Outrage Over Vogue Photographs

[NikolaC]

Outrage over Vogue photographs
Lizzy Davies in Paris guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 13 October 2009 20.11 BST Article history

French Vogue has never been one to tiptoe around controversy. Recently it has published photos of supposedly pregnant models puffing cigarettes and leather-clad glamazons kissing with blood pouring from their mouths.

Now, though, the magazine may have gone too far for even the most dedicated followers of fashion. Its October edition features pictures of Dutch model Lara Stone in which the naturally pale-skinned blonde's face and body are painted black. The photo shoot, styled by the magazine's long-time editor, Carine Roitfeld, provoked outrage today as its subject spread through internet forums and fashion websites. The US blog Jezebel criticised the decision of Roitfeld and photographer Steven Klein to alter the model's skin colour, accusing them of cultural insensitivity.

"What Klein and Roitfeld should know … is that painting white people black for the entertainment of other white people is offensive in ways that stand entirely apart from cultural context," it said. "France and Australia may not have the United States' particular history of minstrel shows … but something about the act of portraying a white woman as black ought to sound an alarm, somewhere."

This is fashion? Who was the brain trust that thought that this was cutting edge? Idiots!

[Warpy]

1. There's been a touch of sadism in a lot of fashion ads

over the years. I remember an Italian shoe ad that had the blonde half stripped and on her back on the pavement, shoes prominently displayed, while a bunch of rough trade guys were in the background looking at her stone faced, one with his hands on his belt buckle.

"But it's just fantasy!" the company whined when feminists and other women with functioning brains complained about it.

That these clods are also racially insensitive comes as absolutely no surprise. They're so busy trying to be fresh, new, controversial and cutting edge that they've lost all semblance of taste.

Somebody needs to tell them that nausea and vomiting don't sell clothes.

[mitchum]

5. That's because all of those oh-so-edgy photographers just rip off Helmut Newton

[TreasonousBastard]

2. OMG! This is the fourth outrage today. How many to set a record?

[madrchsod]

3. we still have tonight.....

i expect at least two more by the time it hits 12 on the west coast....

[DainBramaged]

4. HAS to be a record..........

:fistbump:

[NikolaC]

7. Well I guess that being upset over black face

no matter who does it is passe? No big deal then :sarcasm:. Yup, as a woman of color, it pisses me off. I find it insulting and I am not alone in that.

[izquierdista]

6. It's the New Fashion

Changing clothing is so passe. In the future, it will be change your skin tone, all the way from Norwegian Cave-Dweller to Bantu Midnight-Charcoal and any shade in between. You could even choose colors not found in nature, like John Boehner Orange.

Look on the bright side -- it will cover over a lot of ugly tattoos.