Do You Know What I Mean?

Did you know I have a real job that pays me money? Yeah, unfortunately I don’t get paid to wax poetic on this blog.

But anyway, I do search engine marketing and a large part of my job is to write optimized content for web sites. This may sound boring, and it is. But I’m kind of good at it, so…

Recently I was doing some work for a multifamily management company, working on a website for an apartment community when I stumbled upon this gem stuck in the middle of the website’s fine print:

Variations may occur in some floor plans. Dimensions and square footages are approximate. Rents subject to change. Models do not reflect racial preference. Equal Housing Opportunity.

MODELS DO NOT REFLECT RACIAL PREFERENCE

So are they saying they don’t prefer this lovely African American women from their home page?

Or this cute Hispanic/Latino couple from their photo gallery?

Or this adorable Asian mother and son, also from the photo gallery?

OK. I know what they are really trying to say, I’m just twisting their words. It’s so easy to do.

BTW—these are all stock photos.

Management companies are notorious for demanding an ethnically diverse portfolio of photographs for their websites and other marketing materials in order to promote their compliance with the Fair Housing Act. But I have never before seen a statement such as the one above.

In an attempt to cover their asses from complaints and potential lawsuits, they have left a poorly worded statement open to interpretation.

Fail.

Advertisement