Is Harper Bazaar’s Naomi Campbell Fashion Spread Racist?
A loyal reader emailed me about these pics from a Harper’s Bazaar magazine fashion spread featuring Naomi Campbell. The reader asked if I thought the images were racist. She was particularly annoyed with the image of Naomi Campbell playing double dutch with monkeys while a white man (a hunter watching his prey?) looks on.
She wrote: “Can you see a white supermodel jumping rope with monkeys in the jungle?”
My initial response is, of course the images are racist. Vogue magazine pulled this same stunt with LeBron James and supermodel Gisele Bundchen on its cover in a pose reminiscent of King Kong and Ann Darrow.
Controversy sells and the ultimate purpose of these magazines is to grab the readers eye so they can move magazines off the racks. It’s a shame that celebs like Naomi Campbell and LeBron let themselves be used in this degrading manner. Or maybe they just don’t care.
Related posts:
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- Celeb Style: Beyoncé for Black Men magazine; Naomi Campbell on the set of Ugly Betty
- LeBron/Vogue controversy: The ‘Ape’ issue just won’t go away
- Naomi Campbell is losing it
11 Responses to “Is Harper Bazaar’s Naomi Campbell Fashion Spread Racist?”
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[...] me of the controversy a while back regarding THIS photo of Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen or THESE photos of Naomi Campbell. A lot of people felt that the images were considered [...]
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I’d say it’s a lil racist. Anytime whitey put black folks and monkeys together I feel like they are trying to be funny.
Didn’t she just beat/hit somebody else up?
I always wanted to master double dutch. I could only do basic stuff lol
I don’t see it as racist. Its not like she is swinging from a tree or locked up in a cage. Funny you think this is racist but staying linking the NY Post and quoting and siding with Bill O’riley.
I find some of your comments about black women & single mothers to be more racist than this ad.
pinky2083 Says:
I’d say it’s a lil racist. Anytime whitey put black folks and monkeys together I feel like they are trying to be funny.
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Exactly. They knew what they were doing. There are many animals in the jungle they could have used for this fashion spread that would not evoke emotions in black people. Why use monkeys jumping rope?
Way down in the jungle deep a monkey stepped on a lions feet. The lion said Mother F*cker can’t you see. You stepping on my got darn feet.
Would love to hear your take on Tarzan and Cheeta
Everything is not racist. I guess she’s going to outrun the cheetah since black people are fast too, huh?
There are other photos of her as well and none of them (posing alongside a crocodile for example) strike me as racist.
Ok, someone tell me the text for an eye roll pleaese.
I love Naomi’s legs… that’s a beautiful (though loca) black woman.
THAT A VERY BEAUTIFUL AND CREATIVE PHOTOSHOOT. IT IS RACIST TO THOSE WHO CAN’T SEE PAST RACISM. THESE ANIMALS ARE FOUND IN THE JUNGLE, WOULD YOU SUGGEST THEY USE DOMESTICATED CATS INSTEAD? SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN TAKE SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AND JUST COMPLICATE IT FOR NO REASON.
Oh please this is getting RIDICULOUS when you feel you have no strength that’s when you feel like a victim to everything, it’s pathetic and weak and I’m so embarrassed.