Kerry, just like Taraji, Tracee, Angela and Zoe had covers from other CN titles under Anna's consultancy. Kiki had a big edit in last month's issue. So I don't think it's a matter of 'they're not classy enough for Anna's Vogue' or all that cringey talk about skin colour.
Wrong! You have got to be kidding me.
The fact that those women have covered Conde mags and in some cases multiple Conde mags but have yet to get the big prize demonstrates that Anna doesn't think these women are good enough to get the cover of her trash magazine! They're good enough for other CN titles but not Vogue. I mean, that's what I've been arguing for years!
How do you not see that? What's your argument for them not getting covers then? And don't say tv because plenty other tv stars (Blake Lively, Debra Messing, etc.) got covers when they were on shows. There is no argument other than the one I've made. There's just not. And the fact that you said that wrong, illogical and nonsensical statement demonstrates as much. If you had a solid, logical argument, you would have made it.
And for the record, Kerry herself got her first Vanity Fair and Glamour magazine covers, in 2013 without Anna's help/approval. Kerry and Cindi Leive are good friends. That's how she got her first Glamour cover. Not because Anna so generously bestowed it upon Kerry
.
And as for Vanity Fair and Graydon Carter, Graydon never gave a damn about Anna anyway (and rightfully so) so I'm sure he wasn't getting approval from Anna to give Kerry a cover.
Vanity Fair has championed Kerry for years before Anna became CD. She first covered their Hollywood issue in 2005. Was featured in the Hollywood issue again in 2007. Was featured in the magazine in 2012 and 2013 and got two covers in 2013 (the Hollywood issue and her solo August cover, being the first black actress to ever cover the mag solo). Krista Smith, once Kerry's solo cover was released,
tweeted that she was so proud of Kerry and that she wanted Kerry on the cover since they first met. When Vanity Fair
posted the article announcing Graydon's retirement, out of all the celebs they could've name checked, they name checked Kerry.
Despite what you think, Anna is not god, Kerry got those covers because she put in the work and Cindi/Graydon and their staff could see Kerry for her smarts, talent and beauty, something Anna seems completely blind to. Let's give Cindi and Graydon credit where it's due. Because Anna surely doesn't deserve it.
And lastly, you really revealed yourself with "all that cringey talk about skin colour". I'm not talking about just skin color - race is a social construct with lasting material consequences for those who have been "othered" so no, it's not just about skin color, it's about what Anna wants (or doesn't want) her covers to say about black women (Vogue despite not being a beauty mag, does uphold standards of beauty), it's about how class and beauty in addition to race impact how black women navigate the world and whether they are truly seen accordingly (and whether they're celebrated for who they are or if they're only celebrated if they fit some narrow-minded (Anna) person's idea of what's worthy and deserving to be celebrated).
You also don't really care about why the aforementioned women haven't landed a cover. It's neither here nor there for you. So since it's not something you care about, and since I'm going to keep calling out Anna's hypocrisy as I see it, you probably should just skip my posts from here on out. I wouldn't want you to become so pained and troubled from my "cringey talk about skin colour" since that's just the worst thing ever.
Your points are all valid octoberchild, except for the one about Edward being the person to completely make these changes.
Sure, there are several unpredictable—for a lack of better word—cover subjects in his resume by now (e.g. Gugu, Dua Lipa, and his choices of models with the exception of Adwoa and the Hadid sisters), but more often than not, he, like Benn28 pointed out, favors more renowned American over British celebrities. Not exactly an attribute I’d associate with someone who would be a game-changer. Besides, if by appointing him as the next US Vogue EIC would result in more American women of colors on the cover and his tenure at Vogue UK is basically an audition for that position, don’t you think he should’ve given covers to Viola, Kerry, Tessa, Zoe, etc by now? The only American women of color he has featured so far are Oprah and Rihanna (CMIIW if there’s more of them).
Sigh.
I'm not one to make blanket statements about countries and cultures I know very little about (more people should try it), but let's use Benn98 as an example of what some British people think (not all, I'm sure, just want to point that out).
Benn98 just thinks all my posts about race are just so cringey and just so distasteful and all other kinds of things so Britain and America obviously have "different approaches to race" (although, if you were to ask a British black person, it's more than likely they would be more in line with my thinking than Benn, ala Jourdan Dunn or even Edward himself).
If this is in fact true, that British people have "a different approach to race" don't you think that could influence Edward and his approach to the magazine? I mean, I know Edward is everyone's whipping boy on this site, but let's put ourselves in his shoes for a moment.
Isn't he the first black EiC of any Vogue? And isn't he the EiC of a Vogue that's been traditionally white? In a country that has "a different approach to race". As the first black EiC of any Vogue, and him being aware of how monumental that is and if he screws up, don't you think the powers that be could very well use his 'screwing up' as a reason not to hire any other black people as EiC of Vogue? So don't you think that influences his approach to the magazine? And thus why "Viola, Kerry, Tessa, Zoe" haven't gotten covers of his magazine
yet - not to mention the fact that it probably makes more sense for him to give covers to black British actresses like Gugu and hopefully Naomie soon instead of American black actresses?
Now, once Edward gets the EiC position at Vogue US, don't you think some things might change? Like I said before, if I were Edward looking to make a statement about how different my magazine is compared to Anna, the easiest and biggest/most significant thing I could do would give all the black actresses (and other women too who have been denied covers because they weren't white or skinny) who haven't landed covers under Anna a cover. If I were Edward, you would not see Bey, Rih, Lu or Serena on my cover for at least a year, if not longer. That automatically would let everyone know a new day is at Vogue.
It's also why I'm so perplexed that Anna refuses to give these women a cover. Is Anna that clueless and in her own world wearing rose colored glasses and completely out of touch with reality that she thinks those women won't ever get covers?
I mean, unless Anna plans on not leaving Conde Nast unless she's on a stretcher with barely a pulse, it's just not realistic. I've also said this before, but it seems like her refusal to give these women covers is borderline personal. Because when Edward does, people will be asking why this women didn't get Vogue covers before. And unless Anna retires to England to live in anonymity, she'll probably get questioned about it, if not outright bad press if she somehow lands another high profile position doing something else.
So to point fingers at Edward for not doing something when he's in a very unique position as the first black EiC having to make sure to keep suits happy with no room for error, wanting to make the magazine his while having to balance not alienating readership while also letting potential readers who have previously been excluded from the magazine that they can see themselves in his Vogue - that's a lot.
I personally think Edward is probably held back in a lot of ways at Vogue UK, in part due to Britain's "different approach to race". Ways in which he won't be held back at Vogue US. So I think that's something else people need to take into consideration regarding their "criticisms". Just because he's not a game changer in your mind doesn't mean he won't ever be, especially if provided the right conditions to thrive. To be blunt, a gay, black man immigrant at Vogue US - I think a lot of people would eat that up. If he, on top of that, gave Kerry, Viola Tracee, etc. covers, I think he'd be golden.
I really think an expansive look at not only the EiCs (Edward, Anna) but the conditions they work in (print magazines impending death?) not to mention the cultures and expectations put on them (Edward) or expectations cast aside (Anna) - these are all things that need to be considered to have any real insightful conversations about all of the aforementioned. I personally think tFSers perspectives on these things are entirely too narrow.
