I was surprised when I received a copy of VOGUE April edition the other day. Look who is on the cover? a male, an African American male to be exact, and not a Hollywood movie star, but a basketball player, none other than LeBron James. He made history as the first African American man who graced the cover in the magazine’s 116-year history. He is also becoming the third man (joining Richard Gere and George Clooney), and the fourth African American ever appeared on the cover.
This edition is the Shape issue, so it’s only fitting that James is on the cover with Gisele, who is dating Tom Brody, New York Patriots star quarterback, the sports connection is definitely there. Gisele was wearing a simple Calvin Klein dress and the cover was shot by Annie Leibovitz.
I like the cover simply because I finally see someone other than Keira Knightly, Renee Zellwegger and other celebrities on the cover. But little did I know that this cover has stirred up some controversy and was even discussed in major newspapers like USA Today, Chicago Tribune, etc. Apparently, some people found it offensive that James is portrayed like he was angry, yelling and being aggressive by grabbing Gisele’s tiny waist. They feel that VOGUE had racial intentions and wanted to throw the stereotypes that people always associate with an African American male.
I really didn’t see it that way when I first looked at it, and I still don’t understand what the fuss is all about. LeBron is a basketball player, he is a beast on the court and that’s how he looks like when the game is on, he is just showing his emotion After all, this is a Shape issue, so I don’t expect him to be donning a suit looking all flamboyant like in a typical GQ cover.
Do you think the cover is offensive?
