LeBron James Vogue Cover Criticized For "Perpetuating Racial Stereotypes"

When Vogue announced its April cover starring LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen, the magazine noted with some fanfare that James was the first black man to grace its cover.

But the image is stirring up controversy, with some commentators decrying the photo as perpetuating racial stereotypes. James strikes what some see as a gorilla-like pose, baring his teeth, with one hand dribbling a ball and the other around Bundchen's tiny waist.

It's an image some have likened to "King Kong" and Fay Wray.

"It conjures up this idea of a dangerous black man," said Tamara Walker, 29, of Philadelphia.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz shot the 6-foot-9 NBA star and the 5-foot-11 Brazilian model for the cover and an inside spread. Vogue spokesman Patrick O'Connell said the magazine "sought to celebrate two superstars at the top of their game" for the magazine's annual issue devoted to size and shape.

"We think Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen look beautiful together and we are honored to have them on the cover," he said.

James told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer he was pleased with the cover, saying he was "just showing a little emotion."

"Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way," James told the paper. "Who cares what anyone says?"

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But magazine analyst Samir Husni believes the photo was deliberately provocative, adding that it "screams King Kong." Considering Vogue's influential history, he said, covers are not something that the magazine does in a rush.

"So when you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting white woman, it's not innocent," he said.

O'Connell, the Vogue spokesman, declined further comment.

In a column at ESPN.com, Jemele Hill called the cover "memorable for all the wrong reasons." But she said in an interview that the image is not unusual -- white athletes are generally portrayed smiling or laughing, while black sports figures are given a "beastly sort of vibe."

For example, former NBA star Charles Barkley was depicted breaking free of neck and wrist shackles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dennis Rodman graced the cover of Rolling Stone with horns poking out of his forehead and his red tongue hanging out.

Images of black male athletes as aggressive and threatening "reinforce the criminalization of black men," said Damion Thomas, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at University of Maryland.

But others say the image show James' game face -- nothing more. And they note that Bundchen hardly looks frightened.

"James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll," said Christa Thomas, 36, a black account supervisor in Los Angeles.

"I didn't see any kind of racist overtone to it," she said. "I still don't. I think there is such a hypersensitivity to race still in this country."

Husni said it is too soon to know how the magazine is selling, though the controversy could increase sales as people rush out to get a "collector's edition."

If nothing else, Walker said the cover underscores the need for a more diverse workplace.

"If more people of color worked for Vogue in positions of editorial authority, perhaps someone in the room might have been able to read the image the way so many of us are reading it now, and had the power to do something about it," she said.

Comments

[BlkJDPHD]

Two things suggest racial bias is at play:

First, there is ample research on implicit (unconscious) social cognition that suggests that many people harbor unconscuis racial bias against Blacks. A recent study by a psychology professor named Phillip Goff at Penn State suggests that Whites unconsciously associate Blacks with apes. These unconscious associations take place even in the absence of any explicit knowledge of the racial istory of associating Blacks with apes. The findings in this study have implications for capital punishment of Blacks.

Second, got to Amazon [dot] com and look at the book entitled "Typecasting: On the Arts and Sciences of Human Inequality­." Then go back and look at the cover of vogue. There are just too many similarities.

[Roberta]

I think people obsessed with the 'King Kong' metaphor have some issues THEY need to explore.

[kingfelix]

With Liebowitz at the controls, the black man can't win.

See the history of the entertainment industry for the clear picture.

[unhipcat]

magazine analyst... give me a break. where's that body language "expert"?
some people have way too much time on their hands.

[MrWinky]

Another thing, even though people may perceive it as "screaming King Kong," is there necessarily anything wrong with that. While you could interpret the picture of portraying him in a gorilla or monkey fashion, the obvious allusion would be to his power down low, sitting on top of the basketball world, etc. I doubt very much Vogue set out to pay LeBron to sit for a cover with the idea that "let's show everyone that we think black people are monkies."

[Rendon76]

If you see race in this picture it shows how you see the world.

[MrWinky]

So much for elevated conversations on race. Charles' cover was based on his assertions about black people breaking free of former oppression. Dennis Rodman acts like an idiot, thus the horns and tongue.- I mean really, it was in reference to his being suspended so many times for his outlandish behavior. I don't think it is unusual for someone like LeBron to be posed aggresively. The basketball is there b/c he is....wait for it.....a basket ball player. You could just as easily look at it a different way, that we have come a long way when a large black man is posed on the cover with his arm around the waist of a beautiful white woman. I think this is exactly the kind of thing that Obama was talking against in his speech. Not condeming those who come out to talk about it, b/c feelings in this arena are real, just that not all of them are well founded.

[sunzen]

When i first saw the picture on the cover I thought "why did they make him look like that?" Why did they have a White model with him? He is impressive enough to get a solo...If that is the first Black man on the cover of Vogue that fact alone is proof of racism!!! There are many tall high cheek boned black men that would look great plastered all over Vogue!!! If you cannot see the ugliness in this picture you are blind and naive.

[django707]

Come on, folks, it's pure King Kong. If the gorilla man swooping down to scoop up Fay Wray isn't a racist image, then do a little research into racist imagery. Fraudulent Fran could have at least posed LeBron with a little dignity and class. We can do without Mandingo-redux.

Any redneck walking past a newsstand will see this as an affirmation of his distorted view that people of color are coming to steal his job and his WOMAN!
Pathetic, yes. But, sadly, true.

[OverIt]

As a black woman, I can say that I do not see anything suggestively RACIST about this picture. Whether it suggests some social commentary about the fact that a great percentage of NBA players are married or date interracially is up for debate... but that is not a RACIST point. More sociological.

And for anyone who sees King Kong in that image rather than a large black man... I think it says more about YOU than Anna Wintour.

Moreover, for all of those who are ready to throw the "devilish" Ms. Wintour under the bus ---- and believe me I am not fan of hers --- would it affect your unfounded accusation of racism if you knew that Anna Wintour has dated interracially in the past and raised eyebrows years ago with her juicy confession of a splendid tryst with a pre-fame Bob Marley?

[beezle]

please excuse the typos.

[mckinley]

Racist?!

These are two 'beautiful" people, posing play-acting at what they do ---

A basketball player in possession of the ball , "in your face" like he would be on the court; and a model in his protective arm, smiling and being fluffy.

Along the same "racist"-appearing tangent: Target has a commercial out now, in which a young black woman is being repeatedly treated politely by a freshly-scrubbed white guy -- is the "message" of this that all white men are push-over puppy dogs?

[ckpetrus]

I'm sorry, but as someone who has participated in the process of shooting and selecting photos for magazine covers, there is absolutely no way this was not intentionally staged to look like King Kong holding Fay Wray. James is hunched over to accentuate the length of his arms, baring in teeth and Brundchen is not-so-subtly twisting away from him in a trademark pose that simply could not have happened without the most improbable coincidence - which at any rate would immediately have been noticed by the photographer, editors, art directors, and any Fedex guy who happened upon the shoot. Whether it is racist, or just humorous, to pose these two in this way is the big question.

[beezle]

Perhaps before you all make your final call on this issue, you should read another account and which includes a link to other photos from the session that COULD have used. One in particular has LeBron posed looking rather sedate and elegant with Gisele tastefully leaning against his frame. This SHOULD have been the cover shot. Instead, the more "expressive" photo was chosen.

And for the record, I DO find it offensive. For those who're displaying their so-called righteous indignation at not finding it offensive, fine. For those who don't and are berating those who do, I find you the most ignorant of all.

Here's the link:
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/03/vogue-lebron-james-african-americans.php

[justmeinAz]

Nice use of the word "should." They own the magazine, but you get to decide what pictures they should use. Um, not quite. Oooh, that pesky Bill of Rights. Exactly when did Americans get the idea that their personal thresholds should be binding on others?

For the record, I completely support your right to continue bitching about this complete non-issue for as long as you desire.

[cmbaldwin]

Checked out the other pic on the radar site...and I do agree the alternative pic was probably a better cover shot. And after seeing the cover up close, I thought Leibovitz could have done a much better job capturing the raw beauty of these two phenoms...­certainly not her best work. However, after all this chatter about race over the past few weeks, not once did I view the photo as racist..an­d I'm black!!
You guys are outta control with all of this racist drama. Take a chill pill.

[AnnaCaroline]

And I find you the most ignorant of all. I find it EXTREMELY offensive that you just ASSUME people are racist and ASSUME that not everyone else on the planet is as sensitive as you are to nuance. That some how because we don't find something wrong with this that you are better than the rest of us. Please. You're as disgusting and ignorant as you think the rest of us are.

The man is an athlete, a house of an athlete. He maskes those faces regularly on the court. And guess what, he doesn't find it offensive. And guess what? the white chick doesn't look scared. She's celebrating his strength.

Know what I find offensive? The alternative. Trying to "clean up" the black man because white people can't handle him being aggressive on the court. So what you're saying is "We need to sedate the black man in order for him to be acceptable for white America."

Oh yeah. You're definitely not the ignorant one here.

[riverroad]

The photo you mention (at the link below) has Gisele in a white dress resting her hip on one of LeBron's shoulders while pressing down on his other shoulder with her hand. Again, the bottom of Gisele's dress is so tight it would inhibit normal leg movement. The stereotype here is that white females (and not white males) are responsible for the oppression of African-Americans:

http://concreteloop.com/2008/03/comment-spotlight-lebron-the-vogue-cover

It reminds me of a movie about Rosa Parks in which a white female actor was featured as demanding Parks' seat when, in truth (in the real world) it was a white MAN who insisted that she give him her seat.

The whole controversy could have been avoided by simply showing LeBron and Gisele as equals or having him photographed with an African-American model.
.

[LeoMarvin]

What offends you about it?

[Collielady]

This is blatant. I wish LeBron James would have seen through this and refused to do it. I find it disgusting that many people believe an African American man's ultimate goal is to get a white woman. WTF.

And, by the way, since the magazine boasts to be a "Shape Issue", why is Gisele Bundchen in the picture? She's a scrawny, under-fed, fashion model who has no shape. You could hang clothes on a tree and they'd look just as good. LeBron James, on the other hand, is in great shape. The photo would have been far better with him alone. If contrast was the goal, that point would have been better made with an average-sized man in the photo with LeBron, not a woman.

Basketball­... it's a beautiful thing. GO PISTONS! (I'm just sayin'.)

[hoopesaz]

To the title should be added the words, "by a liberal".