
America as a country is a bully they bullied the Natives they more than bullied Blacks, they bullied Asians during WW2, they bullied the immigrant Irish,Jews and Italians in early to-mid 1900′s, Mexican Migrant workers and the list goes on.
When does the bullying stop when they realize they can’t eff w/your group w/o getting punched in the mouth, and thats what Al Sharpton is he’s our fist. Not only is he the fist but he’s also our bullet proof vest he takes the shots that other so called “leaders” aint willing to take. Why don’t people openly disrespect the Jews? Because they know a shit storm will rain down upon them if they do. Why don’t people openly disrespect Italins b/c everyone thinks that Paulie will be at your front door w/cement boots for you. So hopefully will get to the point where people will stop disrespecting blacks intentionally or unintentionally b/c We’ll rain down on them with our fist (Al Sharpton) w/our money (Jews) and we got a few black Paulies for if shit really gets hectic. Unitl we get to that point we’ll forever be on the Bullies list of easy targets.
And as far as the compensation SHARPTON receives please point out the person in America who works for free? (Crickets) Martin, Malcolm, and any other Black leader you can name all got compensated for their services. They wasn’t installing drywall on the weekends to make ends meet.Go to any church they always collect a preachers offering, so the money point is weak at best. Its’ part of the fabric!
I feel some of your takes, but Rev. Sharpton is definetely not the only defender of Black People. In fact, all his talk is reactionary. Where is his program for self-improvement? Minister Louis Farrakhan has been more maligned than Rev. Sharpton, just in a different way. The Nation of Islam has a self-improvement program. Black people got scared off from listening/following Min. Farrakhan after 9/11 because he is a Muslim. However, white people/media don’t mock him or disrespect him like they do Rev. Sharpton. Min. Farrakhan has always spoken the truth, speaks up for Black People, 100%, regardless of who doesn’t like it.
I put my friend on to Twitter and now I’ve fallen off of it. Looks like I need to get back on it. Thanks for the shout out.
.
No one got upset at the Apple commercials when they dropped the white dude for the people who appealed more the the Asian regions. They even went so far as to change the style of the campaign just for the market they were targeting. We truly need to focus our energies elsewhere.
.
It isn’t that people don’t appreciate Sharpton’s passion. We all know that there aren’t too many people out there ready to get in front of the cameras and mobilize people. But it’s the cause that is being tackled which is the biggest concern. I’m sure his energy can be well spent getting folk educated on other matters so that we can be the ones to build technology, rather than just spending our money on it.
I agree we shouldn’t jump at every cause, but at the same time we’re not in a position as a people to be letting shit slide either.
4PL loves to hear himself talk and see himself write. Anyway….. I agree with you Juan because we actually have some marketing background. The argument goes both ways. Sharpton would want a Polish company marketing in the U.S. to change their ads to attract a black audience. That’s the problem with race-baiting: it’s a two way street. Plus, the real crab in a barrel thing is being DISRESPECTFUL when somebody has an opinion that you don’t agree with. Black folks gotta stop doing that ish to each other. So what? Let folks think how they wanna think. You’ll persuade them better if you respectfully state your difference in opinion, rather than try to question their blackness. For all we know, you might not be black yourself.
Zack the Almighty is back! Where have you been friend, I missed you.
I think I need to be abundantly clear AND FAIR to Captain Al that he has not (yet) gotten involved in this Microsoft situation. My point is that its his strategy to program the militant black community looking for a fight to cry foul at every turn when in fact if you took a step back, it really isn’t that serious.
.
Yeah Al gets paid. Good for him. I don’t want us to forget that however. It financially behooves him to have racism. I honestly believe he wants to irradiate the practice. However he also realizes it exists and isn’t going anywhere. As long as its here, his marketing strategy is to ensure even the slightest controversy to seem racial. Crabs in a barrel? Nah…just keep em honest. If he’s Tyson, I’ll be the Las Vegas Boxing Commission.
I agree we should keep our leaders honest, and hold them to a high standard. But “Captain African American” that’s something I would expect from Bill O Reilly or one of his colleagues. I’m holding you Juan to a higher standard!
I wouldn’t consider Captain African America a derogatory term. Its tongue-in-cheek reference. The fact of the matter is Sharpton think he’s black folks superhero. He probably has a phone booth in his office.
Isn’t that the equivalent to some of the cartoons that they had of Obama with and S on his chest. Not saying he is Captain African-American, but a superhero about to save America from itself and the world. And only a certain group got upset with that. And it wasn’t black people. I’m just saying.
Brother Juan, I want you to remember this article you wrote, when you or your love ones need the good Rev to come to your aid. But being the soldier he is, he’ll still be there in your defense, but only if you reach out to him and ask for his assistance. The good Rev. only go where he’s requested and then he do his homework before he take on a fight. If it wasn’t for brothers like Rev. Sharpton,Jessie, Martin, Malcom, Farrahkan and others.. You would not be able to write this article. Don’t get like Justice Thomas, benefit from affirmative action and then vote against it.
So what Microsoft changed their ad. At the end of the day Sharpton pullin at straws on this one.
We’ve got to stop pullin the race card every time something doesn’t go the way we think it should. Racism does exist but this ain’t the 60′s. We need get over this “everything is about race” hump in order to move forward.