Keep making people famous CL!

Wow, that’s cool!

I agree with her comment.

It is good to see that mass media can find well written comments to express our outrage.

nice, concreteloop is doin the damn thing! Keep it up with the topics! Much respect!

I still don’t get the controversy. it is not that serious people. it is a damn picture. all i see is a baskerball player looking like he is about to slam dunk, and a model posing. to me the picture is not that attractive, but it is not offensive . i did not have flashbacks of slavery or civil right when I saw the picture. it is a conceptual picture about sports and a athletic lifestyle. 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. I swear sometimes we as a people worry about the wrong thing…..

WOW!!!! Glad to know that the CL is taken seriously…lol

I wouldn’t say that the cover was racist, but it is sickening. We are brain-washing the minds of our young african-american boys, while making our young african american girls feel insignificant. I’m disgusted…

the best thing about that particular issue of Vogue was the Jill Scott interview.

but i mean really though? is it THAT serious?! he made history of becoming the first AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE on the cover of VOGUE!!!

something that DIDNT have to happen… GEEZ!!!

if they did it with Jennifer Hudson, they’d do it for him… Granted there are better photos, but i’d rather see this one than another white guy on the cover…

come on black folk, stop being so darned sensitive!!!!!!

i was wonderin why they always have the black people mouths open, for example, lebron with this cover, and jennifer hudson also had her mout open on the cover.

Personally I dont think the cover was as serious as people were making it out to be.

But congrats to those featured on The Today Show. Concrete Loop is rising fast. TMZ who??? Lol…

Congrats to concrete loop who knew that CL is not underground.

OMFG the world is going to become even more deaf to the plight of the black community if we continue on this path of complaining about every insignificant thing and trying to make racial issues where there are none. Quit being so hypersensitive people.

Congrats to CL for making one of my favorite shows and Im so jealous of the comment that made the show lol.

@ #6 and 9 I So Agree With You Guys. Black People Acting Super Sensitive And Ignorant Then Got Attention From It. Some People Dont Appreciate Anything. Complain Until They Rule The World Lol Black People Want Everything To Be About Them Thats All It Is. Lebron Isnt Mad So Why Are Other People? Makes No Sense

I agree with #6, it just wasn’t that serious. Giselle is a hugely popular supermodel. That is why she is there with Lebron. I think the issue for some is simply the fact that he is there with a white female period. You wouldn’t be getting this level of vitriol if it was a black woman with him on the cover in that same pic.

When I saw the segment this morning on the Today Show featuring a comment from CL, I was so proud! I wholeheartedly agree with the comment and I am happy that there is dissension over the cover Vogue chose. Sadly no matter how loud we complain about these stereotypes the more they try to force us to believe that “This is who we are” and “We should be happy to have a person of color on the cover.” For those spouting off that it’s not that serious, please take a closer look because it really is!

Wow….it’s nit that serious? Take of your rose colored glasses for once! Subtle racism is the worst kind because it’s people like you who think “it’s not a big deal.” I guess if he’d of been on the cover with a noose around his neck ti would’ve been cool too, as long as he made the cover. GTFOH!

People with their^^^^^^ mindset are the same ones that would’ve kept their own people enslaved if slavery was here today. They would say, “it’s not that bad,….we get clothing, food, and shelter…..massa treats us real good.”

I see CL is doing it BIG keep up the great work.

Now regarding Lebron I understand her comment and I agree but what does Lebron think? Is he offended?
I just wish the one on the inside was the cover.

Hey Beauty QT

Right 13, especially in this age of “should we or shouldn’t we have a black president”.
Still, I am a believer in the right to say what you want. So, if it bothers you, then you should continue to voice your opposition. Make sure you write Anna Wintour( Vogue Editor) and let her know you didn’t like it.

Whasup DAME! Haven’t spoke to you for a while! Hope all is well with you…

the cover itself it’s not racist.. that’s what he wanted! ’some’ people couldn’t be more sensitve..

HE wanted that himself. WAKE up people!!

I agree w/#9 as well. EEFFFNN senstive yo! and # 6!!!

I wrote Vogue about my dislike of this cover

wow come on people he made the cover and its cool cover whats the big deal some times blk folk are to danm sensitive what so racist about the picture hes a pro baller and she a model come on people lets focus on more important issues then a danm vouge cover….

