One African-American commentator said it played upon stereotypes of the sexuality of the African-American male that appears threatening to whites. He also said that the photo reminded him of King Kong and the woman whom King Kong takes captive!
I am ill-equipped to address the African-American experience. It's hard, for example, to accept Michelle Obama's comment that she is proud of her country for the first time in her life. I try to explain it as more a sense of alienation (despite her privileged Ivy League education) than a lack of patriotism.
I'd like to hear from readers what they think about the cover of the April 2008 issue of Vogue. Do you see a subtext here?
1 comment:
Well, I don't want to go off on a tanget, but I've been exposed to the African-American experience, as you say, through my graduate studies and my professors, one of whom is an activist. On the surface, such a cover picture may seem harmless, but the subtle underlying message is still there, and it's something African Americans deal with daily. Patricia Hill Collins' Black Sexual Politics is a fascinating study on these issues: racism, gender, culture, media portrayals, etc. It is quite interesting for a heavy academic read and is well worth the effort.
Tanget over. :D
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