Black People Smile Like This - Gawker Comments

Black People Smile Like This

IamnotStarJones — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:48:49 EDT

what no O magazine covers?
isn't she still a black people?

Black People Smile Like This

slickhop — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:59:41 EDT

@ambitious: "Here's a question: Does a cross have to be burning for something to be racist?" .... well said, along with the follow up comment.

likewise lame the idea that caring about a silly fashion magazine means that someone isn't intelligent. that shit is tired.

slickhop

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:48:18 EDT

Whatever, @ambitious: is right. Just because one black person isn't offended by something doesn't in fact mean that its not problematic. The problem with this "debate" is that the original post and some commentors want to foreclose debate before it starts by labeling anyone who questions something "PC" or overly sensitive as a way of shutting them up. In other words @collegecallgirl summed it up.

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

BigRiver — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:29:34 EDT

I think everyone is missing the point on this. What the cover is depicting is a sexualized situation involving what would be the idealized self-image of the magazine's readers (waif-thin, elegant Gisele) in the dangerous arms of a large, muscular handsome man. This is nothing more than rich, middle-aged woman porn.

BigRiver

Black People Smile Like This

yogagrrrl — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:28:21 EDT

As a black lady, this is so confusing to me. When I saw the cover (only in passing), I thought, "She looks so awkward." But I didn't see King Kong, didn't see her being scared, didn't see racism.

Perhaps my heart is a little too involved. When I experience racism, I know it because it makes me want to cry. This didn't. And I kind of do want to tell Emil Wilbekin to get over it. At some point, we all have to get over the media's portayal of our race, sex, class, and develop confidence in ourselves as multi-layered, complex people whose individuality cannot be defined by magazine covers.

I feel like Uncle Tom. Or Auntie Tomina.

yogagrrrl

Black People Smile Like This

Steverino — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:16:24 EDT

@collegecallgirl: Ha. Awesome.

Steverino

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:45:30 EDT

@Botswana Meat Commission FC: Yes, me too.

I actually don't think the image is all that charged out of context. But I don't think anyone who wants to discuss what it communicates should be told to shut up and fry bigger fish. My God. I will always take issue with the "shut up" stance.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

BettyCrocker — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:40:58 EDT

@Botswana Meat Commission FC:
It's the context and the pose that's the problem.

Do you think this might have been more effective if she was also in basketball togs? Or if he was dressed up? I mean, I get it - he's a baller and she's a model. But really.

BettyCrocker

Black People Smile Like This

SpecialK — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:35:17 EDT

As a retarded person, I'm offended by how retarded this "debate" is.

SpecialK

Black People Smile Like This

Botswana Meat Commission FC — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:31:59 EDT

I tend to fall on the side of hopefully some day black men and white women can be in close physical proximity without anyone getting upset.

Fwiw.... I expected much more outrage here.

Botswana Meat Commission FC

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:22:28 EDT

@donmiguel: Oh, I am being so, so nice. Even though I'm being told to cheer! I hate cheering, donmiguel.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:20:16 EDT

@Chief Wahoo: Well, you sure showed me. How I misrepresented your comments- still don't get that. But let's not discuss. It would get in the way of my circle jerk.

Here's a question: Does a cross have to be burning for something to be racist? And if you call something that ISN'T a burning cross racist, or ideological in charged way, are you one of the fucked up "smart people" in question? Inquiring minds.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

BettyCrocker — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:19:51 EDT

Based on our history, this does bear a closer look.

LeBron does indeed look exactly as he does on the basketball court, except for one thing: he's got one arm possessively around a white woman in an evening dress.

He's not asking her to join him for a game of Horse, and she's not dressed for one, either. She doesn't seem to mind that his sweaty forearm is oozing into her Dior, but she does seem a bit surprised. Did he just win and is she the prize? Girlfriend? Emperor's Club Rent-A-Date? Is there an off-camera tux for him so they can merrily skip off to Butter, then on to beautiful Mount Airy Lodge and soak in a heart shaped tub?

