LeBron VOGUE photo racist? Resembles King Kong? WTF?

[NavyDave]

Did you smash?

No just danced with her a couple of times and had a moment of kissy face before we sailed for Turkey.

[jnhay]

"Hey, there's the first black guy on a Vogue cover! Let's try as hard as we can to find what's racist about it!"

If Lebron looks like King Kong and Charles Barkley is in handcuffs it's because that's the image they want to portray, accidental or not.

It's very condescending to think that these black athletes would be so unaware that they don't know how they're posing themselves. That's more racist than anything a photographer might have done.

[stwasm]

ESPN's Jemele Hill called the pose "disgusting." It's a polarizing picture in that you have, on one hand, someone striking the "stereotypical angry black male" pose and next to him is a Latina who many believe is white upon first glance. I think the uproar comes from those who, to this day, still aren't comfortable with the idea of a black man with a woman outside of his race, whether it be a black woman or a white male.

Anyway, here's Hill's argument:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080320&sportCat=nba

[Thiebear]

in King Kong the girl is not 5/7ths his size.

but twice as hot.

[SkinsOrlando]

Good grief, people ***** about everything.

[CandaceM23]

This was brought up on the Today show this morning. I hadn't heard any rumblings about the cover or the racism at Vogue until I saw the segment.

All I can say is OY MUTHA****IN VEY.

[ACW]

Pissed smooth?

That was new to me too :laugh:

[Predicto]

Hey, where the white wimmin at?

[GoSkins561]

I have only read the first post, all I can say is.

Any one who thinks this is racist, is a politically correct fool, that has taken things way to far.

[Reic]

I'd let Lebron be my King Kong.

[dcnativenerd]

Speaking as a black person:

1.) The cover is not racist in the least.

2.) Vogue is just another overpriced magazine for people too insecure to develop their own personalities and preferences.

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Speaking as a black person:

1.) The cover is not racist in the least.

2.) Vogue is just another overpriced magazine for people too insecure to develop their own personalities and preferences.

:applause::applause:

I'll add people and all other "look at who gained 4 lbs last month" magazines.

[ACW]

:applause::applause:

I'll add people and all other "look at who gained 4 lbs last month" magazines.

Gisele LOOKS LIKE she could stand to gain 4 (or more) pounds :laugh:

[stwasm]

Speaking as a black person:

1.) The cover is not racist in the least.

2.) Vogue is just another overpriced magazine for people too insecure to develop their own personalities and preferences.

Well said! A 16-year-old acting ad the voice of reason!

[JMURedskins]

I heard Jemele Hill's comments on this that other day and her reference to King Kong. That wasn't the first thought that came to my mind. I just saw a great basketball player with a hot model. With Lebron, that seems to just be one side of him that he has portrayed in the media. He also has commercials where he is smiling and joking around. He shots 1 image where he shows his fired up side and it makes the picture racist?

On a side note, am I the only one that has never been a fan of Hill's articles on Page 2? I also don't think that she is very good when she hosts Rome is Burning.

[Bang]

Anyway, here's Hill's argument:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080320&sportCat=nba

God this woman is just ignorance personified.

Let's see.

According to Miss Hill:>

"In case you haven't seen the cover, LeBron has Gisele in one hand and a basketball in the other. LeBron is dressed in basketball gear, with his muscles flexing, tattoos showing and bared teeth."

Oh, you mean like an athlete might dress and look in the heat of competition?

(I don't know what the tattoos have to do with anything. He chose to be tattooed, right? I imagine they're something he's proud of, personal decorations expressing his individuality. He wasn't just branded when he was hauled off the slave ship, I'm guessing.)

" Gisele, on the other hand, is wearing a gorgeous slim-fitting dress, and smiling."

Oh, you mean like a supermodel would look?

I can definitely see where she's seeing negative stereotypes here. I mean look at Giselle. Laughing and dancing like an idiotic good-time party slut.. She gives blonde women a bad name everywhere.

Note the use of the phrase "on the other hand"..would she prefer LeBron be in the dress maybe? Is this image racist because Vogue wouldn't let the black man dirty up one of their designer gowns? What exactly is her argument here? she hasn't got one, but using that simple "on the other hand" puts an adversarial spin into the words. She seems angry that the model is wearing the dress, and the basketball player is wearing the basketball uniform. As if somehow it is a slight to James to not be dressed as pretty as Giselle.

Now that we've established that both of these people are dressed and appear as they normally might in their respective careers, let's dip a little further into Ms. Hill's paranoia...

"She looks like she's on her way to something fashionable and exciting. He looks like he's on his way to a pickup game for serial killers."

Serial Killers? Has she never seen an athlete make such a face after scoring a big basket, or a huge touchdown? It's a face of challenge, of victory. But to her, it's the face of a killer.

Seriously, she's a sportswriter? Has she ever seen any sports?

Sports are brutish, often about who is physically superior, stronger, tougher, faster, bigger. Every single one of us who have ever played a sport has made a similar face at one time or another.

If she felt that way about his facial expression, my goodness, most sporting events must scare the living hell out of her. She better stick to figure skating. They make such pretty faces.

A little further...

"Now, maybe the point was to show the contrast between brawn and beauty,"

Oh, hey,, a fine theme, and one that has repeated itself throughout the history of art. Of course, she sees no reason why this would occur to the photographer..