I dont see what the problem its just a b-ball player with his game face on looks like the same ugly face micheal jordan used to make lol and he is holding a model would it have been better if Jennifer Hudson was on the cover again with her mouth open or maybe tyra banks I dont get it someone fill me in

How fitting. The first African American male on the cover of Vogue since it’s inception and he’s seen holding a basketball and clutching a white woman. Many simple minded black people will say other blacks are too sensitive but Vogue’s editors anticipated this reaction to an otherwise bland cover.

CL, II want to say that you have a great blog. The comment being featured on The Today Show proves the media depends on your site for accurate and precise information about the black perspective on entertainment. It’s no wonder you have haters in the blog world. Keep up the good work!

A lot of you are acting like house slaves… too stupid and ignorant to see how the media portrays us. I’m tired of dumb black people. Anna Wintour and her posse want to have a token black person on the cover once in a while just to dodge criticism. If you aren’t smart enough to realize that this is the same exact portrayal and positioning as the original King Kong poster then you don’t have the right to comment. How can you say that at least there is a black person on the cover. They could have made him look like a sexy model but made him look greasy by showing him in a basketball uniform and tattoos baring and all. This just reinforces stereotypes about black males.
A PhD candidate in minorities and women in media.

Wow, didn’t realise it became so big. Wish they had a black woman though like Naomi Campbell.

hehe.

I have a problem with the photo…….

IT’S NOT THAT SERIOUS. I will continue to maintain that. It’s a bad picture. Nothing more. But if you want to have the extremist attitude about it. Go ahead. There is nothing wrong with a black man and a white woman on the cover of a magazine. It’s modeling and it’s art. If she was holding a piece of rope, then we might have a problem. If he was ripping off her clothes, it might be a problem. If they were standing in a jungle, it might be a problem. If she had a pained look on her face, it might be a problem. AS it is, he really isn’t even acknowledging her in this photo. Furthermore, if I didn’t know any better, I might would think she was “added” to the photo. It’s a bad picture. Shame on Annie Leibowitz, she’s a far better photographer than this.

Also what was the piece about on Lebron James was it about sports is that why he has a basketball with his uniform on or about fashion cause then I would understand maybe he should have been in a Tux or something like the model ??

YES.

It IS that damn serious. There is nothing more important to us as African Americans than the continuing dialogue on race and it’s IMPLICATIONS, be it real or imagined.

Race and perception is playing a MAJOR role in politics, television, and movies, et al. And It infuriates me that some DO NOT see it. You are a FOOL if you don’t believe that editorial decisions in the media are not made based on this criteria.

You obviously have NOT worked in this field.

Look at the Jezebel link that Angel provided:

There was a more tasteful shot, MUCH more indicative to Vogue’s M.O. that couldhave been used. It harkens back to JHolliday’s cover last year with her mouth wide open spread all over the entire cover!! Surely there was a more demure shot of her, right?

Are white models and actresses featured on the cover getting their “excitement on”?

Please.

Wake the hell up.

Congrats to CL! I just feel like if he was the first african american male then they should have had him on the cover alone. I understand that the fitness article was about the both of them but he still should have been alone on the cover just to give him his own glory for making it on there period.

Can someone please tell me what the problem is again? MARQUITA i feel the same way you do.

I don’t see the big deal….guess I’m just ignorant for taking the cover at face value. Let me go read a book and get my knowledge up so I can come on here and have deep convos and start seeing what all you intellects see. So I can make everything a racial issue and pull a rabbit out my ass.

Please Lebron don’t make that face when going for dunks anymore. Don’t want to remins people of slavery and King Kong, smh

And as for LeBron and his thoughts, historically, he hasn’t proven himself to be a sophisticated thinker.

Sorry, but I’m gonna call it - he’s a rich, but dumb athlete.

A lot of people are jumping down Vogues back…but Lebron didnt have to take the photo. He had the option on whether or not he wanted that look. If you feel that something is or isnt wrong with the pic…always remember that people will only do to you what you allow them to do.

@32 Cut It

I’m done! I mean, at the end of the day they are entitled to their opinion. Black people will NEVER get together because you have that small few that things are JUST FINE the way they are.

MAtter of fact….VOGUE please place a black man on the cover with a noose around his neck. I’m sure those same ones won’t have a problem with that either.

