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FaceApp apparently now has race filters. I never got the humor in these.

ffdgh

Member
I wanna see what the limits of this tech are.
vEQl3up.jpg

Huh...wow.
 

Uhyve

Member
Are you a man on a mission? I say exactly what you say in the bolded. And what's racist isn't the filter, but some posters thinking their outer appearance if their mom or dad were of that specific race instead would be accurately portrayed by this filter. Which it isn't.
It's probably because alot of people here don't venture onto Twitter. So we've not seen that sort of behaviour. Real stupid though if people are doing that.

But then, even if people are expressing it poorly, if it makes people consider the fact that they are so similar to other races, it could be a good thing. Even if their way of expressing it is completely ignorant.
 

-TK-

Member
Haha, can't really believe they took that update down. People are so sensitive and everything is racist now.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
japanese friend of mine send me hers last night, I missed it bc I was asleep. would have been interesting to try it myself.
 

OCD Guy

Member
Young Rachel Dolezal vs Culture Vulture Rachel Dolezal

Oh shit. Yeah she's white alright going by how she looks naturally....

I had to put this woman in Youtube out of curiosity, and what is wrong with her "The police mark black on my traffic tickets"
 

Audioboxer

Member
Kim and Trump LOL. Hopefully a good number of people tweeting it at Trump as you know his ego would take a hit.

Developers should have had some backbone and politely told the internet to chill out a bit, it's a process which everyone of all walks of life can take part in if they want. The app itself is usable by all, and it already allows male to female/female to male and more. If anything an argument could be made it attempts to celebrate diversity and could decouple some from thinking their race or skin colour is all they are. Maybe a bit of a stretch, most would just use it for fun, but as a somewhat sizeable social experiment it could shift the balance a little (there is that viral tweet from a father saying his daughter is beautiful white or black).

However, a large tech company getting these sorts of accusations will instantly cause the highers ups to go into full on panic mode about their advertisers and bottom line. I can understand a little offence/uncertainty/uncomfortability with this, but really, it's impressive tech that shouldn't be taken as a political movement. People on the internet do lots of shit with tools, it can't always be helped.

Anyway, as someone else said they were getting 1-star reviews for it at first, and now they're continuing to get 1-star reviews for removing it lol.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
No it's flat out racist, my skin colour is not something that someone can causally use for cheap 5 second laugh.

Did you file a DMCA takedown with the app owner, citing a copyright claim on your melanin count? That explains why they took it offline!

five seconds
 

Orb

Member
i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface
 
lol please tell me this is Seth rogen

Yea, my first thought as well. Damn, dissapointed they took down the app feature.

i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface

Can you explain to me, seriously (Not picking a fight) what is the issue? That it reinforces stereotypes about appearance or something? It seems like it's pretty fair game and very impressive in accuracy so I'm just not really understanding I guess.
 

krang

Member
i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface

This is not blackface. Using the app to generate an image, then using that image to pretend you're something you're not is blackface.
 
i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface

is it though? this is or was available worldwide, and not every country has a history of blackface.

i think it would have been way more racist to exclude African features on the assumption that black people are too fragile to handle the app, tbh.. thats just my opinion though and im not black so fuck if i know.

i will say though, we can be pretty sure that the app makers did not take into account all the different facial features in Africa, because in reality there is of course tremendous variety (i would guess at least as much as in Europe or Asia, probably more) .. Somalis, Nigerians, South Africans, Masai people etc etc all look very different thanks to the huge genetic variety on the continent. so maybe its racist because they simplified it too much.. i can buy that.
 
i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface
People don't find the race switches entertaining because this app featured exeggerated or comical features of black people, but because it showed people in a slightly different light by portraying them as how they might look as the member of a different ethnicity.

It's funny when it *fails* (see Black Trump).


Really, really doesn't feel like blackface to me. If even this is too much, honestly we might just stop trying to live in harmony because if we can't even stand to think how we'd look as people of other ethnicities then there's no way multiculturalism could work.

(... Went on a bit of a tangent there lol)
 
For some reason the "Young" filter on this app makes me black. Might be because of my beard or something.

i recently got the notif and instantly reeled in shock

how tf they think this okay

edit: lol at people not thinking that this is totally just digital blackface
I would tend to agree if they just added a "black" filter but they added 4 races. TBH the black one I found to be the most tastefully done one. Having said that I didn't have any urge to turn myself black for the lulz. Smile2 is the GOAT for that.
 

Audioboxer

Member
is it though? this is or was available worldwide, and not every country has a history of blackface.

i think it would have been way more racist to exclude African features on the assumption that black people are too fragile to handle the app, tbh.. thats just my opinion though and im not black so fuck if i know.

i will say though, we can be pretty sure that the app makers did not take into account all the different facial features in Africa, because in reality there is of course tremendous variety (i would guess at least as much as in Europe or Asia, probably more) .. Somalis, Nigerians, South Africans, Masai people etc etc all look very different thanks to the huge genetic variety on the continent. so maybe its racist because they simplified it too much.. i can buy that.

Or if the app was only usable by white people, as the point is anyone anywhere in the world can enter their picture and see what the tech can do.

The way some may have used it online is what could've been causing some issues, but like many tools people online can use them in dubious ways. Google fan art for certain games and then find out your eyes and sensibilities come under attack. People have been photoshopping and editing things for a long time, and they key thing to remember here is that the app was an equal opportunity provider. Usable by all for all.

I think in 10-15 years time something like this releasing wouldn't bat an eyelid. Right now it's probably an example of leading tech in its field given it's free and can run on a mobile phone, and is going through that slightly hyperbolic public backlash as people aren't used to this kind of ease of tech dramatically and realistically changing their appearance. It makes many feel uncomfortable, but in reality, as a social experiment, it's probably a good thing if that uncomfortability is challenged as why are you feeling that way about other racial differences, skin colors, etc? Pie in the sky wishes as an app isn't going to radically alter perceptions, stigma and so on but it could maybe do a little in the greater battle.

Give it a bit of time and the tech will be even more advanced, impressive and probably being used in another ways. I could maybe even see something like this in the future expand into being used in games development for quick and accurate diversifying of character models. Look at how decently it can work already on 3D models and even games. That FF13 picture is quite impressive. Yes it needs more diversity within the filters, but it's arguably fledgling tech, or tech that is just getting started and will no doubt be refined and added to along the way.
 

aember

Member
Damn, should've kept reading the thread. Five posts before everyone started saying it got pulled I downloaded the app and was trying to figure out why these filters weren't showing up. Really wanted to see how I'd've looked.
 
Honestly I'm not really sure why they pulled it. It's not as if those who felt insulted are going to suddenly start using the app now that they retracted it. The act was done, whatever intention they interpreted the developer to have is now entrenched.
 

test_account

XP-39C²
I can appreciate the tech from a curiosity point of view. I don't think there's anything inherently racist about wondering what I might look like were I a different race.

But of course a lot of people will just use the app to be dicks or poke fun at other races, and let's be honest, most of those people will be whites.
Isnt the last sentence there racist? :p
 

blastprocessor

The Amiga Brotherhood
Amazed at this tech it's sometimes hilarious/surprising to see the results. Am also surprised they took it down. I don't see the racist link.
 
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