Uncovered: Possible Inspiration For Controversial LeBron James Vogue Cover

Ever since Vogue put basketball star LeBron James on its cover — only the third man, and the first African American man, to gain that distinction — the cover has sparked discussion. Critics have slammed Vogue for "perpetuating racial stereotypes," depicting the "dangerous black man" running off with a beautiful white woman (model Gisele Bundchen).

Now, Sportsfilter blogger Rogers Cadenhead (via Portfolio.com's Jeff Bercovici) uncovered a possible (likely) inspiration for the Annie Liebovitz shoot: a famous World War I recruitment poster from 1917.

The poster, which shows a gorilla and says "Destroy This Brute," would seem to justify any sort of outrage over the racial stereotypes perpetuated by the Vogue cover.

What do you think?

Comments

[bleve]

Racist yes... even if that poster was not the inspiration. This is a depiction of a young black man with tattoos, dribbling a basketball, aggressively yelling at the viewer and manhandling a white woman. Anyone who doesn't think this is a racist depiction is either very naive or willfully ignorant. Depictions by artists have meaning and are thought out. She knows that images have meaning and implications and she's a seasoned veteran. She chose to go with this shot. Its blatantly racist and I'm sure those who claim otherwise were the first screaming reverse racism in regards to Obama's grandmother... read American history please.

[Truetuft]

The picture is only a picture. Does not LeBeron play basket ball ? Isn't Bundchen a glamorous model? I would bet that the photo editors who selected this shot for the cover were probably going after some reference to "Beauty and the Beast", a love story BTW. When I saw this magazine cover a few days ago I was struck by the different emotions each person was portraying. The contrast was interesting. But racist? I think the only thing racist here are the thoughts in the minds of those of you who see racism in that picture. If you think the picture is racist, you've got some soul searching to do about how you put people in little narrow boxes based on race, and gender.

[StuCop]

exactly...lebron just being a young black man is racist...how dare he be himself!!!

[AreYouFibbing]

Well, Obama wanted a dialog on race and here we have it.....

[Meah]

Why are men so insecure?

[Meah]

And you are the racist.

[donttreadonme2008]

Things that make you go hmmmm....Annie L. is old enough and astute enough to know what she's doing. Sense imagery is her business. What may be more telling is the thought that perhaps we've moved passed the pain associated with the historical context...I see two wildly successful people posing together in a visceral photograph. Is that progress? Maybe.

[enoughalready13]

The idea that this is anything other than an athlete and a model posing together for a cover is outrageous.

[PrinceHal]

It strikes me as highly objectionable and highly racist as well for you or anyone else to post these two images side by side, as if, Wow, LeBron James either looked like or actually was a gorilla. Where is the outrage that this post deserves? I don't see any here.

Until I saw this on your website, I thought maybe Annie Leibovitz and friends had actually cleared a major hurdle in race relations. Guess not, huh?

[MiddletownHal]

What's Annie got to say?

[Waitaminute]

I'll tell you when a major race relation hurdle will be cleared. When there is a magazine with a black man/ black woman on the cover french kissing a white woman/ white man and no one gives a sh*t.

[S1m0n]

Maybe he, she, they or Annie just think it's hot? There's no law against being a stereotype, or even playing one on TV.

[stanco]

Lebron is having fun.

Bundchen is having fun.

They're both making LOTS of MONEY!

They both couldn't give a shit.

Don't worry-
Be Happy!

History didn't happen if it's in the past...

[rektruax]

Now now stanco, you know damn well there will be no joy or fun here in the United States of Guilt.

[stanco]

Lebron is having fun.

Bundchen is having fun.

They're both making LOTS of MONEY.

They both couldn't give the slightest shit...

That's all that counts-
Be Happy!!!

[wadenelson1]

Right on!

[sverdad]

The look of unrelenting terror on Gisele Bundchen's face at the hands of this "savage" is almost too painful to watch. If you're sensing fear instead of someone having the time of her life with LeBron James, switch to decaf or adjust your medication--the sooner, the better.

[ljmck]

Shocking. You nailed it.

Just to add to the sin, is this mimicry or is this plagiarism?

There are some pretty evil dudes out there.

[rimofheaven]

So far 2008 has been ONE GIANT STEP BACK IN TIME! Hopefully it won't be permanent. As a black man with a family, I would like to be able to tell my eight and nine year old daughters that times really have changed without feeling like I'm asking them to believe in the tooth fairy.

[anons]

no denying it...our unconcious mind is ASSAULTED daily with subliminal images and symbols we aren't consiously aware of. Magazines pour over covers before they release them, to believe this wasn't an intentional play on race relations is to assume the entire vogue staff are imbeciles. It's about publicity, its about money...get with it people.

[DryerBuzzcom]

People don't know what they don't know. However, James should have known better. If not for himself, then for the struggle of America's black World War II veterans who had to deal with this stereotype abroad and home. Then he defends the cover. I would just love to know how they co hearsed him into the pose. Donny Deutsch the advertising guru said on the Today show, its just sports energy. How come none of the other athletes were photographed with the same energy? Even the wrestler did come off with such a pose, yet holding a woman over his head. Give me a break. We know the energy, the history, and the agenda. Well Lebron James doesn't.

[zona9]

What are you talking about. The original poster portrayed the Germans as the wild beast in the poster, not Americans, African or otherwise.

[DasBoot]

But the poster was meant to invoke fear. How do you invoke fear in white Americans, certainly in 1917? Show them the image of a black beast raping their women, even if the enemy is Germany. It's kind of like Bush invading Iraq after 9/11 if you will. If people are afraid they ignore the details about who exactly their enemy is.

[ramal]

This was American propoganda in World War I. The fact that America entered it, probably caused World War II.

[wndrwrthg]

That is one crazy ass statement. Please explain.

[puffhost]

First of all it is "coerced"

Also I don't see the big deal at all with this cover. It's the 21st century. I find it hard to believe that this portrays blacks in a negative way. When I see Lebron James on this I see a genetically gifted, talented, disciplined, and hard-working individual who got what he deserved in life and can have some fun as a result. It's the 21st century, this man could be eligible for a host of supermodels, professionals, whatever.

We have (possibly) centuries ahead of us until the deep wounds of racism are healed. Laughing at things can be a good way to progress. Laughing takes the sting and power out of things. Next time you have confilct with someone (someone chewing you out, job bully, etc) and you are bothered by it imagine the aggressor wearing a clown nose and saying the things that were said. Problem solved. Trust me.

Lebron and Giselle have no reason to be sorry and should be commended for not worrying about walking on eggshells for others.

[Waitaminute]

He's "genetically gifted, talented, disciplined, and hardworking". Anything missing in your comment. Like charming, gentle, nice?

[Anastasia]

It's very King Kong.

This is the problem with Hillary playing the race card. Now, apparently even Vogue magazine feels like it's safe to play with racial issues, in a way that is detrimental to Blacks.

[XCITIZEN]

Wow, I think you have really made a valid point here, Anastasia - this is clearly an indication that 'playing the race' card has 'infected' popular culture via the carefully spun slurs and smears of the presidential campaign. So is it possible to deduce that Vogue (or Annie Liebowitz, or both) is playing the race card in favor of Hillary?

First black man to be president...first black man to appear on the cover of Vogue...and now, this war propaganda image from the past which admonishes America to 'destroy this monster'. Wow. Unbelievable. Surreal and frightening. America has become a debased, fascistic dictatorship - it's happening in ways we never could have imagined. Pop culture racism, pop culture fascism.

[Meah]

Now I am really going to scream!

[AreYouFibbing]

Hey SHellie and Barry played the race card and then the victims and their pastor, you know the one starring in WRIGHTGATE has helped perpetuate this dialog.

[Barbarossa03]

I could see the outrage of this representation. But from the comments above, it seems like business as usual, so what was the fuss about Reverend Wright?

[klandish]

Vogue fashionably flaming the chic inspired race card.

[Mariposa4Life]

I thought this "controversy" was really quite stupid. LeBron said he was happy with the picture. Case closed.

Now that I've seen this other photo, I'm stating to think there is something to it. It is eerily similar. Even the color/style of her dress is the same....... I can't help but wonder!