This is what happens when you have no higher education, or didn’t get a proper dose (the kind you only get in college or from parents) of Africana History.

what i don’t understand is that ‘flavor of love’ is probably one of the most stereotypical and offensive portrayal of a black man on television since buckwheat, but it has a large african american audience…where’s the outrage there????!!!

Wow. This is so insignificant. We have far more pressing community issues than on how 2 millionaires are featured on the front of a billion dollar magazine. Lebron and his agent both have mouths and could speak for themselves if they felt insulted. To make this community centered was just stupid.

First let me say I love coming on concreteloop. I am glad there is a forum where people can voice their opinions and people can agree or disagree, in a civilized manner. I do not find the cover offensive; I do think the pic is not the best, but this pic did not conjure up any racist stereotypes to me. BTW, I am probably older than many of my fellow cloopers so I have lived a little. I’m a married mom of three boys, college-educated who has seen many things and again I don’t find the pic offensive. We have to choose our battles and there are so many things more relevant than a Vogue cover. As a matter of fact they probably just sold many more covers with all the publicity. I have a strange feeling that if Lebron were on the cover with a woman of color that pic would receive just as much criticism. Readers would get into the whole dark skin/light skin, natural hair/weave issues. Just my 2 cents.

yeah i think people need to chillax a bit.

So Anna and Annie Lebovitz suckered the big dum munkie to pose wif hiz mouf open?

First of all Vogue PUBLISHED the offending photo.

And right, he took a variety of photos. Some with his game face on, which is not offensive.

What IS offensive is a simple case of content and intent.

AGAIN, i have to go with the fact that going with this photo as opposed to the other was not just a “bad” editorial decision. It was purely intentional. And I’ll chalk it up for those who don’t see it as people who have never worked in media.

#17 and 26 it is not that serious. It is a cover with a athete who has his “game face” on! the issue is about sports and atheltics and they have two people on the cover who are know for the atheltic bodies….I think that more people have an issue with him being on the cover with a white woman as opposed to how he is being portrayed.even in this day people still have a problem with black men and white women being shown in a intimate or close fashion. and as for the house negroes comments…give me a damn break. that is the major problem amongst black people today. everyone is entitled to their opinion and just because someone does not agree with you does not make them a sellout or a race trader. since you can’t defend your position with some intelligence you have to resort to name calling which is juvenile. just because we are all black does not mean we have to think alike. get a grip!

Well if it was Vogue’s intention to cause controversy, you bought right into it. HOOK, LINE, and SINKER. Congratulations. You must be very proud. I don’t know, Lebron seems pretty successful to me. So he didn’t go to college, but from what I understand he certainly had that option. Good thing Lebron has a black girlfriend, or he would really be in trouble. And would someone please tell Lebron that his tattoos and basketball uniform are racist and inappropriate. While your at it, tell of those athletes with that uniform/tattoo problem.

I dont know about this one. I can see it on both sides of the coin. Its a fashion magazine, so I must agree that they should have used another pic. This is not a sports magazine, but I am not quite sure it is fully racially profiled. So it does leave you with questions as to why they decided on this picture compared to the many, many, many others. Lebron couldn’t be in a suit with his basketball? Michael Jordan was alway suited up before and after a game. So I not getting it? Fashion Icon Magazine right!

Gee, SEABREEZE. Ya thinks so?

@ Marquita

With all due respect, that had to be one of the most patently naive statements read on this topic.

I, for one, did not BUY INTO anything. I’m just pointing out a fact based based on my experience of having worked in this industry.

@44 Stahcy H

NO YOU GET A GRIP BOO BOO! And while your at it, go take Africana studies 101, and a course that focuses on how the media portrays people in a negative fashion that will usually go right over people’s head like it did yours.

And I don’t have a prob w/ him being on the cover w/ a white woman. Try again. Gosh what are you a body guard for YT? You need to calm down and leave me and others to their OPINION as I would’ve left you to yours had you not have called me out.

Honestly I didn’t like the cover, but it wasm’t that seroius to me. LeBron always represent the black man and community very well…ONE VOGUE COVER CAN’T TAKE AWAY FROM THAT. WE’RE GEETING WAY TOO SENSITIVE AS A RACE! WE ALWAYS FEEL WE DESERVE RESPECT WHEN WE DON’T EVEN RESPECT OURSELVES…CAN WE DO THAT FIRST!

