Sideswipe: August 15: Race filter fails taste test

The new FaceApp filters allowed users to transform into Caucasian, Asian, Indian or Black faces.

The app which lets you see what you'd look like old or as transgender released four new race-based filters. The new FaceApp filters allowed users to transform into Caucasian, Asian, Indian or Black faces. Some likened it to digital blackface and said it was perpetuating the idea that playing dress-up in somebody's racial identity is an okay thing to do and because they classified "Indian" as separate from "Asian" suggesting that "Asian" can only refer to East Asian people, when the Indian subcontinent is part of Asia. Why can't a simple race-based filter be seen as just some casual fun you ask? Some say it can, but others argue that racial identities are often accompanied by discrimination and violence and these experiences can't be "turned off" with the touch of a button - unlike a filter. The filters have been removed from the app. (Source: Design taxi.com)

What small thing can tell you a lot about a person?

1. "Do they smile when they see a child? That smile is often an indication that they really like people and that they enjoy life and are generally optimistic. That little act indicates to me that the person is probably someone I will like. When my children and grandchildren were babies, I would walk them down the street in a stroller and watch the expressions of people coming the other way. Some smiled, some looked away, some simply acted as if the child didn't exist." (Answered by Richard Muller)

2. "Someone who uses emojis or lol variations (lmao, lmfao, hahah) a lot in their text messages, signifies an insecurity ... This tells me they aren't confident enough in their rhetoric and need to use emojis and lols as a crutch to form the tone of their message. But I try to use it sparingly so that when I do use them, it actually means something. If you're confident in your use of language and can communicate with clarity, then you don't need to include fluff." (Answered by Erick Diaz)

Property listing shows some cheek.

Lemon Ninja, or religious offerings?

Hillsborough residents see this all the time on the local beaches, according to Martin. "It started years ago and is now commonplace. You sometimes find the lemons alongside the rotting remains of flowers, burnt incense and the occasional multi-coloured plaster Hindu god in a shrine. Ganesh is especially popular. For blessings I believe. The Manukau is the new Ganges."

Birthday greeting goes astray

"We recently received a postcard addressed to Jim Blackburn - who's 91st birthday must have been in July," writes a reader. "We would very much like to unite this postcard with its intended recipient and were hoping you might be able to put some feelers out via Sideswipe."

Cultural cringe?

The beauty pageant is an archaic, sexist, American twaddle but where else can we enjoy the authentic, unmistakable kiwi twang in all its glory...
Watch the full broadcast for lols here.

Wealthy Teen Nearly Experiences Consequence

In what local authorities are calling a "near tragedy," Charles Wentworth, a 17-year-old Rutgers Preparatory senior and member of the affluent Wentworth family, came perilously close to suffering a consequence resulting from his own wrongdoing Saturday...Read full story here.

Video pick

The ultimate test of your social skills...

Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz