Le Bron James ‘Vogue’ Magazine Cover Controversy - What do you think?
Categories: African-American, Business, Featured, Media, Sports
Written By: Shawn Williams
I wanted to get some opinions of what the Dallas South Family thinks about King LeBron James on the latest cover of Vogue magazine with model Gisele Bundchen. The assertion is that James is striking a King Kongesque pose and Gisele is Vogue’s version of Fay Wray.
It’s more than an assertion, it’s an artistic reality.
Whoever was in charge of this photo shoot was OBVIOUSLY going for the King Kong reference. Photographers get paid to see things that no one else does. Even the irony of a pose like this would not have escaped mention.
Everybody’s favorite Jason Whitlock writes exactly what I would expect him to write. In his piece Am I supposed to be mad about LeBron?, Whitlock says the following:
- According to the allegations, King James looks like King Kong clutching Fay Wray on the latest cover of Vogue, and the image, according to potential handbook writers, “conjures up this idea of a dangerous black man.”
- Hmm, to LeBron and his handlers, he looks like LeBron clutching a pretty white woman on the latest cover of Vogue, and the image conjures up the idea that LeBron can race up court with a basketball and a supermodel.
- Vogue put a mirror in our face, and we’re complaining about the reflection. Half the black players in the NBA take the court each night in front of white audiences tatted from neck to toe like they’re shooting a scene for Prison (Fast)Break.
LeBron’s handlers, nor Jason Whitlock, are stupid enough to miss the King Kong/Fay Wray element of the above photo. The question is not whether it was intended, because it is what it is. The question is how do people feel about it. It’s art, and art is up for interpretation.
My interpretation is that this photo doesn’t capture LeBron James “exactly as he is” as asserted in the Whitlock piece. Kevin Garnett, maybe, though I still wouldn’t like the art. But this does not capture Le Bron James the basketball player in any form.
I see diametrically opposed images in this photo: An angry black male, a smiling white female. That’s the image, only the artist’s reasoning behind the image is up for interpretation.
But Jason, LeBron, his handlers, et. al, are welcome to their opinion. I hardly fall on the same side as Whitlock on any issue. But I’ll have to claim artistic differences with the crew on this one.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:31 am
I expected to see Lebron in a suit on the cover. Aside from that I don’t see why this has become such an issue. Lebron often does the same expression on the court after making a spectacular play. Lebron has said that he was just having fun. Lighten Up People! He is a very young player and does not deserve this type of criticism.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 am
Shawn,
I don’t have much time but I have to give you my opinion on the Vogue cover. I discussed this with a couple of my friends(Men & women)last week and we all agree it is obvious Vogue was going for the King Kong image and that is an absolute SHAME! There is enough blame to go around and I will not get into that, I will say LeBron & his camp should have refused to allow this picture to be taken at all much less be placed on the cover, this goes to the point that many black people are not conscious people. The thought that Vogue is this popular, high-end fashion magazine and Supossingly have some of the best people in the industry working for them and this is all they could come up with is also a SHAME!
Now let me tell you the real SHAME here, Vogue Magazine is 116 years old and LeBron is the first African American man to be on the cover and only 4 African American females have been on the cover, now Shawn, that is a D*m SHAME!!! In 116 years we have had many, many African American men “at the top of their game” that are/were fashion conscious as well. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Sidney Portier, Denzel Washington, Billy Dee Williams, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Michael Jordan just to name a few.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Why is King Kong inherently racist? 50 Cent called himself King Kong (comparing himself to Kanye West.) Lil Wayne has a song titled King Kong. You think Le Bron had something else in mind when he agreed to the pose?
I think the people who are reading this as a racist photo need a reality check. Thankfully Le Bron isn’t in that pack.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
If you compare the photo to the actual King Kong poster, it’s a pretty good likeness. But when I initially saw it, I didn’t think anything of it. LeBron is intense on the court and has shown his classy side on the cover of other magazines. I’m sure if he thought it was racist in any way, he wouldn’t have done it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Theo and Phelps,
Francis Holland and African American Politcial Pundit introduced me to the term “color arousal.” They have explained it to me, but I still don’t have it down yet.
The point is that I don’t consider the photo “racist,” but it does conjure up negative images that warrant further inspection. Ben said Bron Bron was the first black male -and I heard 2nd- to appear on the cover of Vogue. For such an exclusive club and such a fashionable magazine, I think shorts and a tank is out of order.
Racist….no. Color aroused…..maybe.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
My opinion of the cover is not that it is racist, my opinion is that once again at a time when
a black man could have been presented to society in a positive image, he was presented in a negative image. I feel that some people; black, white, male and female do not have a problem with the cover and that is the problem. Society have become comfortable seeing us presented negatively; in videos using the Bit** and H*e terms, in comedies that are slap-stick based, on the evening news etc, etc.
I am a black man that want to see us presented in a more positive image in every walk of life. When we have the opportunity to grace the cover of a world renowned magazine, why not make sure LeBron’s image was fashionable and positive? It is a fashion magazine…
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
He’s billed as “Star Athlete”, not fashion model. I don’t see why it is inappropriate to wear a basketball jersey to go with the basketball. I really think you are making a mountain out of… not even a molehill. A trick of the light.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
BTW, Le Bron’s quote on the subject is, “Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way. Who cares what anyone says?”
http://fabsugar.com/1141576
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I totally missed it at first.
As a white man, I just think it’s a cool photo. I can understand why it might upset a black person, but is it worth the energy?
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Of course Vogue did not WANT to be racist. That would never fly in our modern world. They MEANT to do what the media always does nowadays: promote interracial relationships. Click on my link to see my FUNNY and ILLUMINATING post on the issue.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
When I first saw the picture I thought nothing of it and I still don’t. To me this much ado over nothing and merely another way to promote sales of the magazine, and its no different then the tactics used to promote other products (e.g. movies, clothes, shoes, cars, foods). Certianly Vouge and the Lebron’s camp realized and took into consideration prior to the photo shoot the potential reactions that might be caused and that some in society would view it as a racist picture while others would understand it in a different light. One question I can’t seem to get out of my head is how in the hell can one (Black folks especially) claim they are so offended by this cover page yet you aren’t offended and sit back in silence in the face of all the other negative anti-social, anti-black images we as a society are being bombarded with daily in the form of all the bling-bling thing, dope-dealing/gangsta- glory, pimp-willie do-or-die songs, commercials, movies, books and clothing being marketed through various mediums?
December 11th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Vogue: “LeBron is the most beautiful athlete in the world, let’s put him alongside the most beautiful model in the world on our cover.”
Leibovitz: “LeBron’s beauty is in his physical power and force of personality.”
Morons: “LeBron is big and has a scowl, therefore the image is racist/negative/worth losing sleep over”
Me: “Vogue readers that actively avoid black people are confronted with the reality that Vogue thinks that a black man is the most beautiful athlete of our day.”
Net result: “Gisele and LeBron are both gorgeous. Leibovitz is still a genius. Everybody learns to be a little more accepting that beautiful, powerful black men are invaluable to our society.”
May 6th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
dude it’s lebron on the cover with a dime!
peace
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