It is common knowledge to several people that pictures can be deceiving, but to those with an untrained eye, it could easily fool them. With today's technology and advanced computer programs, transforming a photograph or some video image can be as easy as clicking a button on the mouse. For the 2001-2002 Undergraduate Application for the University of Wisconsin, the cover photo of the application was manipulated "to make the campus appear to be more diverse". The original photograph was of a 1993 football game, which depicted several Caucasian students celebrating a possible victory over an opponent. The hidden truth behind the altered photograph is that an African American student by the name of Diallo Shabazz was photo-shopped into the background in order to make the background diverse enough for the applicants that would be applying in the upcoming school year. The student, Diallo Shabazz, was actually not even in attendance at the game. The photo of him was actually from 1994. This manipulation seems to be unharmful, compared to some of the manipulations that are running around in the media everyday, but it did in fact present some "false advertisement" ideals. While some famous actresses have their faces placed on the bodies of beautiful models to make them appear more attractive, Wisconsin University did this as well, but in a different scheme. By adding the African American student to the background that showed Wisconsin students having a great time, the University was hoping to attract more students from different ethnicities in order to accomplish this goal of diversity. Seeing this as a harmful thing could go either way, considering that a student from an under-represented ethnic group could feel out-numbered and like an outcast in a place where they alone and the only one of their kind.
2 comments:
I also spent some time looking at this photo, and was amazed that a university would do such an outlandish thing, just to seem more diverse. I agree that this manipulation was not particularly harmful, but it definitely seems unneeded, and a bit odd.
I also nearly commented on this photo Angel- I couldn't believe that an institution of higher education was able to lie so freely!What does this say about it's standards? I think it's so wrong, an applicant has the right to know exactly what he/she is going to receive from that university!
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