6 ms·

It's all in good spirit, but I can't help to note that it wreeks of the old racist trope "all <insert ethnicity> look the same" http://healthland.time.com/2010/

It's all in good spirit, but I can't help to note that it wreeks of the old racist trope "all <insert ethnicity> look the same" http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/24/they-all-look-the-same-how-racism-works-neurologically/ http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/24/they-all-look-the-same... And perhaps also a bit sexist? I dunno, maybe I'm overly sensitive.

hnriot 14y ago
When it's actually got a foundation in math, it stops being a racist trope and becomes a valid scientific inquiry. Sexist? Overly sensitive would be one word for it.
- ijk 14y ago
  Unless the "foundation in math" is really confirmation bias, which math as used by humans is still vulnerable to.
- gammarator 14y ago
  The analysis uses math, but that doesn't make it scientific. In particular, there's no comparison to the similarity of a sample of faces of normal Koreans, westerners, or beauty contestants.
w1ntermute 14y ago
It's not a racial thing. See these translated Korean netizen comments: http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2013/04/foreign-media-outlets-poke-fun-at-miss.html http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2013/04/foreign-media-outlet... > 1. [+238, -4] They look the same even in our eyes, I can't imagine in the eyes of foreigners... -,.- > 2. [+234, -9] ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I thought all the faces were ctrl + C and ctrl + V with just the shirts changed. They should be ashamed of getting plastic surgery, how could they even think of entering a beauty contest? Seems like plastic surgeons can surgically remove shame now as well.. > 4. [+31, -1] Just turn Miss Korea into an exhibition contest for plastic surgeons > 5. [+18, -2] I'm so embarrassed... They should make sure in the next Miss Korea that they only allow natural girls > 10. [+17, -0] That's why they're called 'docturnal twins'. Twins made by plastic surgery doctors.
- Avshalom 14y ago
  Internet commenters slagging off beauty contestants as identical barbies? News at eleven. No, it's that people are getting het up about this particular instance that feels a bit... xenophobic at least. Especially because of the apparent credulity that a bunch of press photos was received with.
  - marshray 14y ago
    Jeez, can't a guy read an article about principal component analysis on a published sample of photos without being painted as some kind of racist xenophobe? It's hardly the first time those looking for something to take issue with have found it in digital imaging: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna
astine 14y ago
This experiment doesn't seem to be positing at all Koreans look the same but rather that all Korean beauty contestants look he same. The implication being, not that Koreans look similar to each other, but that they have similar standards of beauty. Apparently, most of these women have had plastic surgery so they all seem to have the same ideal when it comes to their face. I'd like to see a Brazilian (another country with a large plastic surgery industry) equivalent to see if it's the same.
- marshray 14y ago
  Rather, in this sample of 20 photos the contestants look similar, but "contestant 1, 2 and 6 are more distinct than the rest of the contestants". I thought he did pretty well to not draw any conclusions in the article.
Camillo 14y ago
The problem is that "they all look the same" is actually a factual observation about how our brains recognize faces. So, if you label it as a "racist trope" you end up implying that racism is part of human nature... which I'm sure is not what you want.
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  This wouldn't be the first time "basic human nature" flys at odds with equality movements.
  - Snoptic 14y ago
    In this case, it would be an inequality movement
  - Snoptic 14y ago
    In this case, it would be an inequality movement
  - Snoptic 14y ago
    In this case, it would be an inequality movement
  - Snoptic 14y ago
    In this case, it would be an inequality movement
smegel 14y ago
> And perhaps also a bit sexist? I dunno, maybe I'm overly sensitive. Well we are talking about Korea. You would probably have a heart attack if you watched even 60 seconds of Kpop.
- w1ntermute 14y ago
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGN_W4VBZFo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGN_W4VBZFo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YXut6_56c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YXut6_56c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJWqIHioA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJWqIHioA

hnriot 14y ago

When it's actually got a foundation in math, it stops being a racist trope and becomes a valid scientific inquiry. Sexist? Overly sensitive would be one word for it.

ijk 14y ago
Unless the "foundation in math" is really confirmation bias, which math as used by humans is still vulnerable to.
gammarator 14y ago
The analysis uses math, but that doesn't make it scientific. In particular, there's no comparison to the similarity of a sample of faces of normal Koreans, westerners, or beauty contestants.

w1ntermute 14y ago

It's not a racial thing. See these translated Korean netizen comments: http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2013/04/foreign-media-outlets-poke-fun-at-miss.html http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2013/04/foreign-media-outlet... > 1. [+238, -4] They look the same even in our eyes, I can't imagine in the eyes of foreigners... -,.- > 2. [+234, -9] ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I thought all the faces were ctrl + C and ctrl + V with just the shirts changed. They should be ashamed of getting plastic surgery, how could they even think of entering a beauty contest? Seems like plastic surgeons can surgically remove shame now as well.. > 4. [+31, -1] Just turn Miss Korea into an exhibition contest for plastic surgeons > 5. [+18, -2] I'm so embarrassed... They should make sure in the next Miss Korea that they only allow natural girls > 10. [+17, -0] That's why they're called 'docturnal twins'. Twins made by plastic surgery doctors.

Avshalom 14y ago
Internet commenters slagging off beauty contestants as identical barbies? News at eleven. No, it's that people are getting het up about this particular instance that feels a bit... xenophobic at least. Especially because of the apparent credulity that a bunch of press photos was received with.
- marshray 14y ago
  Jeez, can't a guy read an article about principal component analysis on a published sample of photos without being painted as some kind of racist xenophobe? It's hardly the first time those looking for something to take issue with have found it in digital imaging: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna

astine 14y ago

This experiment doesn't seem to be positing at all Koreans look the same but rather that all Korean beauty contestants look he same. The implication being, not that Koreans look similar to each other, but that they have similar standards of beauty. Apparently, most of these women have had plastic surgery so they all seem to have the same ideal when it comes to their face. I'd like to see a Brazilian (another country with a large plastic surgery industry) equivalent to see if it's the same.

marshray 14y ago
Rather, in this sample of 20 photos the contestants look similar, but "contestant 1, 2 and 6 are more distinct than the rest of the contestants". I thought he did pretty well to not draw any conclusions in the article.

Camillo 14y ago

The problem is that "they all look the same" is actually a factual observation about how our brains recognize faces. So, if you label it as a "racist trope" you end up implying that racism is part of human nature... which I'm sure is not what you want.

sliverstorm 14y ago
This wouldn't be the first time "basic human nature" flys at odds with equality movements.
- Snoptic 14y ago
  In this case, it would be an inequality movement
- Snoptic 14y ago
  In this case, it would be an inequality movement
- Snoptic 14y ago
  In this case, it would be an inequality movement
- Snoptic 14y ago
  In this case, it would be an inequality movement

smegel 14y ago

> And perhaps also a bit sexist? I dunno, maybe I'm overly sensitive. Well we are talking about Korea. You would probably have a heart attack if you watched even 60 seconds of Kpop.

w1ntermute 14y ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGN_W4VBZFo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGN_W4VBZFo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YXut6_56c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YXut6_56c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJWqIHioA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-IJWqIHioA