"... masculinity versus femininity, strength versus grace."

Two more fine tried and true themes that have been used in artistic expression from the Egyptians on down. In the renaissance, you would be hard pressed to not find the very same theme even in the most religious of paintings.. it recurs throughout the history of art. Men big and brawny, women soft and subdued. Sounds to me like Vogue's photographer has decided to use nuances that have been used since the beginnings of artistic expression.

" But Vogue's quest to highlight the differences between superstar athletes and supermodels only successfully reinforces the animalistic stereotypes frequently associated with black athletes."

So of course, to her it simply means the worst insult she can think of.

Are we seeing who the racist is yet?

Is it clear who has been inspired to see LeBron James as a savage?

In this thread we see practically everyone who has viewed this image saying it is NOT something they see as racist. They do NOT see a vicious monster, they do NOT see King Kong, they do NOT see the stereotype that Ms Hill does.

Actual real people, whites, blacks, asians, all of us. And none of us see what she sees. (Cue Thanos with the dissenting opinion...)

And yet somehow in this case, we're expected to believe that when it comes to THIS, everyone else is wrong and she's right.

I can't wait for her to pull out the old standard... "we just can't relate,, so we don't see it."

Here's a clue for Ms. Hill...

We don't see it because we prefer to view LeBron James as a man, an athlete, a player we admire. She chooses to view him as black, savage, resembling a 'serial killer' and King Kong.

And yet we have the problem.

~Bang

[JMURedskins]

God this woman is just ignorance personified.

I couldn't agree more. I think her ignorance shows up throughout her articles, not just this one on Lebron and Race.

[Bang]

I couldn't agree more. I think her ignorance shows up throughout her articles, not just this one on Lebron and Race.

Yes, it is a recurring theme for her.

I'm not one who think race relations are perfect, far from it. I think however that this woman and others like her must be recognized as part of the problem between the races. She can assign hatred to everyone else at her whim, she can hide behind her persecution complex, she can drop baseless accusations by the bushel, and because of the touchy nature of the subject she's largely safe from rebuke or reprisal. And because of that it seems she feels it excuses her racism. At least it protects it enough that I'm sure she doesn't even recognize it within herself.

There is still need for watchdogs. But this dog barks her fool head off at every breeze that stirs the tree.

~Bang

[JMURedskins]

Yes, it is a recurring theme for her.

I just hope that as long as she is on ESPN, they keep her on "Page 2" and shows that I hardly see like First Take. Listening and reading her opinion just make me mad.

[tizzod]

I am still laughing at the part where Jason Whitlock says that Chad Johnson like to "bojangle" in the end zone. I am crying over here..........:laugh: :laugh:

That made me laugh too.

Good grief, people ***** about everything.

Ding. I barely pay attention anymore. It's getting dangerously close to the "boy who cried wolf" theory.

Hey, where the white wimmin at?

:laugh:

[stwasm]

Yes, it is a recurring theme for her.

I'm not one who think race relations are perfect, far from it. I think however that this woman and others like her must be recognized as part of the problem between the races. She can assign hatred to everyone else at her whim, she can hide behind her persecution complex, she can drop baseless accusations by the bushel, and because of the touchy nature of the subject she's largely safe from rebuke or reprisal. And because of that it seems she feels it excuses her racism. At least it protects it enough that I'm sure she doesn't even recognize it within herself.

There is still need for watchdogs. But this dog barks her fool head off at every breeze that stirs the tree.

~Bang

Frankly, I think her issue is the fact that he's with a non-black woman -- something that a LOT of black women don't like to see.

[tizzod]

Frankly, I think her issue is the fact that he's with a non-black woman -- something that a LOT of black women don't like to see.

Well, if you want to get hypersensitive, isn't that a problem in itself?

[ccsl2]

I don't care one way or another how they do their covers. But I just wonder why Lebron couldn't have been on the cover with a suit on like Tom Brady has been on the cover. I mean the dude can dress. What was the purpose of the cover? Isn't Vogue a fashion magazine?? I just think that covers like this that this is the biggest reason for diversity in these magazines. Maybe someone would have pointed out, "you know you might catch some flack for this cover".

Just like the fools who decided that it was good idea to put a noose on the cover of Golf Magazine after the Tiger Woods lynching flap. I jus thtink you have to think through these things a little harder. Just my opinion.

[Bang]

Frankly, I think her issue is the fact that he's with a non-black woman -- something that a LOT of black women don't like to see.

Man, if that's the case I wish she'd just say so.

Jealousy is much easier to deal with.

~Bang

[Bang]

I don't care one way or another how they do their covers. But I just wonder why Lebron couldn't have been on the cover with a suit on like Tom Brady has been on the cover. I mean the dude can dress. What was the purpose of the cover? Isn't Vogue a fashion magazine?? I just think that covers like this that this is the biggest reason for diversity in these magazines. Maybe someone would have pointed out, "you know you might catch some flack for this cover".

Just like the fools who decided that it was good idea to put a noose on the cover of Golf Magazine after the Tiger Woods lynching flap. I jus thtink you have to think through these things a little harder. Just my opinion.

Valid point.

I do agree that while the intent may not have been racist, the perception is out there, and they could easily avoid the controversy with a little forethought.

Of course, here we are discussing "Vogue" for the first time I can remember on this site, so maybe they did do some thinking after all...

~Bang