I still don’t see what the big deal was. The cover isn’t racist…and um, hello…he posed for it. It looks like two people having a good time. There was no way in hell that the comparison to King Kong even jumped out at me. Even putting the king kong picture next to the cover still doesn’t do anything for me.

The Lebron cover is causing a shitload of trouble. They mentioned the cover on the view this morning…
If he took the pic and didn’t have a problem..then hell why should I?
I can however see the opposing viewpoint on how this image portrays a wild beastly black man grabbing a beautiful damsel in distress….but I guess all things racial are gonna be blown out of proportion now…

I saw that segment this morning on The Today Show, and recognized the comment and the CL logo, although it was shadowed. But I have noticed for a while, that many mainstream news stories and many mainstream editorials seem to have a very “familiar” flavor to them typically two to three days after the CL postings and comments…. CL is mainstream, has been for a minute, just not receiving credit.

I don’t blame Vogue magazine for not one thing. I don’t expect a magazine that is controlled by caucasians and caters to caucasians to project a black athlete, especially black male athlete, in an upstanding manner. That respect has to be maintained by that black athlete. LeBron James has said that he wants to be the richest man in the world. That means that he will do anything, anywhere, for anyone in front of a camera or behind closed doors if the price is right. He’s the average 21st century young black male that believes that the only color that matters is green.

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

At Supercent:

My sentiments, exactly.

And as for those who think others shouldn’t vociferously express their opinions on this topic:

If you wish not to engage in this debate, then state your opinion and move on to another post. Obviously, this post is here to inspire lively discussion. Stop telling others they need “to calm down”. Who are you to stifle somebody else’s right to speak?

Move it along.

I don’t think the issue is that deep as well but I also think they should have chosen a better picture for the cover. It just looks a hot ass mess.

36.

CUT IT!!!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 /
And as for LeBron and his thoughts, historically, he hasn’t proven himself to be a sophisticated thinker.

Sorry, but I’m gonna call it - he’s a rich, but dumb athlete.
_________________________

He’s not dumb, he’s just uneducated… and there is a difference.
You have to remember, he is only a high school graduate, during his senior and junior years, his life was focused on basketball - I doubt very seriously that he had a normal academic schedule and even if he did, there was probably a lot of leeway. So you are dealing with somone who is not even 25 years old yet— he has grown up pretty much singularly focused on sports and basketball - no, he’s not sophisticated…. yet. Like most people as he matures and broadens his understanding, his thinking will reflect that.

#17 the reason why I called you out is because to compare this situation to slavery is so far fetched it is pathetic. I know all about the way we are portrayed in the median and the negative implications it has on this society, but this is not one of them in my opinion. it was a conceptual picture that was not a very good one, but by no means it is a negative reflection on the African-American culture. the man is a damn basketball player! he is posing in a fashion that he does everyday on the court. it would have been racist if it would have portrayed him as being submissive to the model or implicating that the only thing he can do is play ball. I have no problem with people expressing their opinions (which you seem to do by implying that people are sellouts), but if you want to insult those of us who have a different opinion then you, then be prepared to be called out…..and for your information I have taken my more than fair share of African-American, History and women studies classes, and I doubt this cover would even be brought up amongst people who have more real issues to deal with!

Now we publicly look silly. And thank you
#39

And I can’t stand when some folks come into a discussion on a high ass horse knocking people down because they don’t know certain things. If you’re so damn smart why not take the time and educate instead of getting pissy because one is not informed. All the name calling is unnecessary. If some people feel it’s not serious, that’s their damn opinion, why get your panties in a bunch?

Geez, some of ya’ll need to get smacked the hell off that horse. It’s really not becoming. EDUCATE and keep it moving.

I’m surprised that this story is actually getting coverage outside of the web. I agree w/ 53, “its not that serious” is not an argument. Disagree and keep it moving.

I understand both sides of the argument, but what is curious to me is that the last two black people to grace the cover of Vogue have had terrible covers. Jennifer Hudson’s Essence cover looked better than her Vogue layout. Annie Lebowitz is supposed to be this amazing celebrity photographer, but it seems her talent is lost on black people for some reason.

Has Lebron made any official comments on this? Anyone know?

Personally, I didnt like the cover. It was like they were trying to turn Lebron into a Ape. Or at least depect him as some kind of cannibal or something to fear, un-human like.

