Racism In Vogue Magazine

Vogue Magazine is a globally famous magazine that is most known for fashion and lifestyle. Vogue magazine has posted numerous volumes of magazines and all the covers of the magazine are eye openers. One volume of the magazine, published in April of 2008, caught the attention of many viewers. The April 2008 cover illustrated basketball star Lebron James and the super model Gisele Bundchen. At the time, LeBron James was the first African American male to be featured on the cover of Vogue Magazine. As the cover got out into the public, many viewers saw the cover as portraying a form of racism. As the attention arose around the cover of the magazine, some say that the cover directs racial slurs at LeBron James as being portrayed as a gorilla or …show more content…
Most people claimed he or she saw Lebron James being pictured as a monkey holding the flawless Gisele Bundchen. Because of this, the media was saying that the publishers of vogue magazine were racist and that the cover of the magazine attacked black men of America. The stereo type of the cover was that all black men are wild beast and are obsessed with white women. “This King Kong capturing the damsel in distress’…is offensive. Not only does this man look like an ape, but he’s got this good ole prize, a white woman on his arm.” (Stewart, 2) In this argument, the viewer obviously sees that the photographer illustrated LeBron James in the wrong way. Another viewer adds “I see a scary animalistic black man, a primal scream, and a beautiful black woman.” (Stewart 1) From these view points, it seems as if Liebovitz knew what she was going to promote in her photograph of LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. What seems to be surprising is that others do not view the cover as being a racial slur. “All I see is a basketball player-people who see a gorilla are the ones who are racist.” (Hymen 2) Now this raises the question how do others see a gorilla by looking at the cover of the April 2008 Vogue …show more content…
I think Liebovitz chose this particular photo to spark controversy about her masterpiece of LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. I think that Liebovitz was only trying to catch the attention of many people and she accomplished her motive. Others ask Liebovitz why she didn’t use the other pictures that was taken during the photo-shoot of these two superstars. Viewers of this cover add that LeBron James could have been paired with other black fashion models and other pictures of him and Gisele Bundchen should have been used. (Stewart