I’m sure you’ve seen that Vogue cover with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. When I glimpsed it on the newsstands, I thought to meself, “Eee. That’s the worst Vogue cover ever.”
From compositional and aesthetic levels, neither of them look good in it. Of all the photographs that were taken, why did the editors choose that one?
Well, the “it ain’t pertty” aspect isn’t just about surface.
Sizzling hot from Yahoo Sports:
LeBron James Vogue cover criticized
NEW YORK – When Vogue announced its April cover starring LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen, the magazine noted with some fanfare that James was the first black man to grace its cover.
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.
“We think Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen look beautiful together and we are honored to have them on the cover,” he said.
James told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer he was pleased with the cover, saying he was “just showing a little emotion.”
“Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way,” James told the paper. “Who cares what anyone says?”
Read the rest here.
LeBron’s certainly got a point on that last line. He could be snapping his fingers out of glee and people would judge and make some kind of assessment.
Is there anyone out there who doesn’t think the cover could’ve been much better?
Sitting Pugs: Sports Movies 
Lord. What is that girl wearing? It’s not nice.
Indeed. It looks like a bottle of Pert Plus.
They both look totally awkward. Giselle’s neck looks stretched out. Pert Plus – hilarious. I was thinking PJs, but shampoo is better. I find Giselle objectively beautiful but I’m not really into her… I don’t find her…pretty, perhaps not sufficiently feminine?
Gisele isn’t jolie by any conventional notion of the word. She’s striking; she’s handsome?
She could kick someone’s arse if provoked?