I’m sorry, but this is Vouge. Fashion at the highest. Why on earth does Lebron have on that tacky b-ball-up-the-street-at-the-court-around-the-block outfit on? And why is it Giselle was chosen?

The cover would of been fly to me if Lebron was in a sexy Armani suit, with Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Selita Ebanks, Gabrielle Union, Halle Berry standing besides him.

I didn’t like Jennifer Hudson’s cover either. What is it with Vouge and African-Americans? Is it Black + Vouge Cover = Mouth Open? What the Hell?

Congrats to CL. Everyone that is making a big a$$ deal over this, ya’ll need to get a dang life! Not everyone is racist like ya’ll swear they are. When I look at the picture, I look at it as an art form of the sports industry. Yah, he’s looking ferocious in the pic because he looks like he’s about to moe through the other team’s players and make a couple of points. If anything, that chick looks like a bimbo cheerleader that he grabbed to take along for the ride lmao.

One more thing, we all know Lebron is a basketball player, so why the heck couldn’t he wear a suit? They did him wrong man..lmao

Another thing, I don’t understand why they put a sports cover on this magazine. That, I definately don’t agree with. Maybe they’re trying something new.

I didn’t know it was a big deal.I never really payed attention to Vogue anyways.

did anyone watch THE VIEW today they talked about this too.

A standing ovation for Ms. Cocacola72284. Congrats!

Black People continue to speak your mind!

It is “THAT” serious. To everyone who thinks it isnt “that” serious. Yes it is. Jennifer Hudson was on the cover with her mouth wide open as well. Why? Why is Labron posing with the white girl in his right arm AND the basketball in the left. Please if you think for one second these people arent thinking through what a cover shot means you are crazy. They are paid millions of dollars to do marketing, most of which is subliminal. Dont be a fool. These industries perpetuate stereotypes. Hooray Lebron was on the cover…BUT why couldnt he have been on the cover SOLO. Why did he HAVE to have the white model with him.

Please. All of that means something. And, those of us with a mind to ponder and think it through understand the significance of it.

But, again it is all good. These white fashion magazines are doing what they have ALWAYS done. Trya and even Niomi Campbell (with her crazy self) arent out here talking about the under-representation of Black Women or Black People for no reason. Come on people!

*wipes tears away* Awe Concrete Loop,!!!

Your really doing then damn thing getting on the news and what not, and well done cocacola72284 you famous baby for your words of wisdom.

Congrats to the Loop cocacola72284…… This is an issue that should be discussed in the media to continue the needed dialogue on race in the publication world. I am proud that the CL comments are now reaching a greater number of the masses…..Now, if only all my own comments would be published on this site

WHEN I LOOK AT HIM I SEE HIM AS AN ATHLETE. NOT ONCE DID IT CROSS MY MIND, “THEY GOT HIM LOOKING LIKE A WILD ANIMAL.” BECAUSE I KNOW HE’S NOT AN ANIMAL. I KNOW BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT ANIMALS. AND WHEN SOME THINKS OTHERWISE, THAT’S THEIR ISSUE TO WORK THROUGH…

I’M MOST DEF NOT BUTT HURT OVER THIS SH*T…I AINT NEVER BEEN A VOGUE READER SO I NEVER SUPPORTED IT, THIS MAG IS IRRELEVANT TO ME. YALL GETTIN BENT OUTTA SHAPE OVER A BAD LOOKING PICTURE BUT HAVE YOU ALL STOPPED TO THINK HOW MANY BLACKS HAVE GRACED THE COVER (OR FEATURED INSIDE) IN THE FIRST PLACE, NOT MANY I’M SURE. SO WHY ANCHOR ON THIS DUMB SH*T WHEN THIS MAG HAS BEEN LOPSIDED LOOONNNG TIME AGO.

I’D RATHER YALL MAKE SOME NOISE OVER SOME SH*T THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION, LIKE DARFUR, WHAT’S GOING ON IN CHINA W/ THESE OLYMPICS(THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TIES TO SUPPORTING MILITIA IN DARFUR) HIV, HUNGER (REMEBER THE STORY ABOUT HATIANS EATING DIRT, I HAVEN’T). SORRY BUT THIS SH*T IS A MOLE HILL AND IT’S TO MANY MOUNTAINS OUT HERE.

WOWWWW!!!!!!!… Keep doin your thing CONCRETELOOP!!!!…. I luv ur site!!!!!!

HEY cocacola72284… Y don’t u come down here and give us a thank you speech!!! lol…. Neway u did ur thang n I’m proud… Ur words hit hard and that’s wat we need!!!… CONGRATULATIONS!!!!…. N CONCRETELOOP KEEP DOIN YOU!!!! UR SITE IS OF DA HOOK!!!!!!!!!!!

i only got one thing to complain about, i saw that TODAY interview and that white guy on there seem to me and it might be my imagination…….. but he seemed a bit smugged about this situation. he keep saying things sarcastically and sounded bit just a tiny bit just a little bit racist. i thought Ann(the asian woman ) did a job, she seemed like she really wanted to know why some black people find the cover offensive. i personally didn’t find the cover offensive, but i do find it interesting that vogue chose that picture for the cover instead of the pictures that are found in the magazine. i think they knew this would cause some controversey and maybe there sales would go up. those people who run the magazine has been doing this for years they aren’t stupid.

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.”
——————————-

“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

I must say for once that I agree w/ the white man. The cover is not that serious and if you know (google) Lebron James you will find 100,000 pics of him in that same pose (w/out the white woman). That is a Lebron thing, not a King Kong thing. People please WE got bigger issues!!!!

IF you let a bigot take a inch, then they will take a foot. Subtle racism still exits, and if you let that slid, then we’ll be back to picking cotton by next year.

I applaud this woman for going on the Today show and articulatng her concerns. I am on board with her line of thinking as regards to this photo.

For those BLACKS on here who say they don’t understand the concerns, and they don’t see what’s the big deal, it’s just a cover, seriously shame on you…you have truly lost touch and have become immune and calloused to subtle racism…..remember we had to fight every step of the way for simple rights, for what should have been birth rights like all other human beings born on this earth….and if you start to see things like this as not a big deal, then slowly but surely all the hard work the civil rights movement has brought us, will all slowly evaporate right back into thin air……

I say call it like you see it…Annie could have chosen so many photos, why that one? Maybe she’s a racist and don’t know it, because somehow through her lens, and through her eyes, this picture represented the perfect representation of a black man and a white woman, so much that she chose this picture for the cover…huh..

THINK PEOPLE…..

I’M JEALOUS, I WANT MY COMMENT TO BE ON THE TODAY SHOW, ALSO. I HAVE BEEN A CONCRETE BLOG MEMBER SINCE ABOUT 2003, WHERE IS MY REWARD, LOL. ON A SERIOUS NOTE, I BELIEVE THAT CONCRETE LOOPER’S WHO HAVE THREE+ YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP ON THE LOOP, SHOULD RECEIVE SOME SORT OF PERKS OR LETTERS OR SOMETHING SENT TO THEIR E-MAILS, BECAUSE WE ARE LOYAL SUPPORTERS, WITHOUT US THE LOOP WOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED, WE ARE THE ONES WHO PASSED ON THE WORD AND CONTINUE TO PASS THE WORD ABOUT THE WEBSITE.

I think its just an ugly photo. It does kinda look like he is terrorizing a little white girl though. Not that serious though.

yo..I posted something a few hours ago, and it didn’t show up! what’s goin’ on angel?

It was racist, but what can you do when Lebron agreed and did the photoshoot, and where is Andre Leon Talley , and what does he have to say about this? and why not check the photographer and the editor?

“Massa, can I PLEASE sleep under your bridge?”

“Massa, can I PLEASE sleep in your bridge with your beautiful cows and horses?”

“Thank ya Massa! It don’t matter that I smell like manure, I’m the first nigga EVER to pass your front gate!”

That’s how ignorant you all sound when you say you’re happy that there’s FINALLY ( in ‘08) a black person on the cover of a white magazine even if he does look like an ape. Just so happy to finally be invited to their party, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been looked over for an invitation for the past 200 years! Just happy to be here massa! It doesn’t matter that I have to eat in the kitchen or the watering hole with the donkeys and cows! Just happy to be here!

Doesn’t sound like an accomplishment to me.

People need to stop with the BULLSHIT… its 2008 we a have qualified black man with the best shot any black man has ever had to become president and all people can talk about is a stupid mag cover…. get a Fucking life!

