Reader chimed in and responded to the article "Is Fashion Racist?" which appeared in the July issue of American Vogue. The "Talking Back" section printed four letters, three of which named Vogue magazine itself as part of the problem. Sandra Robbins from Memphis,TN wrote: "I am a black woman, and one of the reasons I refuse to purchase Vogue is that there are not many people who look like me in its pages...Wake up and smell the coffee." Reader Janna Pankey of Laurel, MD added: "...to whittle down diversity to simply a case of 'white and black' is not a step in the right direction. It marginalizes other ethnic groups, reducing their significance to something less than 'other.'
Damn. If these are the letters they printed, I would love to read the stuff that didn't make the cut!
4 comments:
While we're on the subject, I wonder if a white model would be asked to do this on a runway: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2009/spring/main/europe/womenrunway/viviennewestwoodred/slideshow.html?47
I agree we need to see more of ourselves in mainstream magazines like Vogue, but we need to stop waiting for "them" to decide when we are beautiful enough to put us in their pages. We need to create and SUPPORT our own magazines. Sometimes I wonder if we really want to see ourselves, because when magazines for us do come out we don't support them and they fold (ie Honey, Vibe Vixen and Suede).
I think the problem with many of the magazines that are geared towards us is that they are too one dimensional, as if every black person can be neatly grouped into one box. I don't read them because I don't feel that there is really anything in them that I can relate to and they are too heavily focused on "urban" culture. Then again, I can't relate to Vogue or other high fashion glossies either, which is why all magazines have been replaced by the internet where I can get exactly what I want when I want it.
The internet is doing what fashion mags were unwilling to do. Women of color are able to create media all on their own to express their interests. Yes, these magazines still have tremendous influence but it will lessen as the internet continues to grow.
I can only imagine that in order to compete with the internet more monthlies will start to diversify because they will need any and every dollar they can get. But that "inclusion" will only be the result of $$$$$.
I am more likely to browse a blog than a magazine, even an icon like Vogue.
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