I don’t find the cover offensive but I watch a lot of basketball and I don’t see no one walk out onto the court looking like he stumped his toe. Maybe “after he dunk” face but game face..no

Congrats, CL…I can see this being the goto spot for mainstream news…this is the most conservative popular black blog… I’ve often thought it was boring because it’s so conservative…but, what do I know? Obviously, you’re right! Congrats, again! Oh…and tell me what they said about Lebron’s cover…

@30 i completely agree

YES IT IS THAT SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I view this image in the likeness of Halle Berry winning an award for playing a quite disgusting role when she could have gotten one many times before for movies that displayed her strengths. Denzel could have one an Oscar for something other than a grimey cop movie. This cover was supposed to make history, just like those awards, why must everything that gets celebrated for African Americans be something ugly & barbaric? Before you bog me down with contrary examples, I do understand its not EVERYTIME but it certainly seems like anytime its something significant in the media it’s got some sort of ugly twist.

Like someone said before, we, as black people, get thrown little bones and strung along by the media. The messages today are VERY subliminal - but thats all the more reason for us to speak up and nip these things in the bud.

The reason we don’t fight for ourselves as we ought to today or the reason why we THINK we are free is because people aren’t jupping up and down shouting nigger kicking us out of restaraunts and being blatant about it - the crimes today are much more subtle - they think we are too ignorant and blinded by bling and fame to pay attention.

To me, its not approporiate for a VOGUE cover at all, ever. If it were SLAM magazine I think it MIGHT have slipped underneath the rug and gone a bit undiscovered but because it’s vogue and the whole purpose was to make a big statement, this photo is unacceptable. I mean this should be a collectors item - one to be remembered.

MAJOR props to CL for making an impact. Job well done. This posting has helped me to understand the magnitude of BLOGS. This site has huge social impact simply because what we see in the media and whats going on in American culture does shape our future one way or another. Very interesting.

I don’t believe that Lebron is dumb as much as he is just the average money hungry, ignorant person. Conventional education has very little to do with it in my opinion. It may have a small impact but the things that motivate a person are usually in them from birth and ingrained by adolescence. The curriculums of college usually ingratiate black people even more towards a eurocentric mentality and opening themselves up to be misused. As a 23 year old black man, if he doesn’t have the common sense to not pose like a King Kong gorilla while grabbing a white woman on the cover of a magazine 10 more years of “higher education” will not give it to him. His name is “King James”; why couldn’t he, as a businessman, think to capitalize off that name by posing in a throne or something to that effect? Many black people are intimidated by the perceived higher intelligence and judgment of caucasians which makes them afraid to say “no”. Plus the man says that he wants to be the richest man on the earth, which means that he’ll sell his soul.

http://imagecache2.allpos...739~King-Kong-Posters.jpg
http://shoppingblog.dalla...le-lebron-james-vogue.jpg

im a black woman. im not offended by the photo nor do i think it is subtle racism. i think lebron is portraying his athleticism. yes his mouth is open, so what. michael jordan has been in many magazines doing his signature pose with his mouth open. So why is it a problem now?
i think that the uproar is about about a black man posing with a white women. bc if he was posing a woman of color it would not be offensive.

I think it is about perception how you perceive things to be.

Art, which this is, can be perceived differently. People were offended back in the day about Michaelangelos David.

I don’t think it was offensive because this is what Labron is. He makes this face and brings this energy in all his games. If he is happy about it then that is as far as it should go in my opinion.

The Experience is Coming!

#73
I keep saying this, but I’m really thing it’s 100% spot-on: Vogue chose that cover because nobody even remotely in tune with fashion would ever consider Lebron James an appropriate choice of “coverboy” so Vogue, to sort of preemptively strike at their critics and using the grade school tactic: “I’ll make a joke about myself before you can poke fun of me!” they put the most ridiculous shot on the cover, one that seems athletic (and yes…bestial) and this way no insider can say they tried to seriously pass Lebron off as a coverboy (the opposite of “covergirl” I mean nothing offensive in “boy”)… I keep saying it because I KNOW it’s what they did…I just KNOW it…and either Lebron’s ambition got in the way (his wanting to make history with a Vogue cover) or his lack of experience or even his handlers….there was some reason somebody didn’t catch it and say: okay, they’re trying to sell magazines to people who are into celebrities but not necessarily fashion and they don’t want to be ridiculed so they’re going all out and making a fool of you before anyone can make a fool of them…

You see, we’ve called Vogue racist and called their method into question but not one person has mockingly gone back to the source of it all…nobody is like Why was Lebron even on the cover??!!! Because in that horrible shot, Vogue let us know: yeah, he’s not supposed to be on here…yeah, we’re trying to sell copies…we’re getting in on the pop culture thing, ha!

thinking, not thing*

Yeah they could OF suited him up, but I don’t see anything wrong with his expression.When you playing ball you make faces.Maybe they wanted to capture in the moment.That’s how pictures are IN THE MOMENT.I think some might be feeding into this more than what it actually is.When are people going to stop complaining, first BET now this?It’s like none of you are proud he is even on the cover.Damn just be happy a brother made it on the cover!Keep thinking like this we stay behind 200 years or whatever people say.Quit complaining its 2008 for goodness sakes.

oh 33 I agree! They should have out him on Alone

Michael Jordan has been photographed with his mouth open while dunking a basketball in the midst of an actual NBA game, not a contrived photo shoot while holding a white woman, SMH. Wow. This is why that character on the Boondocks, “Ruckus” is so hilarious. There are thousands of real “Ruckuses” out here amongst our people that really think that they’re mending fences and building bridges to racial harmony with their idiocy.

People need to calm down it is just a picture.

JUDAH, I’ve seen a video of the shoot and they had him dancing with Giselle, twirling her as she roared in laughter. It was like a minstrel show….it WAS a minstrel show: his eyes yawned, his mouth gaped, he flitted around, feigning ballroom dance…all the while, Giselle is clutching his hands clumsily, pretending to be his partner. And he looks, now and again, at the photographer, with the most submissive and childlike face I’ve ever seen. And obviously she nods or shows some sign of approval, as he goes right back into the dance…twirling a, by then, absolutely hysterical Giselle. Someone should google it…

@ SHARONDA

ABSOLUTELY NOT. We will not simply be happy JUST BECUASE he made it on the cover - that is not good enough. The fact that we are saying he “made it” on the cover is ridiculous in itself. Why ARENT there more black men on the cover of VOGUE, or women for that matter.

See JUDAH’s comment #86. Yes, pictures are in the moment - but hes NOT IN THAT MOMENT. He’s not playing a game, he’s on the cover of VOGUE. He’s in the midst of making history - this is how we as a people are portrayed. As people flip through VOGUE years later and then all of a sudden they come to this elephant (dare i say gorilla) of an image of a black man very wildly holding a white women - it’s not a good look.

I dont think that us standing up for ourselves is keeping us behind. You’re right, its 2008 - so why are we still making huge land marks by “making it” on international magazine covers; how behind is that?

finally… watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeTHFHTd_xA

okay some of these people who are “EDUCATED” are coming off very nasty and full of themselves. why someone has to be stupid,brainwashed, or uneducated because they don’t see what’s the big deal about this cover. i think it’s not that big of a deal and i’m far from stupid or uneducated and i take offense to someone who says that i’m stupid because i don’t see what’s the big deal. first of all think it’s silly that people are vehemently (OH LOOK AT THAT I USED A BIG WORD!!!!!!!)frustrated with a fashion magazine i mean come on, most of us don’t even read the magazine. and nobody in the world who have any amount of sense is going to look at this and say: “I BET ALL BLACK PEOPLE HAVE TATTOOS, WEAR JERSEYS ALL DAY, LOOK AGGRESSIVE AND HAVE WHITE GIRL ON THEIR SIDE” so “EDUCATED PEOPLE” let’s us people who don’t agree with you have our opionions and vice versa. but please don’t make it seem that we are a bunch of dumb brainwashed people it is not neccessary nor classy.

WHOEVER SAID JAMES NOT HAVING ANYTHING ABOVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA MAKES HIM UNEDUCATED IS A JACKASS . MAJORITY OF THE MOST “EDUCATED” PEOPLE ARE DUMB AS HELL. A DEGREE IS JUST THAT A SHEET OF PAPER . THERE ARE MANY INTELLIGENT “EDUCATED”PEOPLE WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE WITH A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. BLACK FOLKS SMDH . LIKE SOMEONE SAID BEFORE HE’S MONEY HUNGRY AND THAT MEANS GETTING PAPER BY ANY MEANS .

As fas as I am concern, its the same face he shows when he is playing basketball dunking, but I truly think somewhere down the line we just made more out of it than it was suppose to be, LOL Folksssssssssssssssss

I saw the Today Show this morning and I was CONNNNCRET LOOOOPPP, thats my joint. At first as I posted the first time I didn’t see anything wrong with it. Until I saw the pictures of King Kong this morning. Donny D. was really trying to say this morning that Lebron is his element. They spoke about how Lebron didn’t find anything wrong with his image. Maybe if he went to college or maybe read up on some history he would learn something about the we black people are portrayed in the media. Yeah its 2008 and racism clearly still exists I notice it when I’m out in public just observing the interactions between black and white people.

Wake Up & Cut It are on point.

I think this cover represents that when you are a young black coming up get a white woman for success. Look he’s clutching the white woman in one arm representing his success and on the other side he has a basketball representing his career.

It’s really not that serious. I think we have an “older” generation of black people who finds this offensive while the younger generation is like, “this is offensive because…???” I personally like it.

Caucasians have always used primates as a thinly veiled reference to blacks, whether it be their fear of the black man taking their woman, King Kong (which is why the film has been re-made twice), or fear of blacks taking over the earth, Planet of the Apes (which is why that film had 4 sequels and was remade once). They’re obsessed with black people and their perceived notion that blacks resemble primates. In reality it’s the caucasians that grow excessive body hair and, like primates, have pink skin when shaved. The Lebron James cover is literally “art” imitating “art”. The cover was framed exactly like the poster for the original movie. If they could get away with it, they’d take pictures with black athletes swinging from vines and throwing spears. You would still have house negroes crying, “artistic expression”.

I have another point. I feel I should not try to figure out what others are thinking. If someone looks at this cover and thinks about negative influences than thats there ignorance. Meaning if there is a white person that thinks this cover represent KingKong and the white woman. Then that’s their opinion, I shouldn’t say ignorance. Because I don’t need to make a point by calling names. Lebron may not have a college degree but does that means he don’t have common sense. There are many people that don’t have college degrees and are very successful. Check the FORBES list. Giselle is not attractive to me but she knows her craft and she make excellent money. They’re both are in the top of their field. My point being is that you can always twist something to be negative but in the same breathe is can also be positive. Could Vogue have made a better choice in using a different picture? Yes. But they didn’t. That’s their choice. You can not always please everyone. It is what it is. But now that this is a subject again I had to deeply search my heart. I refuse to think and feel like the majority when I can have a more positive outlook on the matter. I look at Vogue for the lastest fashion only. I really don’t pay too much attention to the cover most of the time.

All that from a picture huh….

I posted this on the other thread, whoops. (Looks like it’s abandoned):

I came here after catching “The View’ this morning, which sucked. I just started to read the comments, but I HAVE to say - that other picture looks pretty racially motivated to me as well!! It is certainly more elegant, but for god’s sake, she’s wearing WHITE, he’s wearing BLACK (subtlety is NOT Annie Leibowitz’ game), Giselle is standing over him, while he’s gripping her knees, looking VERY subservient. White woman with power over the black man. I’m an art historian, and believe me, THAT is the message. Both images are racist. Leibowitz is a hack.

Ok, done reading comments. I want to say also that for all you who say “it’s just a picture”, you do yourselves a disservice when you dismiss it. Pictures are composed and planned, just like comments or literature. If someone made a veiled “king kong” reference in conversation, I’m sure you wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it, nor accuse those who noticed it of racism themselves. Visual references exist, and even cheesy hacks like Leibowitz are professionals and visually literate, so are VERY aware of what they’re doing. I’m not saying everyone needs to be personally offended, that’s up to you, but what’s going on SHOULD be recognized.
god bless.

I personally think that the photo is inappropriate. And no i am not a sensitive person. Not many african american people have been featured on the cover of vogue. And know they choose to have a famous basketball player posed up with a white woman with a savage look on his face . i mean people do you see the message IT SENDS OUT A MESSAGE THAT IF YOU ARE A BLACK MAN WITH SUCCESS FIND A WHITE WOMAN TO HAVE AS YOUR TROPHY. when you look at the picture he have a white woman on one side which represents his trophy and a basketball on the other side which represents his carreer. IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO HONOR LEBRON JAMES HE COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE COVER BY HIMSELF. he was on the cover for the wrong reason he degraded himself. WHY COULDN’T THEY PUT HIM WITH A BLACK WOMAN. THE PHOTO REMINDS ME OF KING KONG AND THE OVERPROTECTION OF A WHITE WOMAN.BLACK MEN WITH SUCCESS ALWAYS HAVE TO BE POSED WITH WOMEN OF OTHER RACES EVEN IN MOVIES WHY IS THAT ? YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF THAT i would also like to get opions so you can hit me up at 562-446-5004

Am I the only person who thinks its sad that black people thinks its some sort of “honor” to be featured on these people’s magazine. It is like they are throwing a bone to blacks, because they wait till 2008 to get a black man on the cover, and now blacks are surprised they made him look like an ape? We really have to stop thinking of it to be an honor to be the “first black” to appear on people’s magazines. Seriously. This same sentiment can be said about Beyonce’s first appearance on that men’s magazine.

@99MDot, I am of the younger generation, and I can clearly see that this is a racially offensive photo. I see they didn’t put giselle in sweats or under armour to show how athletic and toned she is. this is not the first time annie leibowitz has done this. and vogue knew it was a bad idea.

Lebron is an athlete and Giselle is a model so I don’t see what’s wrong with the cover. I don’t find it offensive at all. I do take issue with the comments that those of us who aren’t offended by the cover are uneducated or somehow uninformed. Well, I have a bachelor’s degree and I am in my first year of law school, so I would like to think that I am neither of those of things. I simply don’t find the cover offensive and that is my opinion. Others may feel differently, and while I think that’s their right, I just don’t think it’s fair to say that all black people should be offended.

1. it’s not a blatantly racially offensive image but artistic imagery always brings to mind connotations, connotations here which are of the stereotypical black man

2. @ no. 17 ’seabreeze’… you said it best

3. black people have every right to be angry, just because we are no longer forced to sit at the back of the bus doesn’t mean we finally have equality. there are countless ways in which the world cunningly tries to keep black men down

If they put another black person on the cover just put him/her in a nice suite or elegant dress and cover their mouths with duct tape so their mouths won’t be all open but then I’m sure people will be like the tape symbolizes back in the day when the master told the slaves to keep our mouths closed blah blah

This is the Shape issue. There are other athletes in the magazine and they’re all wearing their respective uniforms and the models are all wearing dresses. There is nothing rascist about them putting LeBron in his basketball uniform. Personally, I don’t think the cover is offensive, but I do think it’s ugly.

read the magazine cover. it’s the fitness magazine. diet tips and know what you eat because you are what eat. their are just accentuating his muscles. No homo but everybody know that Lebron James is by far one of the most diesled dudes playing ball. though they could of use Serena Williams instead of Giselle but that is another issue.

THESE MUTHA FUCKAS AT VOGUE COULD HAVE PICKED A DIFFERENT PICTURE THAN THIS ONE. IT LOOKS LIKE HE GON’ TEAR UP THAT WHITE PUSSY. A SAMBO HOUSE NIGGA WITH A WHITE GIRL AROUND HIS ARM. THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

@111

What muscles were they accentuationg, his jaw muscles, lmao? Black people boy. It must be the mental programming because people can’t be this ridiculously simple. This is why when big things like Hurricane Katrina happen, black people don’t know what or how to think and evaluate because little things like this are brushed off.

How ridiculous, I can’t believe I’m even entertaining this topic.
However, I do want to make a point and say that I have seen plenty of pictures where LeBron is wearing a suit and tie, looking very dapper… but come on, he is a basketball player so he is indeed a little savage like most atheletes.
I don’t think he’s perpetuating any stereotypes. it’s a fashion pic, it’s supposed to be edgy

I think as black people we are still very confused with how we want to be portrayed and that not only makes us as a culture uncomfortable, it makes everyone around us uneasy

( oh, sorry do you perfer african american or black?)

Exactly what I was thinking 105. I could not believe someone in here wrote oh you guys should be happy that HE IS EVEN ON THE COVER. What the heck is that suppose to mean? So we should take it as a PRIVILEGE that a BLACK MAN could even get on this SO CALLED High Class Magazine, please! That is the biggest bull crap I have ever heard. This issue is not that big to me but reading some of the comments make me wonder why so many of my people are clueless. Oh well continue on.

#103 a photo that I thought was acceptable, now is unacceptable, is this an intended message? Or was it all just mere coincidence??? Judah mades a point especially with the “King” part, they knew what they were doing all along…

This Leibowitz photographer is nuts though! I looked up the one she did of Whoopi Goldberg in milk for Vanity Fair, and that ish was crazy! Who in their right mind decided to have whoopi in a tub full of milk? & why did whoopi agree to that mess?

http://www.bwog.net/uploa...rg20-20Anne20Leibovit.jpg
http://www.theage.com.au/...llery__373×400,0.jpg

@ #105 *HIGH 5, AND RAISES FIST*

THAT’S WHAT I WAS TRYIN TO SAY IN THE FIRST PLACE! FOLKS IS ACTING LIKE VOGUE MAG BEEN SOME KINDA ADVOCATE FOR BLACK FOLKS AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN TURNED THEIR BACKS ON US W/ THIS COVER. I PERSONALLY AM NOT OFFENDED BECAUSE I NEVER PAY MY MONEY OR ATTENTION TO THIS BULLSH*T MAG…

IF YOU NAACP’ERS TAKE THIS MAG TO TASK, I FEEL LIKE IT’S A WHOLE HELLUVA LOT MORE PUBLICATIONS YOU GOTTA LOOK AT TOO!

I’m neutral about the picture. This picture is unappealing, I don’t really understand what look they were going for. As someone said before, it looks like two totally different pics photoshopped together. She was looking like she didn’t want to be touched. I understand what people are saying about beastiality, but, there are so many other things to worry about. Bet, Flavor Flav, I love New York, Coona**rap (Hurricane Chris and others). If we rallied around some REAL issues, we would be quite a force. Someone made one of the best points on here. I don’t feel like going back to get her name, but, we need to stop thinking it’s a badge of HONOR to be “accepted” by some WHITE owned corporation. PERIOD! Be great at what you do! If I am the best, a white corporation seemingly “accepting” me and my talent does not make me any better once I am acknowledged by them.

@ #105

*HIGH 5 & RAISES FIST*

I GUESS THAT’S WHY I FEEL SO, “SO WHAT” ABOUT THIS…VOGUE HAS NOT BEEN OUR ADVOCATE, SO WHY GET YOUR AL SHARPTON ON RIGHT NOW?
THE POWERS THAT BE CAN HAVE THIS BATTLE, WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THE DEVISIVE POWER OF THIS COVER, I MEAN JUST LOOK AT US…

It’s a cover.Don’t matter which cover, it’s JUST a cover.If they wanted him on there we should be that happy.He can actually change somebody’s thought.What more do you people want?Denzel had a cover on Men’s Vogue.And I believe Will Smith had one also.Does it matter if he’s playing a game at the time?Stop being so analytical.He’s a basketball player.Basketball players play rough.He’s portraying what a basketball player does.What do you want him to look like?I just don’t understand.As soon as we some black people stop nitpicking at every thing we can move on until then we be stuck exactly where most of you seem like you want to be at…Slavery.

It disgusting to see ppl say “stop being so sensitize” and etc. HELLO! Wake the fuck up… racism still exist conscious and subconsciously! Even in your little happy world! I don’t think the cover is racist BUT I don’t think it sends a good message either. To the person who said “Some People Dont Appreciate Anything.”

BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE MOST SENSITIVE PEOPLE ON EARTH . NOBODY OWE US ANYTHING ! ALWAYS CRYING AND SHIT . . PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF CATERING TO US . DIDNT NOBODY FORCE JAMES TO TAKE THAT DAMN PICTURE SO DONT GET MAD AT THE PHOTOGRAPHER . WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE MADE A FOOL OF ,SO GET MAD AT JAMES FOR TAKING THE PHOTO NOT VOGUE FOR TAKING THE OPPURTUNITY!!

To the person (#6) who said “if he would have been in a tuxedo holding the women like a glamour shot, then we would be calling the picture a sell-out! it is not that damn deep.” You sound so pathetically ignorant. Why would ppl say he’s a sellout for presenting himself as A DAMN MAN? Why did they have to showcase the stereotype of black men being athletic and NOT showcasing his suaveness? Black men can be sexy in formal clothes and hold a model just like any other man! Anyone who would call being represented in a RESPECTFUL is an obvious victim of “ghetto brainwashing” the media subjects us to.

To the person who said “Some People Dont Appreciate Anything.” EXCUSE ME if I don’t settle for bullshit and instant gratification like you. Excuse me for being educated and reading btwn the lines and appreciating the actual HISTORY of my ppl. Unlike you, I understand the media is a TOP killer in our community. This is a PRIME example.

Here’s a good comment from:

http://www.feministe.us/b...y-racially-conscious-but/

Not only is Jill right in that this is a king Kong reference, it’s obvious that it was meant that way.

King James…. King Kong…. Come on, this sort of 6th grade metaphor is prime territory for crap ad executives. They just don’t stop to think about why they make a black guy out to be an ape instead of… say… putting a crown on his head and having him pose like somebody who is making more money than 99.9999997% of the world.

#124 - I would have to agree with you 100%…

BISON! - At Howard they have a class in the School of Communications on Steretypes in the media. This would pose for an interesting discussion. For those of you who think there was NO thought placed into this photo, no thought placed into using it as the FRONT cover, no thought as to having a white woman and a basketball in the palms of each hand…you are so far from seeing enlightened truth.

Again, marketing people get paid huge chunks of money to put together campaigns that will render profit. Now, here are my thoughts, YES it was racially inspired BUT not for the sake of being offsensive (alone). It was for the purpose of generating profit through these conversations we are having right now. People want to see “what was the article about?” “Was it about bball or fashion?” “Why this cover?” etc etc.

They used a racially stimulated cover to grap a new audience…US! And, they did it on purpose. Period.

I agree with StacyH, people can really make a mountain out of mole hill! I think he is expressing his passion for the game, that’s why he has that intense look on his face. Alot of things could be considered racist, and keep in mind for the most part our own race is who starts the negativity. People let’s wake up, there are other things to bring to light like, who really owns the oil, what refineries, who are the CEO’s, the break down of how much they are paying and what tax breaks the government are issuing to the foreign companies for this, we should focus on how to make the prices go down. Give tx break, but will we pay this back on next tax season. If you really think about it, for singles we may get $600 but divide that by 365 days in a year (almost 0.61 per day), which you can save yourself. I mean we could really focust on better things seriously. In Memphis we look forward to Teach a Child to Save Day and that’s something we all can focus on. Everyone is having a hard time, we are in a bad way right now, I mean people at Wall Street are being laid off, we really need to look at how we are preparing for tomorrow. I’m just saying there’s more going than just a FROWN ON A COVER…after all that cover is making him (and her) money, so how do you make yours….Memphistouch…just thinking

I dnt get this S*%T, wen r ppl gonna stop making excuses so that they keep bringin demselves down as victims. Im black, n i c no problem wid dis pic. i c an ATHLETE (doesnt matta about race), playin basketball whilst also holding a beautiful model on the other side, sort of lyk multi-tasking. Plz explain 2 me how ppl got king kong and dat women out of dat. not everything is an attack on black people. the mag has published information and pictures about black people, non of which i saw as being racist, and i personally think that the photography pictured what he wanted 2 picture. AN ATHLETE WITH A MODEL!!!!

I think it’s racist how come they couldnt pick the cover of her with the white dress with him sitting down this is straight up hoassness not bitchassness but HOASSNESS!

Britany beauty,

I think that white dress pic is also racist, see my comment above. Again, Annie Leibowitz is famous for pulling this kind of dumb stereotype in her photos. She’s a hack!

Hey madaha i’ll read hold on!

Why is everyone making such a fucking fuzz about this?
Useless crap..

I am glad to see you all on The Today Show. Keep on doing big things CL!!!

I just love your site!!

I’m stating the obvious here but as far as I’m concerned the people that don’t think it’s ‘that serious’ are people that have few negative experiences with Whites, racism and stereotyping. The people that do see a problem with it have dealt with it a lot. Personally, I’ve experienced enough covert acts of discrimination and racism to know that White people rarely put a lot of thought into whether or not they are oppressing Blacks, representing them poorly or setting them back 100 years. It doesn’t matter because for some Whites, that type of behavior and thinking comes naturally (read Pat Buchanan’s blog if you need more proof of this).

So while people on here are arguing whether or not the picture was intentional, I think there’s a greater issue at hand. That is, the fact that not one editor or executive thought about the cover and its potential impact is clearly reflective of how ingrained this type of thought process is. It also shows that they could give a damn what message their sending to Blacks. This magazine is not FOR, ABOUT or BY Blacks. It’s all about representing the European standard and that’s why the picture reflects the White woman as dainty, and lithe and victimized. If nothing else, this little controversy will only serve to make the powers at Vogue a little more conscious about how they carry out their message. However, I seriously doubt it would make them change how they FEEL.

