Working out how Political Correctness Gone Mad works makes my brain hurt

Okay - hypothetical situation time.

A company produces an advert with a great big photograph and at the eleventh hour realises there aren't enough ethnic minorities in it. They clumsily Photoshop over one of the people with the face of a black man, and it becomes obvious that this is what has happened.

That's Political Correctness Gone Mad, right? Imagine the howls of rage over on the Mail and Express comments sections about how white people are oppressed and all that lovely stuff. Doesn't bear thinking about.

What about if a company produces an advert but clumsily Photoshops over the black guy in it with a white guy's head? The same thing has happened with the races reversed. That must be Political Correctness Gone Mad too, right?

Wrong! It's a little bit complicated. In this situation, the only way we're talking Political Correctness Gone Mad is if we're talking about the original decision to include a black man or if we're talking about the complaints about the clumsy ethnic cleansing of the photograph.

I know because of this story 'Sleight of hand: Microsoft forced to apologise after changing advert to replace black man in Polish version'. Just check out the wording on that headline in the first place. The story's already about Microsoft being forced to apologise rather than being about the Photoshopping. Could give a little hint as to why some of the comments I'm going to qoute focus on the PC Gorn Madness of the apology rather than the original poor Photoshop job. Great.

Anyway - here are some nice comments:

Poland has a right to decide and enforce whatever it feels appropriate.

- Irene Rybinska, London UK, 26/8/2009

The Mail enforcing its diversity targets with a comment from someone with a Polish sounding name there.

Black guy out = Racist. White guy out = who cares?. Obviously aimed at the Polish market and percentage of it's majority of white populace. However, as millions of Poles are here in the UK, why not confine the ad to the bin.

- jane, essex, 26/8/2009

This one's brilliant because it complains about racism against white people while actually being sort of racist against white people.

PC gone mad again.

I remember in the 1990's when American companies insisted in sending black representatives out to Warsaw, to better enhance Polish acceptance and improve their kindred feelings.

They also did the same in the mid 1960's in Lagos, Nigeria.

Both were both complete disasters as they were not accepted in Nigeria, who felt they were being patronized, and in Warsaw they were simply seen as oddities.
We need a new quango to get rid of PC in Britain.

- Colin, Wolverhampton, 26/8/2009 14:49

I like this one because of the last sentence. Two countries are involved in this article and neither of them is Britain. And yet the story is evidence that we need to get rid of PC in Britain.

"perceived racist attitudes of Eastern European countries."

Why is it anyone who doesn't conform to ethnicly changing a country is rcist ?. Doesn't Poland have a right to decide what they want..........mind you we didn't get a say

- John, Salford/England, 26/8/2009 14:29

Another piece of PC trivia blown up to satisfy the needs of the Human Rights brigades appeasers.
If I (Caucasian male) was paid to appear in an advertisement that was being shown in Somalia, the last thing I would complain about would be if my mugshot was replaced with that of a Somalian. The original picture smells of a bit of a set up (Black, Asian Caucasian female), or am I just getting old and cynical.
Shame on Microsoft for having the backbone of a jellyfish. Microsoft should have told the PC brigades in no uncertain fashion where to go to...

- Mac, New Town, 26/8/2009 13:54

Hold on, why isnt there a white man in the original picture? havent you notice that nearly all adverts contain males that are not white and non black women.

- luke, london, 26/8/2009 13:00

Nearly all adverts in Luke's mind, that is.

Good grief. All the black people in Poland must be up in arms, all ten of them. For God's sake stop all this PC crap now. Let us return to sanity again.

- B J Deller He is obviously too incompetent to be a, Marbella Spain, 26/8/2009 12:37

i'm white and i have to put up with this all the time here in England. TV adverts government publications local council publications you name it diversity rears it's head. positive discrimination is annoying and unnecessary.

- PETER WRIGHT, ipswich.ENGLAND, 26/8/2009 11:51

so now they're taking the white man out. thats racist too.

- Richard, Newcastle, England, 26/8/2009 11:44

I'm bored now. I guess things are only Political Correctness Gone Mad if they're doing something positive for anyone who isn't white. Who'd have thunk it? Oh, and you'll have to imagine your own Express comments, since the paper didn't bother with this example of PC Gorn Mad. New migration stats get released tomorrow, so the fun may begin again. Bye!