Black Guy Photoshopped In.

Why don't people ever figure out that this is a bad idea?

The Onion article scenario is pretty bad, but I don't see the problem with the altered stock photo.

If the organization takes a photo of REAL members and then photoshops in non-members to create the illusion of diversity, that's horrible.

But if an organization alters a stock photo so that it better conveys a message of diversity...well, I don't see the problem.

There was a shortcoming in the orignal stock photo, so they fixed it. Perhaps the problem is that stock photos do not include enough minorities.

Next step - to avoid the backlash associated with photoshopping black people in photos, the company has decided that any fake minority representation should be done by showing white people in blackface.

What could go wrong?

Yeah, heh. This is Photoshop blackface. And you'd think the "American Petroleum Institute" would have enough spare change to round up some actual petroleum industry people and do a real photo shoot. Stock photos are so cheesy.

I'm with mullacc here due to the inherent fakeness of a stock photo to begin with. Especially since the original is ALREADY shopped -- they might have chosen the guy to replace because he appears twice, or showed up with his twin. (I think the guy in back they shopped out entirely is also there twice, look over a few heads.)

See also.