Iran's Photoshop Brigade

Apparently Iran photoshopped photos of a missile launch and U.S. papers printed the photos without realizing they had been doctored. Full details here as well as hilarious further photoshopping of the missile images as well as commentary that is alternately amusing and sobering. For example:

#1 posted by Antinous , July 10, 2008 10:34 AM

If only we could wake up and discover that the Iraq War was just a photoshop hoax.

#2 posted by Cpt. Tim , July 10, 2008 10:37 AM

I don't see the point of the photoshop. The original picture coveys the same thing but with a wider angle and one less missle (the 4th missle is still on the truck)

I'm going to submit that someone told the photoshopper "here, make this fit in your average news site photo box and make it look fucking awesomely dangerous."

and the guy was like "shit man, whats more dangerous than FOUR missles?" he finished the job and had a delicious lunch.

For a fascinating discussion of the photoshop incident that touches on aspects from psychology to historical photograph manipulation, look no further than this article (Photography as a Weapon) by Errol Morris.

The article explains how photographs impact our brains in unique ways that are hard or impossible to reverse even if we learn that the photographs are forgeries. This is another frightening example of the vulnerabilities inherent in the human operating system.

Here is a great comic about the incident.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference FTW!

Another blog about the photoshoppery!

LOLcats are not fooled by Iranian trickery.

The You suck at photoshop video

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