I am a young black man & being the open-minded young black man that I am I did not take offense to the cover when I first observed it. I did however ponder what the intentions of the magazine were. I mean you have Lebron James a beast on the basketball court and you have Giselle a gentle lol and soft supermodel. Two different personalities on one cover. That’s what I saw. But I can see where some people see the “big angry black man” and the “delicate little white girl”! lol! Was this racially inspired? Or are people over analyzing? Pictures of these people are seen all the time with the very same expressions, and no one cares but when they are together it’s a problem????
I don’t get it lol!

(Pardon my grammatical errors)LMAO!

#123 the reason why I said that is because if he were holding the white woman in any way that implied he was being romantic or admiring her beauty, then people would be upset because he was holding a white woman and not a black woman or that it is feeding the stereotype that all black athletes get white women when they make it big….that is what I meant thank you!

i dont think the pic was put on the cover by accident. jus like notbuyingit said, these ppl have been at this for years and they arent stupid. they are in the business of selling magizines, not helping black ppl excel. we have to take that responsibility upon ourselves. this thing is about to blow all out of hand and a lot of ppl are probably gonna say smoy outta pocket sh*t, but thats just the country we live in. i personally think its about time we, as black ppl, stop trying so hard to change the way ppl are and focus on raising our kids right so they will be better prepaired to deal with such ppl that they will eventually cross in life.

this is so stupid…everytime there is a picture of someone of color on a magazine that is not portrayed in a certain manner to the black community standard..they always have to pull the race card…thats why this world will never overcome racism

its a hot picture..hes the first balck man on the cover of vogue thats what we should be talkimg about.

For fear of being repetitive, I won’t argue my point too far, but I still believe that what we’re seeing here is a witch hunt for racism. I can’t bring myself to believe that the staff at Vogue wanted nothing more than to strike a blow at all black people by using that shot.

Here’s what I can’t take seriously: everyone wants to profess to be the best racism detective in the land, but when Today HAS to pick the quote in which the commenter uses “straight up” to argue a point…no one smells anything fishy. In fact, everyone wants to congratulate MJ for having made it on TV. Disgusting.

I think that the point is when a black man finally does grace the cover and Vogue has the opportunity to change negative perceptions…what do they do? They reinforce them. If you are saying he does not look like an ape or baboon why don’t you look for the original King Kong poster? The positioning is exactly the same and you have to know about the subconscious message these images send. You have to educate yourselves. And the more black people that do not voice offense over this the more we will be treated and subjected to this type of constant negative imaging.

It is not acceptable. If Vogue really wanted to do something new or even make history they should have gone with an image that set a new stereotype of a multi-layered black man who is not just some raging savage with tatoos (which is what mainstream media think of us by the way) but a business man with savvy. Why do all other atheletes get to show their calm and cool side?!!

I for one aspired to be in Vogue one day but am now completely put off by this and even if Vogue did not mean to cause offense (BUT COME ON…they know what they are doing…they have been doing covers for years) they should at least issue an apology for the offense it has caused.

Samata Angel

Black people are paranoid! You people just see racism everywhere! Even when it’s not there!

if anything the vogue cover has a connotation to king-kong with the big gorilla and the sexy chic. black people need to get together and stop trine to pin-point lil shit like dat. thas bogus…how is it racial? if anything its overcoming racism. only three men have eva been on the cover of vogue and lebron is tha third. thas amazing. come on black people lets get it together…PLEASE!!!!

It’s funny how people are making such a big stink about this cover, but will purchase cds and watch videos that degrade stereotype young black men/women. Get your priorities straight my people. How can you hope to change the image that white america has of our race in general, if we continue to promote/support negative self-images of our people. You have to respect yourself first, before you can possibly think of gaining the respect of others.

I mean people lets get real he is an althlete a good at that. That is what he is known for. So why not protray him in his natural element. Why make him look like something he is not just because he is on Vouge. That when he would be being a sell out

Angel u are every kind of fool under this sun. bloody fat pig. what did i say in my comment that was wrong? was it the fact i sed gisele is white or the fact i sed that the racial hint here is subtle?

Stupid sellout. All acting like u r in it for black people. what have u done for the ghettos with all ur money (apart from stuffin ur face with fried okra n pig feet) Ugly HAM

Damn, we make ourselves out to be the most thin skinned people in the world. I don’t get what’s wrong with the cover…other than the fact that it doesn’t looks so hot. Why do we always have to read so much into everything? I often feel that our race as a whole is beginning to look as if we all have a giant chip on our shoulder.