What’s the difference between this and that cover with the noose (can’t remember the magazine right now).? None. It’s just another day at the printing presses folks. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it.

I honestly don’t think Lebron intent to delibritely insult his fans or his community; nor do i think he thought it would be this serious, get this deep, or be the poster boy of a black, athletic, brutal savage. If Vogue would have sat with him and his image consultants and said:

“We’re gonna put you on the cover of this fashion magazine that probably half of your fans will never see, read, or give a good got dayum about; hang some formulaic dainty, delicate, damsel in distress type white b!tch your arm, PURPOSELY make you look like King-Kong reincarnated, thus echoing the sediments to an already skewed image of the black male athlete, and give bloggers who will have nothing better to do the next Friday night after it hit stands to question your image”

….I doubt he’d agree to do the cover.

While the rest of the world has the luxury of moving forward without being subject to ridicule, question, or examination, black people are still locked (or should I say “chained”) in a primitive mental state via egregious stereotypes, social conditionings, one-sided portrayals (not saying it’s false, but black people do not begin and end with ignorant, un-educated, and aggressive behavior), and sometimes how we hold each other back. Black people are always told we have to be “extra careful” of how we portray ourselves; we must tread lightly and make sure we don’t offend anyone with our personalities, appearance, and intelligence; as well as watch what we say and do with a guarded eye because one slip-up and we’re the shame of our people, a disgrace to ourselves, and should be punished severely via loss of career and educational opportunities, business deals, lucrative endorsements, acknowledgement, respect, and/or integrity.

I don’t know about y’all but…that sounds a lot like mental slavery to me….

OMG PEPOLE THIS IS A FITNESS ISSUE OF VOGUE AND I WORK FOR TEEN VOGUE AS A THERE IS NOTHING OFFENSIVEIN THIS PICTURE IF YALL COULD READ IT IS A FITNESS MAGAZINE TALKING ABOUT ATHLETES AND STUFF LEBRON IS A ATHLETE SO WHY NOT HAVE HIM ON THE COVER WITH HIS UNIFORM SHIT I UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS JUST THE REGULAR VOGUE I KNOW FOR A FACT HE WOULD BEEN ON THE COVER WITH A EXPENSIVE ASS SUIT I LOVE TO SEE THE BALCK COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER FOR A ISSUE BUT THIS IS NOT THE ISSUE AND PLUS THIS IS NOT EVEN RACIST OR OFFENSIVE………….LEBRON DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT AND HES THE ONE ON THE COVER LOOKING UGLY SO WHY DO WE AS A COMMUNITY ITS GREAT COMING TOGETHER FOR A ISSUE BUT SERIOUSLY THESE RACIST / OFFENSIVE COMMENTS AINT EVEN NECESSARY

By the way, LeBron was recently on the cover of Black Enterprise looking VERY dapper and oh so clean. If I could ask him any question I would want to know why he chose to represent himself this way on a Black-owned magazine cover versus the one for Vogue. Did he really think he was being ‘artistic’ for Vogue (after all it is a fashion mag) or did he feel like he needed a better physical representation of himself on a magazine geared towards Blacks?

There is something wrong with this image and I personally find it insulting!!!!!…. This is jus plain wrong and utterly shocking!!!!… I don’t even read the mag but from wat I can tell they have alot of scandal up there sleeves and truth will come out!!!… It’s a whole lot of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!….. Neway Concreteloop dats wassup, keep doin wat you do iight!!!! Peace!!!!

i don’t see how this is racist AT ALL! If you look at high fashion pics, people are doing poses like this all the time - in MID scream.

ppl need to find real causes to get behind.

this is foolishness.

good………mainstream media couldn’t have chosen a better site to pickup a honest and respectful vibe from the African American community.

I was reading some of the comments that were left on this NBA site & all I have to say is white people JUST DONT GET IT! They just dont understand. Its a shame how racist this country is and how the black people know how everything is racist but every other race does not.

Blacks will continue to be their worst and only enemy.Everything isn’t about “us.” Just ungrateful.Be grateful we not even in chains and being whopped and calling people “master.”
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“To the person who said “Some People Dont Appreciate Anything.” EXCUSE ME if I don’t settle for bullshit and instant gratification like you. Excuse me for being educated and reading btwn the lines and appreciating the actual HISTORY of my ppl. Unlike you, I understand the media is a TOP killer in our community. This is a PRIME example.”

