Saturday, April 26, 2008

LeBron's No King Kong!


I was so pleased when I saw Gisele on the April issue of Vogue. Not only did they use one of the world's most gorgeous models, but it is the first time that Vogue put a black male on the cover of the magazine! This is truly something to celebrate. Since April's issue is the annual Shape Issue, it only seems natural to have an athlete showing his fierce side on the cover, and LeBron carries out the role fantastically.

With all this celebration to do and very little time, along come some crazy party poopers who claim that the cover perpetuates racial stereotypes. Apparently, a snarling black male holding onto a beautiful white woman's waist reminds people of King Kong. Maybe it's just me, but when I first saw the front cover I didn't even think King Kong. Not once.

Samir Husmi, a magazine analyst, insists that Vogue intentionally used this photo which "screams King Kong," and commented, "When you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and bring those stereotypes to the front, a black man wanting white woman, it's not innocent."

However, I think that LeBron's expression on the cover is just his game face and that he wasn't trying to evoke an example of a dangerous man. Besides, Gisele looks far from scared, which is the complete opposite of the expression that Fay Wray had in the movie, King Kong.

In my opinion, I think this controversy was built up by a bunch of people that were analyzing the magazine too much and trying to find some sort of error. There's more things to be worried about these days than a magazine cover. So let's just chill out and celebrate Vogue's first cover with a black male!


(This post is really late news, but I had to write it for my fellow blogger, Dania, who asked me my opinion on the whole controversy. You should check out her blog: Modeling 101, it's great for all those aspiring models out there!)

10 comments:

Ashleigh said...

I could not agree more!
p.s. Great blog!im new to this (just started mine yesterday....an came across yours :)

Dania Denise said...

awesome post! thanks for doing it...i always enjoy reading your blog! it took me a while to like the cover image just because i guess i had a different type of pose in mind for them but now that i look at it more, it definitely fits their personas so i like it now haha. keep up the great job, fellow blogger! oh and that was genius to have the king kong cover next to the vogue cover...genius!

Ashleigh said...

Sounds great! I have added you to my links (right now they are at the bottom of my page- until I figure them out...im kind of computer illit..lol...then I will put it in a more visible place!) Looking forward to some of your newer posts...and hope you link me too :)

Mónica said...

I think the controversy is pretty normal because the similarities are worrying... it's cool that a black boy is on the cover, but like this? I don't know what to think about Vogue US anymore, it just not working!

Mónica said...

oh! sorry I forgot! you're already linked in my linkage section.

Siljesfashion said...

I agree with atelier, its just losing its thouch. Wish they could come up with something more inspirational than this. But great post, I enjoyed it!

Linda said...

I never really liked U.S. Vogue, but I completely agree with you. This is just over analyzation.

Mary said...

I feel some of it is overanalysation, but let's be real. Annie Leibowitz is a wordly enough photographer that she could not have not realised what she was referencing here.

Nice blog, by the way.

Anonymous said...

I really didn't even think anything of this cover until I saw this. I see this cover almost every day on my way to and from work lol. Maybe they are just trying to find a reason as to why would they even put a black guy on the cover of Vogue? Or it could be that they have to find something wrong with the cover of the magazine because a black guy was on the cover of it.
They thinking about King Kong kind of makes them the ones with the racist mind set. You know how people are instead of just celebrating something they have to find something wrong with it.

I must really be in my own world because I am so late on this one lol.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't have thought it either, but seeing the two images side-by-side, I do have to think that they did reference this. There seem to be too many similarities.