racist or not?

[GoldenAgeHero]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-voguecover&prov=ap&type=lgns


the gist of the article


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.

“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.

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.”


how do you feel about the picture? I don't know, but i can see what they're saying.. and i can honestly see some racists as actually seeing that. ...i just don't know. I definitely think they did to be racially provocative given the Lebron is the first black man to be featured on a vogue cover.

 

[Morg]

It's just a picture and the idiots that thinks it's racist are morons

 

[Prefix]

If the King Kong reference is intentional, then it is most likely because as a basketball player he is FREAKING TALL. Nothing to do with "black people r monkeys lol"

 

[PemLam]

My first question wasn't whether it was racist or not (I agree with Morg's opinion on that)...my first question was why is GAH reading Vogue?

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

it's portraying stereotypes of a model and a basketball player.

I honestly think some yanks are just wired up wrongly.

 

[Gallagher]

Agreed, political correctness gone mad.

 

[Handsome Rob]

When I saw that photo, I saw Lebron and Gisele. Maybe the ones who see King Kong and Fay Wray need to confront their OWN racism. I'm not the one who saw a black guy and thought, "ape." They are.

Perhaps this says something about those who are obsessed with exposing "racism" and calling it out . . .

 

[turtlefocker]

the basketball looks out of place cause he doesn't look like he's bouncing it... but racist? no

 

[Crook]

Maybe the ones who see King Kong and Fay Wray need to confront their OWN racism.

Eh, I'm not much of a person that immediately sees racial connections, but I'm gonna admit that I definitely saw the Kong/Wray one, almost immediately.

I wouldn't say the cover was racist, but imo the image is pretty apparent. LeBron did resemple a primate with his hunched pose and exposed teeth. Maybe it was intentional but not meant to be offensive.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

They should give him a watermelon and a caption of "I gotz me a white byatch" then people can legitimately complain, at the moment it just looks like a pretty standard picture to me, nothing immediately racist about it jumped out.

 

[Erzengel]

He's accosting her!!!

 

[FRUITY]

Oh My God!!!!

87 SWIMSUITS TO FLATTER EVERY FIGURE!!!! *squeal*
















♥

 

[escobar2248]

If people look hard enough, they will find what they want to no matter what.

Now, if that was Dirk....I doubt if there would be any noise at all. But throw an African American in the mix and red flags go up no matter what. Society has been trained to be over sensitive......

 

[jaymes_e06]

I love how EVERYTHING ends up about race these days. Are we so divided that we can't even get a days rest without race being thrown in our faces every day. We get it some are racist in the US but that doesn't mean every photo of a public figure has to be studied down to the shoes he's wearing to make sure there are no racial connotations. It seriously seems like if it's not in the news in politics its in pop culture.

So to answer the question NO IT IS JUST A PICTURE.

 

[chamber-music]

people are over sensitive its not racist although the picture does have Lebron in an agressive angery black man pose. Why didn't they have a picture of both of them smiling?

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

The people who think this is racist need to learn what the term racist really means.
Some imagination there thinking the dude looks like Kong...

****ing idiots.

 

[SuBe]

When I saw that photo, I saw Lebron and Gisele. Maybe the ones who see King Kong and Fay Wray need to confront their OWN racism. I'm not the one who saw a black guy and thought, "ape." They are.

Perhaps this says something about those who are obsessed with exposing "racism" and calling it out . . .

Agreed.

 

[Erzengel]

Or at least him in a pimp hat with lots of bling on.

Am I right?

:high five:

 

[chamber-music]

I love how EVERYTHING ends up about race these days. Are we so divided that we can't even get a days rest without race being thrown in our faces every day. We get it some are racist in the US but that doesn't mean every photo of a public figure has to be studied down to the shoes he's wearing to make sure there are no racial connotations. It seriously seems like if it's not in the news in politics its in pop culture.

So to answer the question NO IT IS JUST A PICTURE.

I hear that alot. I don't know what it is but it seems in America people see racial divides everything. People seem to see 'colour' before they see people.

 

[Immortalfire]

I fail to see any problems with this.

 

[Neptune]

I don't think it's racist. The pose is just stupid and Lebron is just stupid for posing like that. It's the cover of Vogue not guns & ammo. You would think he'd be dressed more stylish and would pose in a cool confident manner. I hate it when black people try find racist elements in everything. I'm black too so it's ok for me to say it

 

[Albiceleste]

I don't see nothing racist about that picture

 

[chamber-music]

I don't think it's racist. The pose is just stupid and Lebron is just stupid for posing like that. It's the cover of Vogue not guns & ammo. You would think he'd be dressed more stylish and would pose in a cool confident manner. I hate it when black people try find racist elements in everything. I'm black too so it's ok for me to say it

Leibovitz probabley told him to dress and pose like that. Photographers tell the subjects how to pose and what they want them to do. Also a stylist probabley picked the clothing. Not saying Lebron didn't have a say.

 

[jaymes_e06]

I hear that alot. I don't know what it is but it seems in America people see racial divides everything. People seem to see 'colour' before they see people.

Exactly! Do we all have to look at race as something that makes us so different from one another. This is not even just for African Americans. If your a comedian you can't talk about Jewish people or your anti-semetic. If you say that a muslim has a gun you are racially profiling.

And it doesn't even stop there. You can't talk about "little people" (BTW I don't get that, I'd rather be called a migget) at all or your being unsensitive. We live in a PC world that dominates all forms of human interaction.

Yes there are things that divide us culturally, emotionally, physically, and yes even RACIALLY but there are even more things that bring us together.

Why is that never recognised?

 

[Neptune]

Well then Lebron should have said something.