Vanity Fair magazine is no stranger to controversial editorials. In 1999, the magazine came under fire when comedian Mike Meyers was photographed by David LaChapelle as a Hindu deity, and later in 2008 when then-15-year-old singer Miley Cyrus was photographed topless by famous fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz. But now, nearly one month after its explosive cover of disgraced golf phenomenon Tiger Woods hit newsstands, Vanity Fair is raising more eyebrows with their annual “Young Hollywood” issue.
It seems that to Vanity Fair, “Young Hollywood” only consists of the following: white, thin and female. The cover stars include actresses Kristen Stewart from “Twilight” fame, “Zombieland’s” Emma Stone, “Dear John’s” Amanda Seyfried, and “Up in the Air’s” Anna Kendrick, to name a few. Many people are wondering of Vanity Fair: were there no Asian, Hispanic, Indian, Pacific Islander, black, male, plus-sized, gay, or lesbian actors and actresses to feature on this cover? What is up with the step backward?
In previous years, Honduran actress and “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrara graced the “Young Hollywood” cover, as well as curvy “That’s So Raven” star Raven Symoné. Vanity Fair is not oblivious to the diversity these days, having featured “Precious” lead actress Gabourey Sidibe and “Star Trek” and “Avatar” breakout starlet Zoë Saldana. Let us not forget about breakout actress Frida Pinto from “Slumdog Millionaire.” As a matter of fact, once you open the March 2010 issue, those actresses are mentioned periodically throughout the first 20 pages.
I am actually surprised “Twilight’s” Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner were not featured in this issue. Channing Tatum of “G.I. Joe” fame was nowhere in sight. And may I suggest cute little 15-year-old and openly gay “Ugly Betty” actor Mark Indelicato?
As usual, the media has had a field day with the incident—some are even calling the magazine racist (most of the criticisms I have read are mostly concerning the lack of Hispanics and blacks), but I think that is stretching it.
While it is annoying to me that there are not both actors and actresses of different ethnicities, sizes, genders and sexualities on the cover, I would hardly call the magazine racist. They are simply catering to their audience, and they believe this is what their audience considers “Young Hollywood.” Every publication does it, and none of them are criticized for it.
No one is putting Ebony magazine under fire for featuring only black people on their covers for 65 years, nor Latina magazine for only featuring Hispanics, or Out magazine for only featuring homosexuals.
It is kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. I just so happen to know for a fact that Ebony magazine was started because there were no media publications that would feature blacks back then, and the same probably holds true for Latina and Out magazine.
Separating magazines based on interest is fine, but until we stop separating magazines based on ethnicity and sexuality, we will always have this problem. It is not fair to criticize Vanity Fair for their lack of diversity when no one does it to publications that are purposefully discriminative. It is no more right for majority-geared magazines to omit minorities than it is for minorities to do the same.
People can read into the Vanity Fair issue however they want, and I am with them on the fact that it is aggravating it has to be this way, but until every publication falls in line, no one can point the finger.
Sequita Bean is a fashion columnist and Features Editor for The Current.
