Vogue April 2008: LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen - Beauty Addict

Monday, April 07, 2008

Vogue April 2008: LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen

I hesitated in posting the April Vogue cover because of the incredible amount of controversy it has stirred up. So I know I'm late to the party on this, but I thought I'd post it anyway and see how it goes.

When I first saw this cover, I thought it was a striking contrast between two very different body types - the strong, powerful athlete and the lean, lithe supermodel - both beautiful in their own way. Perfect for "The Shape Issue," no?

Well! Silly me! According to some, what I should have seen was a recreation of a scene straight out of King Kong, with James as the menacing beast and Bundchen as Fay Wray.

I don't know about you, but to me, Gisele doesn't exactly look frightened or threatened in the photo. And James himself likes the cover, saying he was just "showing a little emotion." Maybe I'm being naive, but to me they just look like they're having fun doing the shoot.

I'm all for controversy when there's a worthwhile issue to be debated, but in this case I feel like we're dealing with hypersensitivity. Do you really think Annie Leibovitz and Vogue sought to perpetuate racial stereotypes with this cover?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. Is the Vogue cover simply a play on body type, size and shape, or is it a deliberate, racially charged nod to King Kong?

Just a reminder about commenting, since this is a hot-button issue: feel free to share your honest thoughts (whether in agreement or dissent), but please be fair, and don't attack each other over differing views. Intelligent discussion, no sniping.


Comments