So, I was randomly reading blogs and I peeped another shot from the Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen Vogue photo shoot and the first question I asked myself was: Why wasn’t this the cover instead of that other HORRID one? It also made me think of all the comments that you guys left when we first posted the cover last week. Here are a few comments that stood out to me..
mj:
Not feeling that Lebron pic AT ALL. Lebron is straight up perpetuating a stereotype (that of the brutal, wild savage) that helped enslave, lynch, and murder hundreds of THOUSANDS of our black men for centuries… and I’m just supposed to be content because he made it onto “massa’s” magazine?! Take that weak shit somewhere else.
This is 2008 y’all, get the hell outta the plantation. Despite whatever “pride” we may feel covering VOGUE, if it’s a negative image, it’s a negative image, period. We have to continue to demand respect and dignity. The more and more we let shit go, even if it’s small things, the more people feel it’s okay to be racist.
FLYGIRL:
I think too much is being made about the Lebron james cover and Giselle I mean Dang. Its a shape issue you cant see his shape in a suit. I mean ya’ll are really analyzing stuff to the 9th degree. I mean how many black guys have been on the cover of vogue. I like the cover I think its playing on his athletic ability for which he is an athlete.
cococola72284:
Ok so this “King Kong capturing the damsel in distress” on the cover of Vogue is offensive. Not only does this man look like an ape, but he’s got this good ole prize, a white woman on his arm. There are a number of black high fashion models they could’ve paired him with and other shots they could’ve used of him. At least put him in a suit. He carries a suit VERY well.
realistic:
Get a clue. If you can’t see things from a more artistic approach…well i guess most of the people here wouldn’t. The Vogue cover is suppose to be contrasting. You have the high fashion model(typical of Vogue) and then because it’s rare that male sports figures are in Vogue, they have Lebron coming in as if you grab a part of this issue with strong masculine aggression. ya know taking the direction off models for a minute. Which is why they didn’t have him in a suit like a model. I got it.
Coincidentally, the same photographer Anne Leibovitz took the photo of the Jennifer Hudson cover last year. Click here to view it.
I’ll try this one more time…. though it’s a bit annoying that the moderators felt the need to filter-out my previous post from Weds evening.
If you’re looking for the source of Annie Liebowitz’s inspiration for the Vogue cover photo, just check-out this WWI era (!1917) US military recruitment propaganda poster.
http://www.digitaldesk.or...aganda/destroy_brute.html
I don’t think any person could reasonably argue otherwise.
Here’s a side-by-side photo, for easier comparison…
http://home.comcast.net/~...n/du/lebron_as_brute2.jpg
I only wonder who was “in” on the concept. Was Liebowitz aware of the original, or was the idea given to her? Were LeBron and Giselle tipped to the original, or were they unwitting subjects? W.T.F. was Annie Liebowitz thinking?
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It’s obvious from reading many of these comments that very few of these people are familiar with Annie Leibowitz’s work as a photographer. She has photographed many of the most famous celebrities in the world (black, white, asian, etc) and has very often brought about controversy in the resulting images.
You also have to consider what the article is about. It is their SHAPE issue. They are contrasting the power and intensity of the athletes (not just LeBron) with the sensual, lithe and glamorous models. If they posed LeBron (or some white, hispanic, asian, black athlete) in a very clean, elegant suit all cleaned up and looking pretty (as has been suggested) posing with the beautiful (white, hispanic, black, asian) supermodel in a beautiful gown, then people wouldn’t be interested in seeing what the story is about. No one would go out of their way to buy the magazine.
News Flash!! Magazines (especially Vogue) are in the business of selling lots of magazines!!
SO, athlete in suit, standing up straight and tall posing with supermodel standing straight and tall, does not sell the idea of shape.
LeBron James posing in his ‘signature’ brand athletic apparel showing his power, his great strength, his imposing stature (the guy is 6’9″ tall – he is huge and imposing regardless of how he is dressed), showing his ‘best’ game face. Sports is all about psyching out your oponent (I know that I would be intimidated if I was squaring off on the court with a guy that size). He pulls this off very well. The second image he just looks like a mild and meak black man wearing athletic clothes.
Gisele is showing her ‘game face’ just as much as LeBron. You have a top athlete and a top model showing off their best ‘game faces’.
I’m sorry, but as a photographer, that second image just lacks in so many ways to hit the intended subject matter of the article. Fashion photography, like so much of the fashion industry, is an exageration of reality. Just look at any high fashion runway pictures you’ve seen. How many of these clothes have you seen women (or even men) wearing in your workplaces, or clubs, walking the streets?
