French Vogue October ish criticised for "blackface" model spread

[terry78]

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/french-vogue-does-blackface-since-when-is-this-ok-525789/

Basically the upcoming one is dedicated to supermodels, of which they have no black ones, yet they take a white one and cover her in shoe polish or something. Yes, as a guy I don't care about Vogue, espcially French Vogue, but it was on Yahoo's main page, and well....hey.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

Who cares? It's just a skin color...A color. Maybe I'm ignorant, but I just don't get racism. Are we that ****ing pathetic as a race we care so much about a color of someone?

I look at this images and think it's pro black people. White person as a black person dressed sexy(not so much the first image) seems positive to me. And it's not even blackface, more like blackbody.

 

[SuperFerret]

When I look at that, I don't think "racism", I think "cancer".

And it's in France, so who cares?

 

[matrix_ghost]

So lemme get this straight. So every time a white woman is painted black , that's racism.
Well in that case this video ( released a couple of yeasr ago btw) must also be racist
[YT]UnBzlDc7FQU[/YT]


Hell why not go to coal mines and accuse every person coming out after a hard day of work of being a racist cause they've also got black dust on them

 

[BillyZaned]

why are all the models gross looking.... I mean, seriously.... they look like starved cavemen...

and I'm talking about how they look, not there skin color, or makeup.... just their bone structure, and features

 

[Venom 1988]

edit - woops

 

[terry78]

I think it looks more disturbing than anything, because they're basically using this chick as an example of a black supermodel because they don't really have any, as opposed to locating one. That's my viewpoint.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

It's not really blackface.

 

[E-Man]

I think it looks more disturbing than anything, because they're basically using this chick as an example of a black supermodel because they don't really have any, as opposed to locating one. That's my viewpoint.

Bingo. You mean to tell me that they can't find a black model somewhere? Looks like they either wanted to do blackface, or they just didn't look hard enough for an actual black woman.

 

[chamber-music]

High fashion doesn't make sense. Its like the chewbacca defense

 

[Watson]

The article explains it really well. America has a long problematic history with black performers being barred from the stage and screen (and even still certain roles), while minstrel shows were still being performed up to the 1960s. Basically white people dressing up as sterotypical black slaves/performers isn't cool.

I think they wanted to do the blackface to get a rise out of people. I'm sure French Vogue will make up some BS "We're trying to get people talking about race, blah blah blah" excuse.

 

[chamber-music]

Gallic shrug

 

[Watson]

Gallic shrug???

 

[chamber-music]

petit filous

 

[Watson]

I'm not a rascal ...or a yogurt, according to google lol

 

[terry78]

I'm not a rascal ...or a yogurt, according to google lol

You do kind of favor a Yoplait.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Petit Filous are awesome.

 

[piccolo]

People really need to lighten up. No pun intended, just take the sticks out of their asses.

 

[Darthphere]

Can we get over the whole blackface thing? jesus.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

People really need to lighten up. No pun intended, just take the sticks out of their asses.

I'd usually agree with this, but there's a long, bad history regarding blackface.

 

[Handsome Rob]

The article explains it really well. America has a long problematic history with black performers being barred from the stage and screen (and even still certain roles), while minstrel shows were still being performed up to the 1960s. Basically white people dressing up as sterotypical black slaves/performers isn't cool.

I think they wanted to do the blackface to get a rise out of people. I'm sure French Vogue will make up some BS "We're trying to get people talking about race, blah blah blah" excuse.

So, how is she dressed up like a stereotypical black slave or performer? Or, are there pictures that haven't been posted yet?

And, didn't "blackface" leave the mouth unpainted or painted red in order to exaggerate the lips? Cuz I'm not seeing that in these pictures, either.

I've seen models with gold, red, multi-colored body paint, etc., before, and no one had a problem with those that I know of. Does this mean that black and brown are somehow on the bad list or are instantly separable from other colors as instantly racist? Should we exclude yellow (Asian) and red (Indian) as well? I don't think we should be always jumping to racism when other explanations are perfectly plausible, especially when we're talking about art--and photography can be art. I mean, if I go play paintball at night and paint my face black to not be as easily visible, does that make me a racist by default?

Our society is too hypersensitive when it comes to stuff like this, and jumping the gun and screaming "RACISM!" can cost innocent people with no malice on their hearts a lot in the court of public opinion.

 

[terry78]

Can always count on **** like this to be polarizing. I thought both sides of the issue would understand where the other side is coming from, but go figure.

 

[[A]]

Basically the upcoming one is dedicated to supermodels, of which they have no black ones, yet they take a white one and cover her in shoe polish or something. Yes, as a guy I don't care about Vogue, espcially French Vogue, but it was on Yahoo's main page, and well....hey

You shouldn't care about Yahoo either

 

[BestGirl]

I doubt this was a deliberate attempt at racism, nor is it likely they couldn't find any actual black models for the spread. It's more likely Vogue was trying to be "edgy" or "artistic" or "controversial."

 

[[A]]

Sell more issues, maybe?