In this day and age, many of us are trying to break and banish stereotypes but for some reason we can't seem to escape them. Stereotypes are portrayed all over the media whether they are positive or negative or even unintentional. Someone out there is bound to point a finger at an image that means no harm. Now, is this the case for the April 2008 cover of Vogue?
An article from USA Today covers the controversey behind the Vogue cover. This cover, shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz (warning: may contain nudity), stars basketball star LeBron James and Victoria's Secret model Gisele Bundchen. It shows LeBron in an aggressive gorilla-like pose which some find racially stereotypical because, Tamara Walker states, "it conjurs up the idea of a dangerous black man." Supposedly, this isn't the first time that a magazine cover has invoked ideas of racial stereotypes. Former NBA star Charles Barkley, on a cover of Sports Illustrated, was shown breaking out of shackles (the image is small but you get the idea). An assistant professor at University of Maryland, Damian Thomas said these aggressive images of black male athletes "reinforce the criminalization of black men."
The cover of Vogue was supposed to show LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen doing what they do best, with Gisele posing pretty and LeBron with his game face on. Some say that, that is all the photo is depicting but many think otherwise. Cover photos are not something that magazines breeze through. They go through a process of elimination to choose the best out of the bunch to represent the entire issue. Walker said, that if more people of color had editorial authority at Vogue then someone would have caught the racial overtone in the photo before it was chosen as the cover photo.
What do you all think about the Vogue cover controversy? Do you believe that the cover photo was intentionally set up to portray racial stereotypes or do you think that people are just over analyzing a harmless photograph? Also, what are your thoughts about the media's role in stereotyping?
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4 comments:
I believe that this cover of Vogue does provoke stereotyping. I am currently in an Intercultural Communication class and stereotyping is one of the topics we discuss. Black men have a stereotype of being physically and sexually aggressive and, as we all know, that is not always the case. This cover, however, lets us believe that LeBron James is an aggressive male. We all know that he is a basketball player, but I believe that this photo portrays his as an aggressor, not a basketball player, and with Gisele at his side, this could be portrayed as even sexually aggressive. I am not sure that it was purposely set up this way, however, I believe that they are just not being an aware of what they are portraying. Media images like this play a huge role in our stereotyping because they believe these are the images that the public wants to see, but if media takes a more active role in trying to fight the stereotypes that are relevant today, I think we would be much better off as a society.
I do not really see anything wrong with the cover of Vogue. I do not think that it was intentionally set up to depict racial stereotypes. I think that people are over analyzing the photograph. At first glance, the photograph does seem a little strange for the cover of Vogue, but if you read the cover you will see what the issue is about. The issue is focusing on the secrets of the best bodies and of course a model and an athlete are going to have great bodies, so it is no wonder Vogue put Gisele and Lebron on the cover. I think that the people at the magazine really wanted to show Gisele and Lebron in the way that most people are used to seeing them, which is as a model and an athlete, so they pose like a model and an athlete.
To me, all I see is a normal magazine cover. I see an athlete and a supermodel posing together because they are both great at their professions. I see unity in this cover, not divide. It cease to amaze me how we are still ignorant people by making stereotypes, prejudice or even racist remarks or comments. People are always overanalyzing photos, pictures, videos in the media. Why can’t they just let it be? The media can be biased in many ways as well. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion or the same reaction but we all need to stop jumping to conclusions and stop making stereotypes and judgments about photos that are actually very harmless. Yes, Lebron James is an African American, an athlete but what does his talent and love for the game have to do with him posing in a gorilla like pose? Why is he being compared to an animal? All he is doing is showing how pumped or excited he is while doing the photo shoot. We can’t expect stereotypes to stop all at once but I don’t see it slowing down anytime in the near future.
I don’t believe the cover photo for Vogue was intentionally set up to portray racial stereotypes, but I do think it conveys sexual stereotypes. Males that play sports are often portrayed as brute and rough, and female models are often portrayed as passive and delicate. For a magazine that is designed to sell fashion, which includes endorsing sexual stereotypes, the photograph is fine. I’m sure if Vogue had the girl in the basketball pose and the guy in the “lady-in-distress” pose that would bring up a lot of controversy as well, and probably not appeal to their intended audience.
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