You educated and???Just because you got a piece of paper don’t mean you smarter than the next.Yes, I’m in college but I don’t go bragging and downsizing anybody.Then again you said “btwn” “ppl” I don’t believe you, you need more people.

Vogue and Lucky Magazine are two I don’t even bother to purchase. I personally have never seen a African American on the cover of Lucky and the why Vogue had Jennifer Hudson on the cover with her mouth wide open, discuss the hell out of me. What was they trying to say? But when I seen this cover of Vogue it just pointed out to me what America love to see “Black Rich powerful men with a White women”.

I stated this on the other posting and I’ll say it again:

How can anyone black fix their minds and mouths to holler offense to this? Look at a rap video, you love and support the hell out of those entertainers and they make black women look like human sex toys all day! But you wanna holler because a black dude got his arm wrapped around a white woman? This is outrageous. I don’t see hordes of black folk crying ‘offense’ to the imminent amount of black ass and boobs on TV and all the negative, derogatory and defaming lyrics of our own people. Why not boycott that mess that is Flavor of Love. One of the only reality shows that has a damn near full cast of black women every season and those girls on there are absolutely insanely ignorant and belligerent and whether you like it or not DO represent how ‘others’ see black women as generally behaving. Its sad how we pick and choose our battles. Vogue and anyone else should continue to insult black people, because we do it to ourselves.

Those who don’t understand where the person who made that comment is coming from are close-minded.

lol alright people let’s try to understands people’s opinions. From analyzing the cover, I can see how it has racial undertones and why people are finding this offensive. From looking on the outside you see an athlete with a monstrous mouth open wide with a basketball bouncing and a beautiful caucasian woman on his arm. Well the reason that many people say that it portrays an ape like pose and it is offensive is because racist scientist thought that black people were solely evoutionized from apes and that white people are so different meaning they are more human. So if anyone drew that conclusion from the picture than so be it. This picture can be viewed differently. Alot magazine ads,covers, etc use subliminal messages that can be sexist, feminist, racist etc. So with that said we can complain about alot of ads. I remember I saw a D&G commercial and at the end you see a man kissing himself but if you didn’t pay attention, you would’ve thought you saw two different men kissing each. If you knew anything about D&G, you would know that these men were lovers, and they probably “subliminally” used that commercial to express their homosexuality. Now I see that has caused quite distraction to some viewers and they pulled that commercial off. I saw it as both art and both of D&G subliminally exposing their sexuality. So with that said, maybe the photographer was racist in her art vision and subliminally used it to see if Blacks were naive into not knowing that she was being racist or maybe she put little thought into it we don’t know at all but to say people are uneducated coons for brushing it off is disrespectful. We just need to understand and respect other opinions.

I’m lost.

I don’t get how the cover is racist, and this is the first time I’ve heard of the story.

i don’t see how this cover is racist. James did that expression by himself, he said (i heard on a msn news clip) that he was comfortable with the cover; so way the hell are people trying to make nothing into something? Its a nice shoot, just appreciate that a black man is on Vogue people.

Blackisbeautiful:

I think Annie Leibowitz knew EXACTLY what she was doing. She was playing on stereotypes, (I don’t think because she’s necessarily racist, but because she’s not that intellectual). So she’s made her name by playing on this kind of simple “button-pushing”, not to make people mad, but rather just to be “daring” or “provocative”, or “sexy”. But maybe she’s finding this time, that simple-minded provocateurs can get into trouble, and are not always so cool as they think they are. Perpetuating stereotypes is NOT cool, in my book. I think it’s time for a new photographer with a more positive vision. Sex sells, veiled racism sells. Maybe it’s time for us to stop buying!!!

When i saw the cover i saw really nothing wrong it exept the fact that they could of put him in danm suit. Like for a baller LeBron dresses quite nicely off the court. However that agressive pose he’s doing is very him. I watch nba games all the time he’s a very agressive player n if he were on the cover of sports illustrated no one would be talking about this. I think if he wern’t an agressive athlete n it was like forest whitiker a tame, actor then i’d be angry as to why he’s posing like that but it’s LeBron and that’s how he is. Yeah there’s many sides to him but he chose to disaplay this side and vogue chose to pick this shot for the cover cause it’s exciting n they thought it would grab ppl’s attention in a positive way