In any case, the resemblance to King Kong is there, intentional or no.

@Chief Wahoo: We can be thankful for progress and simultaneously be irked at incremental rollbacks.

BettyCrocker

Black People Smile Like This

dado — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:17:05 EDT

@MKonbanwa: from chimpan "a" to chimpanzee

dado

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:12:44 EDT

@Chief Wahoo: Have you actually clicked on the Jezebel link and looked at the second poster? I'm not asking you to pen a strongly worded letter to Anna Wintour about racism or anything but look at the vintage pic and try to tell me they don't look remarkable similar. Seriously.

@jasonelias: Brazil = a country, not a race.

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

donmiguel — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:09:25 EDT

@Chief Wahoo: @ambitious: You kids play nice.

donmiguel

Black People Smile Like This

donmiguel — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:06:26 EDT

@collegecallgirl: Oh my G-d, thank you for calling it as it is re: being afraid to have an actual opinion on race while maintaining a snarky/irreverent tone. You're priceless as well as hot.

donmiguel

Black People Smile Like This

Chief Wahoo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:05:06 EDT

@ambitious: Here's another tip: intentionally misrepresenting someones comments is not very conducive to opening a dialogue. It isn't a problem if you're only interested in a circle-jerk session with like minded folks, though, so it should serve you well.

Chief Wahoo

Black People Smile Like This

Botswana Meat Commission FC — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:36 EDT

Let's not lose sight of the big issues, people...

Such as whether Li'l Wayne is indeed hot OR great.

Botswana Meat Commission FC

Black People Smile Like This

chazerium — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:57:28 EDT

@ChiefWahoo: Maybe we could make more "great strides with race relations" if we didn't feature offensive Native American stereotypes...n'est-ce pas?

chazerium

Black People Smile Like This

pameltoe mccord van kempen — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:55:36 EDT

Why LeBron ain't in the picture by heself? Why J.Hud gotta have her mouth open like she all hungry and loud and shit? Vogue doesn't care about black people.

pameltoe mccord van kempen

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:54:47 EDT

@roodles: Exactly. Discourse and all that.

@Chief Wahoo: Lebron James plays basketball? I had no idea . . . I really wish I HAD taken a moment to think critically about that. Thanks for the tip.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

rantersparadise — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:52:53 EDT

As a black person, a black woman. I'm proud of this cover. Sometimes black people complain too much.

For chrissakes-it was 60 YEARS AGO get over it!! The jews are cool about the holocaust and look what they've done with Hollywood! Now if that's not pride for your race-(all those blondes), then hec I don't know what is?

We are athletes, we do love Hip Hop and hey, well, I ALWAYS open my mouth when I smile! :)

Thanks Rebecca for highlighting this problem. Sometimes black folk like me need to be told, to stop being so 'upity', we've come far.

I'm just glad that racism in the US and the world has finally being eradicated. And I for one, think Vogue and this cover...is a BIG step forward.

I've written to Anna, to thank her for thinking of my race-well it's only been a dozen covers since 1930 with black folk or so BUT, but the people she has chosen to represent my race, a fat black singer and an angry basketball player-it's pretty apt.

I'm really happy. Yey!

Barack Hussien Obama for Pres!!

rantersparadise

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:50:21 EDT

@econdave: uh, I know but it IS Vogue not Sports Illustrated so it's not a given that he would HAVE to be playing ball on that cover, is it?

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:46:24 EDT

@Chief Wahoo: I agree that black folks have bigger fish to fry but that doesn't mean I have to cheer if say one of the Wayans bros gets on the front page of the NYT in full-on mantan minstrelsy just because its a major newspaper!
Image is important and when mainstream pubs feel bold enough to invoke an image about threatening black masculinity it's a little disturbing. I'm not going to lose sleep over it but still..

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

Chief Wahoo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:45:12 EDT

@ambitious: Well think critically about this: The pose LeBron was photographed in is exactly how he looks on the basketball court. Nothing more, nothing less.

