US Vogue April 2008 Controversy

[smartarse]

FYI:
it's not only the editors that chose this shot.

 

[Mchunu]

^then who did? & does that even change the point i'm trying to make?

 

[MyNameIs]

Oh jeez. Honestly, stuff like this just kind of bugs me because it's really people reading into an image much more than was ever meant to be read into it. While Vogue can be criticized for not featuring any models of color, is it really necessary to assume there's a racial agenda when someone non-white finally does appear on the cover?

Maybe it says something about the people seeing it. Me personally, my mind never once went to race. More like the big, tough athlete and the elegant model. I doubt if I'd think of it any differently if it was a white athlete in his place.

If LeBron was posed like that for a Sports Illustrated cover with a skank in a bikini, no one would bat an eye. It would just be typical macho guy stuff.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but were we fighting Africa in WWI? Look at the helmet the gorilla is wearing in that poster, it's a German officers helmet. Still a racial image?

Seriously. Well said. I didn't even think of any potential racism in that picture until I heard about the "controversy". I still dont' see it as racial. I gurantee you, if this was a white man, it would be accused of sexism, because the man is doing something and the woman is just looking pretty. LOL, these people just need to stop and not try to dig these stupid little things to make "controversies". I really don't think they're doing any favors on the racial front.

 

[JeanAvril]

You know, if they were trying to be shocking, they really shouldn't have used that war propoganda pic. The ape is supposed to represent a German, LeBron's black, and the lady in the picture is fainting, and Gisele is smiling like she actually wants to be taken away. I mean it's really confusing.

 

[katherine]

People are reading too much into it. I think it's purely coincidence. They chose two successful people to feature on the cover. They could've chosen somebody else, but Vogue doesn't usually feature sports players. Instead of groaning about this "controversy" they should just appreciate Lebron is on it anyway. He is proud as heck of it I'd imagine. It's typical American that when they put a black man on the cover of the world's best selling fashion magazine - they'll do anything to make it seem like it's undeserved and shocking, something must be wrong!

 

[masquerade]

when i first heard word of the controversy around this cover, i thought that it was silly, but now that i have read more into it I can definitely see the argument. I doubt it was conscious, but I definitely think it plays on racist imagery that exists in our culture.

 

[kriszti.md]

Gosh I wonder who discovered the 'connection' between the two pictures, that must have been the real racist

 

[kimair]

The only problem I have with US vogue and this cover is that when they finally choose to put a person of colour on the cover, they make it as horrible as they can. Almost all the other pictures taken of Gisele and Lebron are semi decent and a few even good yet they have to choose this horrific unflattering image to put on the cover. You could say it's a coincidence and put all the racial connotations aside but the fact is this photo portrays him as angry & aggressive with her trying to get away.

as a black woman, this is my main problem with the cover...
it's as if they don't know what to do with a plus sized (jennifer hudson) or a male athlete on the cover...
the singer must be singing...why?
other singers (gwen stefani, britney spears ) simply looked beautiful...
marion jones' cover was graceful, and also shot by leibovitz...

le bron is a good looking man, he's been in GQ, etc. wearing suits and he looks great...
the pic of him and gisele where he is sitting is very nice...it shows off his arm muscles and the angles of her body...
even if they wanted to show him in a basketball "pose", they could have both been jumping, as in another shot from the issue...

pic from fashion-iconography.net

 

[baddabling]

i agree that the WWI poster was almost definitely in Annie's mind when shooting this cover
however, to make such a blatant racial comment was probably not intended.
A general theme theme which i noticed in this issue was the juxtaposition of supermodels with top athletes. The contrast of two people, both at the top of their game, is good in theory, but in my opinion was executed poorly and in bad taste especially on the cover.

That was an interesting article, though, and I wonder if it's the same in Denmark. I have noticed that me and BF get a lot of funny (and not so funny) looks when we walk down the street together. He's from Iran, and they all probably think he's a terrorist and a criminal The media, of course, has a great deal to do with this, it must be the case in USA as well.

it is. i wish you and your boyfriend good luck...people can be shockingly bigoted and prejudiced.

 

[Nemova]

For example, until I watched the Gilette Champion ad carefully I didn't realise that it ridiculed Tiger Woods right at the end, it just didn't occur to me, but it is disrespectful. When I saw it I didn't think two black stars and one white one, I though they were all presented fantastically, they all look distinguished, handsome and well groomed and on the whole the ad has a great message to young aspiring sportsmen. When I checked youtube however there's quite an uproar about it. Had I not seen this thread I would have said "people have too much time on their hands".

What?! If anyone is being ridiculed it is Roger, because they made him look like a silly, immature kid next to Tiger.

People read way too much into things. And that's why the world is getting downright cra-zy!!!

 

[Mchunu]

You will always have people that look deeply into things racially, the only way it will be changed is if blacks/native americans/latinos etc. were not discriminated against in history & there's no way to change the past so Blue eyed/blonde haired/European descent people will always be looked at as more superior because of their roles in history; i mean, racism still exists, most prominently in fashion; this isn't a newsflash so i have no idea why everyone is acting so suprised...

 

[silk skin paws]

It's a terrible cover and I expected more. I definitely see racist undertones but we'll never be sure if it's done consciously.

 

[I_Want_That_One]

personally, I think it's obvious that they were drawing from the King Kong, black people are beasts blah blah. It's nothing that hasn't been done for hundreds of years. C'mon, Lebron's nickname is KING James. If it was me, I wouldn't have done the shoot, but Lebron is a grown *** man and he chose to do it. If he doesn't care, why should I? My complaining about how racist Vogue is isn't going to pull that cover off the market or get bigots to see any differently. Furthermore, it will only achieve what racist people WANT and that is to draw attention to the racial stigma's they are trying to uphold.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

well i just got my subscribers issue let me check it out and get opinions from non fashion people just to see what thought comes to their minds when they see it

 

[SHSH]

This is just wrong! firstly i thought Vogue was a fashion magazine???, i really don't like how hard it is for minority ethnic models who represent a large percentage of america dont make it on the cover but lebron is able to?? and represented like this??

I think for most non black people they will blame people for being too sensitive which is fine and thats why racism still goes on because there is no real empathy for what blacks went through and still go through. Im not saying annie is a racist however this taps into anachronistic racist stereotypes, this scary huge and burly black man clutching a white woman. People think Blacks = apes subconsciously and a good percentage of the world still believe that, so its justified for people to look at this and question it.

US Vague it seems dont know what to do with black people I agree.

Naomi Campbell is not just looking out for herself, such a shallow comment, but for other black people, yes she has issues just like *edited* kate has but it seems everyone wants to write her off because she is an assertive beautiful and powerful black woman. Im sure it would sound allot nicer and easier to ignore from someone else.

 

[Mchunu]

^i strongly agree with & respect your post!

 

[wrngco]

i'm russian and i have dark hair and eyes...as i live in los angeles I am actually the recipient of racial remarks towards hispanics as i always have been but I have no hispanic heritage people are nuts with racism
but again Andre Leon Talley wields great power, LeBron has 100 million dollars he does not have to answer to anybody ever..he is the most powerful one

 

[Bellissima]

Today's gawker.com featured a photo parody of the Vogue cover from the Observer

 

[2Nova]

^ HAHAHAHAHAA that is terrible!

 

[SHSH]

LOL hilarious but painfully accurate