Did Fox News Make Herman Cain Look "Too Black"? Distorted Images Can Change the Completion of an Issue Causing Unnecessary Conflict

Brian and I were watching a previously taped show of Shannon Breen’s interview with Herman Cain and Rich Santorum. I noticed that the camera angle shown of Shannon Breen interviewing Herman Cain was very unusual in that it only showed the back of Shannon’s head and only the right cheek of her face, while showing Herman Cain’s full face and front of his body. The unusual camera shot showed Shannon’s hair color change from an almost golden orange to golden blond and her complexion was a skewed to almost orange, while the image of Herman Cain showed him about three shades darker than how he normally appears on television. At first we thought it was the television, however, as the camera shot switched between interviews with Cain and Santorum, we noticed how the camera showed more of Shannon Breen’s face as she interviewed Rick Santorum.

The differences in tint and disparity in the depiction of the candidates’ complexions were remarkable. During the Cain interview, I noticed Shannon’s hair color change as Herman Cain’s completion was distorted. Shannon’s hair looked unnatural as Herman Cain’s skin darkened and became so distorted it was almost menacing. Because the camera shot showed very little of Shannon Breen’s face, disparities in her complexion was less noticeable because there was less flesh being shown. In addition, the prominent flesh shot of Herman Cain was very dark, darker than he normally appears.

Distorting the lightning to make Cain appear menacing, even frightening, and less appealing is childish and unprofessional. Whether this was an intentional act or unwittingly done, it was an unprofessional act on the part of the Fox News (which includes camera people, executive producers and editors). This behavior needs to be addressed.

If we noticed the disparity in the images, I am sure millions of other views saw the same thing. This is especially troublesome for a network that boasts that they are “fair and balanced.” The management of Fox News needs to address this matter and stop show producers from engaging in potentially incendiary acts.

Millicent Carvalho Grevious, PhD, LSW
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