The picture is very very inappropraite.LOOK AT THE PICTURE .people say that they don’t see anything offensive about the photo and that we are being sensitive. i am faaaaaaaaaaar from being sensitive. Lebron James is the first ever athlete to make the cover if they really wanted to honor him he would have been in the photo by himself .AND IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT THE SAVAGE LOOK IT IS WHAT IT REPRESENTS BASKETBALL ON ONE SIDE WHICH REPRESENTS SUCCESS AND WHITE WOMAN CLUTCHED IN HIS ARMS WHO REPRESENTS AS BEING HIS TROPHY THE SAVAGE LOOK REPRESENTS THE OVERPROTECTION OF HOW BLACK MEN ARE WHEN THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH WHITE WOMEN IT REMINDS ME OF KING KONG

I don’t like the fact that they called labron kong which is basically calling him a ” monkey” !!!! They couldve chose a different name or couldve of just called him what they always call him ” king James.. this model is not white!!! Shes a pale black Brazilian…she’s also a woman of color she’s just pale as hell even though she tries to pretend she’s white she’s not !!!!! adriana Lima is Afro-Brazilian coming from a different part of brazil but never the less she’s Brazilian too and brazilians are of African descent even the pale as hell ones even though they act like they don’t… They couldve made history and just shouldve of given labron the cover by himself…but he needs to speak up he doesn’t seem to be affended by it but he should tell them to write a retraction and give him an apology for being so insensitive with there so-called “innocent name calling ” and terms they use to describe black people ….

I really never even thought about that the first time I looked at it. Some people just think WAY to much I tell ya. ITS NOT THAT SERIOUS!!

this just shows how arrogrant , confused,and sensetive black people are these days..lebron is on the cover because he is a superstar fashion star, and GB because she is the biggest supermodel to date…it seems people are so fuckin black oriented these days , like is we should not mix with other tipe of races …dont u get it , every one is tired of black folks pulling the racist card …it’s editorial , it’s edgy , it’s fuckin vogue…..and there has been more then 4 black people on the cover of vogue ( Liya kebede, Naomi campbell , Beverly J , and so many other models) , people say vogue hasent even used alot of black models for 115 years…hello u rerally think they would have had black people on the cover in 1935 …helll no…also vogue onlu started using models in real photographs since the 70s , before it was artistic pictures drawn out( vogue covers)…black people always screaming racism..what about this ( shut your mouthsa , and do something about it)….and it’s not only white people that think african american s are a bunch of thugened out negros , aasians , latinos , arabs …shit everybody…and one more thing AFRICANS dont like black people(…they think u guys are a bunch of ex slaves that are ghetto)…just get over it…if you dont understand high fashion , dont deal with it…….if vogue is racist they would have made liya , naomi , and tyra look like shit ages ago .

it’s not even that serious.lebron looks like he has alot of energy.he’s not biting giselle or anything.whoever made that comment is an idiot!!

VOGUE hardly ever puts african american/black people on their cover EVER! And one of the few times it does the man looks VICIOUS. I agree with alot of the posts here and if they could have chose a better/calmer/decent picture why not? I look at this and BEAUTY & the BEAST comes to mind!

1. I don’t find this article offensive, but Vogue magazine I USUALLY do!

2. I don’t want any of you telling me how I SHOULD feel because we share the same skin color…sorry I don’t know you so don’t you dare!

3. I find it funny how many of you are against this cover but support T.I. for having all his guns..wtf

4. NOBODY can bring another person or group down; all they can do is TRY. Many Black people let themselves be brought down by their own thinking: “acting white” “acting black”..etc

When as a Black person can we be “ourseleves”, if we like rock music and enjoy European clothes we are no less Blacker? I for one probably do a lot of things that aren’t considered “Black” but I would never want to be another race I LOVE myself.

* Seems like a lot of people on this site do not love themselves and it’s sad

Yeah for CL!!!! Whoo hoo………….but seriously, who cares?????? I think Lebron’s fine a** looks damn good!!!! And Gisele, she is beautiful as always!!! It makes me sick that so many black people can be so full of shit! It’s a damn magazine cover, it not like Vogue called him a nappy headed bball player! Gosh!

W/ Love from beautiful sunny SD CA!!!

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