Controversy draws attention, sells magazines, newspapers, books, clothes, shoes, coffee, anything.
Does LeBron look like King Kong snatching up a timid and scared Faye Wray? When I first looked at the cover, I thought “WOW, what in intense photo!” Great contrast of power and grace, light and dark skin tones. Not what I’m used to seeing on Vogue. Seeing the cover story tag stating that it was the shape issue and paring super athletes with super models – I thought “well done”, it works. Not a great image stylistically, not Liebowitz’s best, but it works. Then I read about the controversy and after being ‘told’ by the media hype that I was supposed to see “King Kong and Faye Wray”, then I could start to see the analogy. Yeah, there are similarities in the poses and the skin contrasts and sizes differences between the characters. Now, if they showed a big white athlete dressed the same way, posing in a similarly powerful, intimidating way, would we be sitting here hashing out this debate ad nauseum? I doubt it. I’m sure it wouldn’t even register the slightest ripple in the media. Not controversial enough, can’t find anything negative to raise peoples hackels over.
So, from a magazine editorial standpoint, this cover is highly successful. Annie Liebowitz does it again. Another 3 pointer from half court at the buzzer.
The short of the long here is that too many people are so hypersensitive about too many things and have to go out of their way to get pissed about something/everything and has to make sure the rest of us know that we are supposed to be pissed about it as well. And if we aren’t then we are being racist, sexist, religionist, faschist, insensitive, or what ever.
There is after all only ONE RACE – the HUMAN RACE (like it or not, we all evolved from one African tribe (evolutionist theory) or one man/woman (creationist theory). We are all related, we just look and act different from one another.
GET A LIFE PEOPLE!! Lighten up and smile life can be a wonderful experience if you allow it to be.
Have you all see the actual ad that has an ape in the SAME mouth open position as James and holding a woman confidentially wearing the SAME dress that Giselle is wearing? I wish I could email it to you or post it as apart of this comment…. I think the people who have see this photo understand why the cover is offensive… it took the ape out and put James in…
But I will say that I’d seen the cover in passing and thought nothing of it… but that’s just it… people are sometimes victims of perpetuating stereotypes simply because they don’t know.
Here’s the link to the other photo that it LOOKS as if this cover was fashioned after.
http://www.digitaldesk.or...aganda/destroy_brute.html
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Hi my comment is about the beautiful women that are advertised in the Essence Magazine that look awesom for their age those woman are all ages 40 and up which none of the ladies look their age well I have been told since the age of 16 that I dont look my age so I would like to know how do I go about being contacted to also have my photo looked at and maybe get an approval to join the ladies in the Essence I feel I dont look my age but do you agree I would like to know contact me at shonwindsor313@yahoo.com or 313-995-8294 with info about joining this article in the Essence Magazine with these beautful black women of today.
I think this is just another instance where subtle racism is at play. I detest the cover and I agree that images are very important and some of these images do in fact teach Blacks self-hatred, while leaking in drip by drop into the subconscious. To my eyes this cover is absurd, playing into stereotypes but I do not prefer the 2nd cover either. The second one looks like she is saying ” yes. white america we will always continue to hold these unsuspecting Negroes down. We will keep our foot on their necks and continue to oppress and mislead.” The whole damn world has gone mad. This shit sickens me. And to all you real clueless people who want Blacks to forgive and forget slavery and the dehuminization, rape, brutalization of Black people as a race can forget it. The whole idea that we will forget being viewed as inferior 2nd class citizens is also absurd. And please don’t ever say “Go back to Africa” I have more right to be here than anyone else. This country was built from the blood, sweat and tears of my enslaved people. Although, at times I would love to go back but apparently the natives believe I have been demonized by Europe and all their ideals to take whatever they want. Weapons devised to take, Plots and schemes developed into laws designed to take, Their whole legacy is built up on the take, b-cuz they never had anything. In the hills, robbing and killing to survive, its in thier nature. Europe was not rich with any raw materials. Africa has Gold, ivory, diamonds etc. China has silk, technology , etc
I think that those commenting that can’t see the symbolism but concede that there could be something are feeling the subconscious effect. I don’t think the intent is in the picture or the picture taker (Annie Leibovitz) but the end result is clear. This picture evoked images and feelings that can not be denied.
Hi Ursula,
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