UK Independent-Kate Moss Goes "African"

[stylegurrl]

Am I the only one who found this offensive? I guess there were no African models available for the cover

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/09/21/kate-moss-goes-african-_n_29934.html

 

[DJGroove]

: D

i love it.

 

[Nyx]

Can't say I'm a fan of the idea either. It seems to imply that Kate Moss and all her caucasianness is the universal standard for "human", which can then be accessorized with specific traits of some subcategories of humanity, one of which is "African" (achieved by adding black paint to Kate).

 

[cosmocat]

^No, you definately weren't!
A Guardian article on it and other instances of 'blacking up'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,,1878483,00.html

 

[sakina]

I completely agree with you. I thought it was extremely inappropriate. It's not exactly hard to find an Africans who can model beautifully...

 

[lavieenrose]

Well, if their goal was to get some attention, they've certainly achieved that. A standard cover of Iman or Naomi, for example, would not have been nearly as newsworthy.

 

[kanita]

Am I the only one who found this offensive? I guess there were no African models available for the cover

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/09/21/kate-moss-goes-african-_n_29934.html

If you would live in Holland you probably wouldn't find this offensive at all.

 

[cosmocat]

^Why is that?

 

[Urban Stylin]

mh......

 

[Fabulyss]

I'm in no way defending the cover but I think the reason they chose a white model was to drive home the emphasis that all races should care about the cause, not just Africans?? The crisis' in Africa affect ALL people of ALL races, and we should all ban together to do what we can.

Also, I recall a blurb in an article about this campaign that we can all trace back our very distant roots to Africa.
(and for the record Iman, an African, is part of the campaign)

 

[serena775]

I can't say i'm offended but i can't say i like it either, i think it's a good marketing tactic to get people to pay attention but it raises quite a few questions.

 

[ponytrot]

hmm. it really would be more appropriate for an "african" african to be on the cover. Someone like Liya or Alek Wek. Really, ethnic africans make stunning models- i guess Kate is on cover simply to sell more copies?

 

[kanita]

^Why is that?

In Holland there is an tradition where 'white' men dress up as steriotipical black man (black/brown paint/big red lips/afro wig). Here they are the 'servants' of SantaClaus (here known as sinterklaas). People here think that is normal, I find it offencive.

Eventhough, I don't find this cover offencive. She is not prettending to be 'black', we all know it is Kate Moss. Make-up is free of choice.

 

[MarryMeTomFord]

Anyone have a larger scan of the Kate cover?

 

[kanita]

It is just like those 'I am african' ads I have been seeing all over the net. Only with other make-up.

 

[DJGroove]

Anyone have a larger scan of the Kate cover?

katemosscollection.com

 

[MarryMeTomFord]

^ Thanks

 

[Harumi]

How can people be that narrow-minded?
I hate this political correctness rubbish which is infecting every area of public AND private life.
The picture is absolutely beautiful and powerful and it is in itself nothing but art. The political stance in inside the paper in the articles. The suggestion that creative and artistic vision should be influenced by politics or anything alien to art is anathema, IMO.

 

[Nyx]

The picture is absolutely beautiful and powerful and it is in itself nothing but art. The political stance in inside the paper in the articles.

I have to disagree with you here. You stress that the photo is "nothing but art". Here it seems to me that with "art" you mean really "decoration", in the sense that the image is not supposed to carry any other meaning than an aesthetic, decorative one. However, with the text on the cover and the article with which it is associated, the image inevitably becomes what I really understand with the concept of "art", that is, a cultural product that does carry with it a certain messages, or at least rises questions about what those might be.

I conclude: It is short-sighted to dismiss images as harmless decoration, when in fact they have the capacity of carrying as much information about attitudes and currents in our culture as any words do.

 

[indie]

I love this cover -- we are all black when the lights go out...