TURD: This is a strange one

This Truly Unfortunate Representation of Data (TURD) is so wrong in so, so many ways. Perhaps the least of these is the mathematics.

If the large figure represents 300,000 and the small one represents 827, then (by area), the large should be about 19 times the height of the small. I added the bars to the right to demonstrate that kneeling, the large is more than 21 times the height of the small. But she’s on her knees, so must be much taller in actuality.

And if it’s by height, the large figure should be 300 times as tall.

And this objection on quantitative grounds ignores the salacious poses and stiletto heels.

So, so wrong.

It’s actually a really interesting piece of journalism, pushing back on claims that would be easy to mindlessly accept. I applaud that. But the graphic has got to go.

Source: City Pages/Village Voice (graphic only in print version).

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4 responses to “TURD: This is a strange one

  1. I thought the small figure represented 100,000?

  2. Yeah. But still, the silhouettes… Yiiikes.

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