ESPN defends ‘white Michael Vick’ photo

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Replay
By David Edwards

The author of a new article about Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in ESPN The Magazine says he was “dismayed and horrified” when he discovered that the publication had photoshopped the football star into a white man.

“I didn’t imagine that they would do that and it contradicts what I’m doing in the story,” Touré told CNN’s Carol Costello Friday. “This whole concept doesn’t really make any sense. Race informs your entire life. So, you wouldn’t even enter the same moment the same way. If Michael Vick were white, if that were even imaginable, he may not even go to the NFL because he might see other options for his life.”

“So, just the concept of re-imagining somebody is white or black is extraordinary difficult, and I dismiss the concept of that right away in the story. For the headline and the image to suggest, ‘Let’s look at him as white’ is extremely — it’s just a perpendicular relationship to the story that I wrote.”

ESPN The Magazine senior editor Raina Kelly was quick to defend the decision.

“Well, the first reason we did it is because, I mean, I’m sure, as you know, the purpose of the art in a magazine, on television, in the newspaper, is to accompany and make the reader think in a way similar to the story,” she explained. “What we wanted to do is discuss Michael Vick as fully as possible and discuss the dog-fighting issue as fully as possible.”

Read more and watch the video from CNN’s American Morning, broadcast Aug. 26, 2011

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/08/espn-defends-white-michael-vick-photo/

[meegbear]

1. Kinda looks like George Michael ...

go figure.

[polmaven]

2. Ummm,

regina - You are not really trying to say that Vick's photo was photo-shopped because most of your readers are racist white men, are you?

Wow!!! What an incredibly offensive series of actions!

[spin]

3. My daughter owned a pit bull with unusual markings that she believes was stolen ...

from her front yard. He was a gentle and lovable dog that had been the runt of the litter.

She was watching a program from a TV station in Miami that showed pictures of dogs confiscated in a raid that busted a dog fighting ring. One dog had the same markings as her missing pit bull. She contacted the station and found that the dog had already been put down because of injuries.

She was very upset when she heard about Michael Vick and his dog fighting operation and still has a very low opinion of him. It would not matter in the least to her if Vick had been a white quarterback.

edited for typo

[Kalidurga]

4. Pure utter speculation for no good reason...

I doubt his race had anything to do with his punishment (or lack of imo) two years was not enough and he should have been thrown out of the NFL. What a stain on that organization. It is like the question what if OJ had been white. I think that he might have been found guilty, but who knows money has this weird effect on justice.

[roomfullofmirrors]

7. Look what Pete Rose got just for betting on his own team.

what if Michael Vick were white? what a crock of shit.

[roomfullofmirrors]

5. FWIW, I wouldn't defend him or his actions if he were white either

dog fighting is disgusting.

[uponit7771]

6. yeap, if their point is if he was white it would've been OK I don't think they have much evidence on

...that

[emilyg]

8. +10