What am I talking about?
This is the original photo for Toronto's summer "Fun Guide".
Fairly non-descript, right? Now following is their current cover, after they decided to prioritize showing "the diversity of Toronto and its residents."
Now doesn't that just make your day? You might briefly be tempted to think this is some racist "pasting a black guy in at the last second" and then you realize, that's exactly what it is... And it's hilarious! How in this day and age of the iphone etc. is the country of Canada still, literally, like scissors and Elmer's, cutting-and-pasting images for a major activity guide?? Canada can't get an intern? This is Canada's biggest city being represented here! Is Toronto's Parks, Forestry & Recreation a one-man blogger operation? Is this thing handwritten on the inside? Look at it again. It's ridiculous. What is the black guy looking at? And maybe I've been staring too long, but doesn't his smile look kinda half-hearted? Like even he's wondering how he stumbled into this random circle of euphoric strangers (but moms over there is kinda cute). This is the most obvious example of slacking/waiting until the last possible moment I've seen from a country's economic capital evar!!!!
In a way, I guess, they kind of have the catalog game on lockdown. What better way to have fun with the whole "show diversity" game than this? And the Canadian spokesman who addressed the matter was very straightforward. Here's some quotes:
"He superimposed the African-Canadian person onto the family cluster in the original photo ...
We want everyone to feel involved and welcome to participate in everything. That's the only goal. Nothing wrong with that.
The policy doesn't say PhotoShop, the policy says 'show diversity'"
Ahh, yes. Love it. Dude's like, what? We old school. Respect our melting pot. If you got complaints, take this crayon and construction paper and drop it in the straw basket outside.
But yeah, back to reality ... if you're a graphic designer, holla at canada.
I'm from Toronto, there ARE people with photoshop skills! They just don't work for the Toronto Parks department, they work for the advertising companies, etc. I mean, the only people I know who've worked for the Toronto Parks department have not been the most technically competent, though they all did love the outdoors and recreation, which is ideal given the department.
ReplyDeleteI keed the Canadians.
ReplyDeleteBut, it's true; I shouldn't joke so heartily, since it seems a function of values being in the right place. no photoshop, but we got you on health care...
LOL I thought it was Mike Epps [Day Day from "Next Friday"] I was tripping like ???? is he from Canada? LMAO
ReplyDeleteI *could* get up in arms over this but decided not to exert the energy but damn they couldn't take a NEW pic of the "diverse" family?
Pretty shitty of them to do that and I'm pretty sure CANADIAN BLACKS pay taxes and their monies went to this piece of shit advertising?
only in 2009! Why does it feel like we're going BACKWARDS in time on everything else besides this retarded ass technology? and since we have ACCESS to that technology; why not make a better picture? oh wait, I guess its not worth the effort? meh and this is NOT in the USA! wow!
**look like the little boy is screaming because the Black dude is next to him: WHO IS THIS MAN MOMMY?! LMAO! look at the kid's hand photoshopped so terribly
Whoever did this photoshop: EPIC FAIL, [eh?]
It almost looks like a shot from the Tyrone Biggums Modeling School.
ReplyDeleteThis probably wasn't done by the Parks Department. I work in government, governments don't typically have a graphic design staff, sadly enough. Though Toronto City might. But usually government will find the lowest bid graphic design agency and commission them to complete the graphic designs for their material.
ReplyDeleteToronto should have paid a little more money here... But they did get publicity.
Much of the world including Canada thinks most Americans are insular and completely ignorant about the world outside our borders. And I bet most Americans incorrectly believe that Canada is about as diverse as the NHL.
ReplyDeleteBut then the Canadians go and do something like this. What do you expect us to think?
From the biggest city no less...
I spent six weeks in Toronto back in '05, studying qi gong and tai chi, and dancing a lot of salsa, which was a nice diverse crowd. Except that the first black guy I meet, his name is Norman, and he spoke English like he grew up on the set of Fargo... you know, that clipped, nasal, uber white mid-western accent... Tripped me the honk out.
ReplyDeleteCanada is not a melting pot: It's a mosaic.
ReplyDeleteSo there, I guess.