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Google Won't Remove Distorted Michelle Obama Image From Search Engine
LATimes ^ | November 24th 2009

Posted on 11/24/2009 8:15:47 PM PST by Steelfish

Google Won't Remove Distorted Michelle Obama Image From Search Engine

November 24, 2009

A crudely altered photograph of Michelle Obama, which often comes up as the first result on a Google image search of her name, will not be removed from the company's search process despite protests that the depiction is racist and repugnant.

"It's offensive to many people, but that alone is not a reason to remove it from our search index," Google spokesman Scott Rubin said. "We have, in general, a bias toward free speech."

The image, which depicts the first lady as having monkey-like features, is posted on a blog called "Hot Girls" without explanation. The blog post also contains several legitimate photographs of Michelle Obama. (The image is also posted on other sites that get high spots.)

Although Google won't alter the search result process that places the offending image in top spots, the company placed a house advertisement above it with the headline, "Offensive Search Results." Clicking on the ad takes the user to a statement that says, "We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google."

The statement apologizes "if you've had an upsetting experience using Google," but it states that a site is not removed from its process unless the content is illegal or violates the company's webmaster guidelines. Rubin said there was nothing in the guidelines that deals with this kind of imagery.

Google has posted similar statements in rare instances, most notably in 2004 when searches on "Jew" resulted in the top spot going to a virulently anti-Semitic site. Rubin said the statement is sometimes used in situations when there are "offensive search results on an innocuous query."

(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society
KEYWORDS: distorted; flotusmichelle; parody
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1 posted on 11/24/2009 8:15:48 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

Does anyone has a post of this pic? “Monkey-like features”? Holy cow.


2 posted on 11/24/2009 8:18:05 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

I don’t remember them having the hiccups about President Bush’s photochopped monkey pix...


3 posted on 11/24/2009 8:18:32 PM PST by Ancient Drive (DRINK COFFEE! - Do Stupid Things Faster with More Energy!)
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To: Steelfish

Today.


4 posted on 11/24/2009 8:18:33 PM PST by doc1019 (Obama, not so much.)
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To: Steelfish

5 posted on 11/24/2009 8:19:58 PM PST by Ancient Drive (DRINK COFFEE! - Do Stupid Things Faster with More Energy!)
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To: Steelfish
This one?

(just kidding, I did this one)


6 posted on 11/24/2009 8:21:01 PM PST by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: Ancient Drive

Without her team of make-up artists, this is probably what she really looks like.

Michele, no matter what you want to look like on the outside, it is the inside that matters. You are just as EVIL as your husband. So don’t worry about how you want to look or look - you have an UGLY heart.


7 posted on 11/24/2009 8:22:50 PM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Steelfish

8 posted on 11/24/2009 8:23:33 PM PST by Ready4Freddy (Everyone knows there's a difference between muslims & terrorists... no one knows what it is, though.)
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To: Ancient Drive

Good grief! That is a true ancient drive-by!


9 posted on 11/24/2009 8:23:42 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

Pick one...

10 posted on 11/24/2009 8:24:23 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2 million for Sarah Palin: What will you do?)
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To: Steelfish

WHO asked or it to be removed?


11 posted on 11/24/2009 8:24:44 PM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Steelfish

The link to the location mentioned in the aticle:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_110wcPq1TEY/SeIDvnjqUAI/AAAAAAAAElk/LXtZwBJy3-o/s400/michelle-obama.jpg&imgrefurl=http://0hot-girls.blogspot.com/2009/10/michelle-obama.html&usg=__oRhy2APjNMoPi-At9-8NwtdAoSI=&h=371&w=356&sz=23&hl=en&start=1&itbs=1&tbnid=9pOvU7eZJ-jIsM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMichelle%2BObama%26hl%3Den


12 posted on 11/24/2009 8:25:15 PM PST by Ready4Freddy (Everyone knows there's a difference between muslims & terrorists... no one knows what it is, though.)
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To: Ready4Freddy

13 posted on 11/24/2009 8:26:54 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 307 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: Ancient Drive

14 posted on 11/24/2009 8:27:31 PM PST by Rome2000 (OBAMA IS A COMMUNIST CRYPTO-MUSLIM)
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To: Steelfish

I don’t see that one, but there’s the Aunt Esther pic and the one of her and Bam standing in front of a graphic that says “Fox” ;-)


15 posted on 11/24/2009 8:28:40 PM PST by bigbob
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Steelfish

They didn't remove this one either, so don't get your panties in a bunch, Mr Colker.

17 posted on 11/24/2009 8:31:29 PM PST by fhayek
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To: Steelfish

How does anyone on either side think things like this advance their cause?


18 posted on 11/24/2009 8:34:14 PM PST by hometoroost (Al Gore may not have invented the Internet but he did help invent Global Warming.)
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To: Steelfish

19 posted on 11/24/2009 8:35:22 PM PST by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: Ready4Freddy

that is just tacky, I say remove it.


20 posted on 11/24/2009 8:35:31 PM PST by tioga
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