Google ‘Obama Looking Hopeful’

Everyone’s a-writin’ about Obama again, what with the inauguration coming up next week. (I voted “No” on that Facebook poll, by the way.) From Inquirer photographer Tom Gralish comes the story of the photo behind the Obama “HOPE” poster, made by Shepard Fairey. Turns out it’s a Reuters photo by Jim Young, shot in 2007, of Obama during the confirmation hearings for Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Fun story, plus it’s so appropriate that the enduring image of the 2008 campaign is, in essence, a stolen Reuters photo found with a Google Image Search and then flipped horizontally. I can only hope Fairey was using a bootleg copy of Photoshop as well.

The Obama Poster Photographer ID’d [Scene on the Road]
Image via Mike Webkist used under a Creative Commons license

Metro Cover: WTF?

Gee, cutting out heads and putting them on historical figures or paintings or whatever. THANKS FOR STEALING MY SHTICK, METRO.

Sincerely,
Dan McQuade
Inventor of Photoshop

P.S. Nice serious, straightforward headline, too, to go along with that cover illustration.

Phillies Need You To Cheer Even Louder While They’re In Milwaukee

Last night, a few of the Phillies more notable players grew to immense sizes and swarmed the infield and C.C. Sabathia (pictured above), knocking him out of the game. The Phillies beat the Brewers, 5-2, putting them one win away from the National League Championship Series. Whoomp, there it is.

Come back to Philadelphia Will Do all weekend for occasional coverage of the Phillies in Milwaukee this weekend. The Fightins get a chance to clinch on Saturday at 6:30; if they lose, they make us channel surf between the Eagles (vs. Washington) and Game 4 at 1 p.m.

Let’s go Phils!!

Photos by Serena, who was nice enough to let me do a horrible job Photoshopping them

Larry Kane, Bus Rider

In a post about unsafe taxi drivers, legendary Philadelphia newsman Larry Kane lets this little gem slip:

I occasionally take a cab, although I prefer rail lines and city buses.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Larry Kane rides the bus? Good for him, I guess, but, um, really? I don’t think Ringo rides the bus.

Anyway, with this new information I’ve devised a new ad campaign for SEPTA that is sure to be a hit.

Daily News’ Photoshop Use Under Attack

The Daily News once again put Jocelyn “Bonnie” Kirsch on its cover yesterday, after she got in trouble again and was put on house arrest. The paper used one of the shots of her lounging at poolside, only they Photoshopped in an ankle bracelet on her. Get it?

This didn’t sit well with Kirsch’s lawyer, Ron Greenblatt, actually released a statement on the cover:

The Daily News continues to sink to a level below tabloid journalism. The use of a doctored photo on the cover of the second largest paper in the city of Philadelphia to give a deliberately false impression is disgraceful. I understand their job is to sell papers, but they should at least be held to minimal journalistic ethical standards.

And then NBC 10 did a whole story on it, complete with person-on-the-street interviews. DN Editor Michael Days — no stranger to answering controversy about political cartoons that are accidentally funny — said “[i]t’s just that kind of a story.” Yes, that’s about as good of a response as you can get.

Redlasso clip after the jump; NBC 10’s site has a clip too.

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Exclusive Photoshop Of Kate Moss

Okay, okay: Kate Moss was at Johnny Brenda’s Saturday night, which is hilariously awesome. (It was also chronicled on Twitter; look, she was at Black Cat in DC, too!)

There were no photos of the event, which means I have taken this opportunity to make my very own Kate Moss at Johnny Brenda’s photo, which you see above. I am now going to sell this Photoshop photo to TMZ for eleventy-million dollars and retire to my own private island in the middle of the Schuylkill.

Kate Moss Dips Into Johnny Brenda’s, Philebrity Finally Finds A Use For This Twitter Thing [Philebrity]

Nobody Can Stop Talking About Alycia Lane

Yesterday, House majority leader Sam Smith (who?) whined about Alycia Lane calling Ed Rendell after she was arrested. A day after his spokesman confirmed the call, Rendell called into 610 WIP’s morning show (stay with me here) and said, naw, it was just a friend calling a friend.

Michael Klein says Mr. Smith doesn’t believe Rendell and Lane’s stories: “You know, he said, ‘Just because she wanted somebody to listen to her.’ Well, if you believe that, I got a bridge for you… I can’t imagine that she called him for any other reason than to help her out.”

Meanwhile, a few people fired up their bootleg copies of Photoshop and made funny graphics and now there are tons of places to buy crap; by tons of places, I mean “Cafepress.”

Entering Pixelated Photoshops Portion Of Mayor’s Race

DWIGHT EVANS DISCUSSES FATTAH’S AGENDA FOR TAX INCREASES [The Next Mayor Release Archive]
I’m doing everything I can… and stop calling me Shirley [The Next Mayor Blog]

‘Inquirer’ Runs Shitty Comic, Offends People

The following comic ran in yesterday’s Inquirer, and it was offensive, God dammit! You see, because that kid committed suicide had problems, and… this… comic written weeks ago and published by a syndicate… should… have been pulled?

Fuck, I don’t know. But apparently a lot of people complained, because on the website yesterday this editor’s note came up:

Today [yesterday —ed.], the nationally syndicated comic F Minus detailed the saga of a school counselor asking a young man about his failing grades. Many readers noticed the similarity between this comic strip and the tragic news of the day involving a young man taking his own life in despair over his grades. The artists who create The Inquirer’s comic strips work days, sometimes weeks, in advance of publication. Inquirer editors often assemble and review this work in advance as well. Our editors did not know in advance about this coincidence in timing, and we regret the perception that we were insensitive to the tragedy at Springfield Township High School.

Yeah. You know what the Inquirer should be apologizing for? Publishing a strip that unfunny. That panel is less funny than Beetle Bailey. Beetle Fucking Bailey, okay? It’s in Hagar the Horrible territory. So apologize for running shit strips like that instead of things I might actually want to read.

Actually, I don’t get why this cartoon is more offensive than that one the strips the Inquirer ran last last month. It, too, was published by a syndicate weeks/months ahead of time, and accidentally commented on a local issue.

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Bill Cosby Takes Out Personal Ad In ‘DN’

Geeze, I know Bill Cosby’s had his problems recently, but does this strike anyone else as a little weird?

Cosby is playful, affectionate and enjoys playing ‘fetch’ [Daily News]
Archives: Bill Cosby