Comments on: Lara Stone in Blackface for French Vogue

By: aesweg

aesweg — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:29:28 +0000

Um… I guess you’ve never seen a movie called White Chicks?
With the Wayans brothers in drag as white women?
But that’s OK?

By: Krow

Krow — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:01:31 +0000

I don’t think the point is to make her look black. It has to do with the history of stereotyping white and black women. The stereotype is that black women are more sexually alluring to the male viewer. This spread is a form of racial masquerading, which allows a white woman to be as sexual as a black woman. It comes from the Victorian belief that white women are passionless and virginal and black women are erotic. This belief stems from the justification of slave owners seducing their female slaves by claiming their bodies were irresistible. There is no wonder these images hit a nerve with the black viewer. A huge lack of taste is being displayed. But, black or white the bottom line is these images are about sex. Sex sells, especially in the fashion industry.

By: Shyaine

Shyaine — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:31:58 +0000

SMH….no matter how hard they try….they cant be like us. She couldn’t even pull off the makeup, she still looks white…

By: Alicia Renee

Alicia Renee — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:56:21 +0000

Wow. I am not offended by the photos primarily because I think they painted her black and not in blackface. If this were an American fashion magazine, I would question the artistic integrity of the layout. But is this any different from going geisha girl (Galliano & Viktor & Rolf) or ethnic chic shown on many runways and too many fashion spreads?
Fashion Bomber you’re in Paris and the history of Blacks in France has morphed from this love of Black Americans(Josephine, Langston) to this kind of disdain and weariness for Africans or those from Africa who some may consider poor & uneducated.

By: conni3

conni3 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:32:41 +0000

These people are not dumb; they know the ever present issue of diversity in the fashion industry and the history of blackface. It’s extremely tacky and they did this for publicity, which they are getting. To me it was kind of hinting at “we don’t need black models when we have brown paint”. This is highly offensive.
But of those who are also offended how many of you will continue fawn over the magazine monthly and buy it?

By: Reader

Reader — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:33:27 +0000

I think the one in the headdress is a reference to the Black Madonnas. Regardless of the wisdom of the spread — I don’t think the other photos are successful — I don’t view this as blackface, which involves exaggeratedly ugly “Negroid” features and childlike postures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

http://images.google.com/images?rlz=1C1GGLS_frUS315US315&sourceid=chrome&q=black%20madonna&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=fr&tab=wi

By: Vuitton

Vuitton — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:06:09 +0000

This topic REALLY hits close to home because of someone from my old university who thought that it was cool to posthumously honor his favorite rap artist. Trouble is, he painted himself black, wore an afro, and left his lips pink. Here’s the link to a Facebook note I did in regard to it. If there’s foul language, I apologize. It just really struck a nerve.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/note.php?note_id=34556128217

By: david

david — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:40 +0000

This is PURE RACISM. SHAME ON STEVEN KLEIN AND CARINE ROITFELD at FRENCH VOGUE. HAHA HA HA very funny. you made fun of black people… DID you get what you wanted???