The argument is not that you should show gratitude for progress. The argument is that trying to find racism where it doesn't exist makes it harder to overcome when it actually is present. "The boy who cried wolf" and all that.

Chief Wahoo

Black People Smile Like This

MartyPants — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:45:05 EDT

That's too stretch the lips out. Less photoshop needed.

MartyPants

Black People Smile Like This

collegecallgirl — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:43:57 EDT

Stuff White People Like: Being too afraid to have an actual opinion on a race-related topic while still maintaining a snarky, irreverent tone that makes it seem as if race doesn't even matter anymore!

collegecallgirl

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:41:44 EDT

@Chief Wahoo: This argument is ever so tired. There is no reason why one cannot acknowledge the strides and gains while still holding onto the ability to think critically, for Christ's sake.

I don't feel obligated to show gratitude for the fire hoses being put away by refusing to think.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

jasonelias — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:41:17 EDT

Isn't Giselle Bunchen Brazilian anyway. To me LeBron James looks like an athlete after he's scored or something? But I'm sure this enlightened society will read some racial issue into this regardless of how flimsy the premise is.

jasonelias

Black People Smile Like This

econdave — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:41:17 EDT

@roodles: Lord knows we don't want a basketball star holding a basketball!

econdave

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:38:35 EDT

@ambitious: Not "does"! "is"!

One thing to keep in mind: the audiences of these publications are not the same. The audience for "Jet"? Well, they probably see images of black men all of the time. Maybe even ACTUAL BLACK MEN. Like, even in their homes! Where they LIVE.

The audience for "Vogue"? I don't know. The range of images and interactions that they have to compare the Lebron image to may not be quite as varied. When it comes to black dudes, I mean.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

annasballs — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:37:01 EDT

@FreshTyn: here fucking here

annasballs

Black People Smile Like This

Chief Wahoo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:36:57 EDT

@roodles: Actually the whole "controversy" is so stupid it borders on retardation. Less than fifty years ago Black people were being attacked with firehoses, billyclubs and dogs just for standing up for their rights. Now we should be offended because we perceive some subliminal racism in the pose a Black man strikes on the cover of one of the biggest magazines published? How about cheering on his success and the great strides we have made overall with race relations. There are certainly battles remaining that need to be fought, but trying to find problems where they simply don't exist is entirely counterproductive to the overall cause and does nothing if not hurt more important efforts.

Chief Wahoo

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:35:17 EDT

@ambitious: if you scroll down to the second pic, the allusion seems pretty intended and therefore even more fucked. The question is why didn't LeBron put 2 and 2 together on the photo shoot?

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

Steverino — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:33:16 EDT

I thought the proper way for a black woman to pose for a cover was with a surgically enhanced ass facing forward.

Steverino

Black People Smile Like This

FreshTyn — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:30:54 EDT

Since when was Vogue's depiction of ANYTHING worthy of serious analysis?

FreshTyn

Black People Smile Like This

IndianSlipper — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:29:35 EDT

You need to go the extra step and find one of the old Dennis Rodman covers. Scary shit.

IndianSlipper

Black People Smile Like This

ambitious — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:29:30 EDT

Sooo . . . . which is it? Is it nonsense or does the Lebron cover an example of (even subconsciously chosen) classically racist imagery?

I'm not sure I get the point of this post.

ambitious

Black People Smile Like This

MKonbanwa — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:28:37 EDT

@ dado: Remember the break-dancing apes in "Planet of the Apes: The Musical"? Now that's controversial.

MKonbanwa

Black People Smile Like This

roodles — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:25:32 EDT

Ok, the open mouth thing is stupid. But the minor miff over LeBron, not so much. He's holding a basketball, a white woman and looking threatening. Unless a bucket o'chicken was thrown into the frame it couldn't be much more stereotypical.

roodles

Black People Smile Like This

dado — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:22:43 EDT

Why does Heidi Montag always look like the Holland Tunnel?

dado