FaceApp Forced to Pull “Racist” Filters That Allow “Digital Blackface”

Megalith

Megalith

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FaceApp debuted new filters yesterday that allowed users to turn portraits into different races, and it caused immediate outrage: the company was forced to remove their “ethnicity filters” in mere hours, as the accusations of racism and blackface were too much for the developers to bear.

The company initially released a statement arguing that the “ethnicity change filters” were “designed to be equal in all aspects”. “They don’t have any positive or negative connotations associated with them,” the company’s chief executive Yaroslav Goncharov said. “They are even represented by the same icon. In addition to that, the list of those filters is shuffled for every photo, so each user sees them in a different order.” But by 5pm on the same day, FaceApp apparently agreed with the criticism, pulling the new filters from its app. They were unavailable to users a few hours later.
 
Why that avatar taking my skin color without experiencing what it is like to be me is nothing short of cultural appropriation and a micro aggression. I'm offended. We should protest, burn and loot their HQ, then setup an office of cultural correctness at their company.
 
That_Sound_Guy said:
I'm glad there isn't bigger issues in this world than a stupid skin pigment filter... Guess were outlawing Halloween and makeup next.
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The black filter photoshopped you onto a basketball court at the local prison and the Chinese filter photoshopped you into a math class, unless you're a female, in which case it photoshopped you as a corpse.


Not really. The whole app's purpose is to visualize what you'd look like in other scenarios. I don't see why this is an issue.
 
Let me guess though -- it's only racist if a white person photoshops themselves to look a different color?

Seriously though - in the fucked up age where anyone can identify as a gender neutral hypersexual toaster -- what's stopping me from me from adopting another culture and calling myself <insert race here> oh that's right I'm a white male so anything I say, do, or think is automatically racist right?

You bet your as michael jackson had some sort of visualization plastic surgeon doctor showing him what he will look like after the surgery and skin treatments, so what's the problem with this? I'm really looking forward to the day people realize these SJW's are do nothing busy bodies full of shit.
 
collegeboy69us said:
Let me guess though -- it's only racist if a white person photoshops themselves to look a different color?

Seriously though - in the fucked up age where anyone can identify as a gender neutral hypersexual toaster -- what's stopping me from me from adopting another culture and calling myself <insert race here> oh that's right I'm a white male so anything I say, do, or think is automatically racist right?

You bet your as michael jackson had some sort of visualization plastic surgeon doctor showing him what he will look like after the surgery and skin treatments, so what's the problem with this? I'm really looking forward to the day people realize these SJW's are do nothing busy bodies full of shit.
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daybreak-08-12-darybreak-exclusive-britains-fir-transgender-muslim-an-oxymoron-12687981.png
 
gxp500 said:
Don't give people any ideas, they might roll with it...
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Heaven forbid!

I think I'll invent an app where everyone has a grim fandango / day of the dead skull face, gray skin, and no gender just to get hate mail.
 
I identify as a meat popsicle, this app is meatist by not permitting me to view myself in true form
 
This is proof that people:
1. Have no life.
2. Have nothing real to complain about.
3. Don't appreciate fun innovation.
4. Ass to happy!

I'm indian and think it's completely hilarious.
 
I see enough race baiting on both sides. This feature could have exacerbated that. It can't be stopped with the way technology is. But I'm not losing sleep about it being harder to do since its removal. Seems like people who don't even use the application are getting their panties In a twist over nothing.
 
Ugh... I could see someone maybe getting a tiny bit upset if it did something grotesquely out of line or caricature-esque, but come on. Adding some race-based features to a photo is totally not in and of itself offensive in any way. Even in the (what is that Final Fantasy pic on the [H] blurb) it actually looks good! So what, are we going to ban Trading Places now because Dan Aykroyd pretended to be Jamaican?!?! Jesus Fucking Christ! I don't see any harm in someone saying "I wonder what I'd look like if I was Asian". Maybe you even have some ancestral heritage that you want to check out or something.

I guess we have to be offended by everything now though. :rolleyes:

Edit: Nevermind... :D (I didn't need to add to this...)
 
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{NG}Fidel said:
I see enough race baiting on both sides. This feature could have exacerbated that. It can't be stopped with the way technology is. But I'm not losing sleep about it being harder to do since its removal. Seems like people who don't even use the application are getting their panties In a twist over nothing.
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I don't use it, and sure, I guess you COULD technically misuse (I guess?) it to harass someone, but then you can do that with Photoshop too, or Facebook, or any other method of communicating in a hateful way. It's the person using it that way, not the ability to do it that would cause the problem. I see potential for abuse, but I see this same potential with just about any form of communication both verbal or tech-based.
 
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Just as well they never included a kkk hood as an option. Is it also racism when a while ago some female black singers seemed to be lightening their skin? Beyonce being the main culprit of that.

Much ado about nothing blown out of all proportion.
 
PhaseII said:
I'm transage. I'm 48, I feel 58, I look 68, I act 28.
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And you bang 18. :D

This is stupid. It's not racist at all. It's applying a filter. I tried it and it was cool. The Asian one was damn near perfect. Black one needed work, but it looked ok. Indian one was shit. Also, I'd make a horribly ugly woman. I'd look like my sister. :D
 
{NG}Fidel said:
Haha that's the juxtaposition i was trying to make. I don't think side is all bad.
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Oh. So you're just rolling over and taking it? Damn. I was hoping for a better fight.

Off topic, but does HBO still do boxing? I might look into HBO Go if that's the case. I haven't watched a good boxing match in a long time.


I do wonder WHY people think it's racist. None of that "check your white privilege" or "you wouldn't understand, you're white" stuff. But, an actual reason why it would be considered racist. It's not mocking anyone, it's not using it in a derogatory way, there is nothing negative about it, it's just good fun. I'm not saying I'd agree or disagree with them, but I'd like to hear a reasonable argument.
 
Ur_Mom said:
With that attitude, I think it's going to be a good fight. Liberals vs. Conservatives.
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Regardless of whether liberal or conservative, people these days are way too thin skinned and get offended by the silliest crap imaginable.

If something is done with intent to offend, insult or degrade, it is an entirely different matter than something that is done innocently, as humor, as an homage, or simply to draw attention to an issue.
People really need to grow up.
 
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... K.


so much other bullshit going on in the world.






SERIOUSLY?



/quit
 
Drewis said:
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... K.


so much other bullshit going on in the world.






SERIOUSLY?



/quit
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This is only valid if you only complain about big issues. So when it's used it's just such a cop out.
 
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