The cover of the current issue of vogue, as it has just been brought to my attention, is being seen by some as very controversial. Upon first glance of this picture while perusing the aisles of the grocery store, I noted a pciture of an athlete and a supermodel, LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. The picture was somewhat intriguing and upon furtuer inspection I noted that the article to accompany the cover was about body shape and how certain stars that they deem to be “fit” stay the way they are. I don’t normally buy these magazines, however, and I thought nothing more of it. On Monday during the presentation of the chapter on fairness, the cover was shown once again only a negative light was cast on it and it was brought to my attention that some people see it as being unfair. I guess if I look at the cover hard enough then I can find plenty of things that might be wrong. For instance the primal yell that LeBron James looks like he is releasing and the frail model that Gisele is. Sure I guess it can be seen as being anti-feminist since the threatening looking male seems to be overpowering the frail female. I can also see how racial stereotyping can be picked out of this cover. However, I never saw these things until they were brought to my attention. Vogue is a magazine that is renowned for fashion and for its fashion and beauty advice. Only those interested in these things would probably buy the magazine. The magazine definitely caters to this audience and this image. Unlike a newspaper which has to remain as unbiased as possible since it is speaking to the masses. I think special interest magazines have more leeway, since they cater to special interest groups. If this picture was in a newspaper accomapnying an article I can see how more people might be offended. However, this brings me to an entirely different matter. Society as a whole seems to be overly sensitive and whiny. I think most people tend to blow things way out proportion and over analyze things. I seriously doubt that when LeBron and Gisele were taking the picture the photographer was telling her to look white and like a frail helpless housewife. Just as I doubt that they were telling LeBron to look like a black menacing man taking charge of his woman. Other friendly pictures of the two that are featured on the website suggest otherwise. I think they were probably just having fun and being themselves, a basketball player and a model. No one is forcing anyone to buy the magazine or buy into the pictures. This picture is simply the vogue staff’s idea of fit bodies.
