LeBron James' Vogue cover called racially insensitive

I can see the controversy here, a big black man is holding a little white lady. Oh and if you see the imagery that I placed in that first sentence it was intentional. Sometimes I think people read too much into these things. Let's see what the Trib says...

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?"

But magazine analyst Samir Husni believes the photo was deliberately provocative, adding that it "screams King Kong." Considering Vogue's influential history, he said, covers are not something that the magazine does in a rush.

"So when you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting white woman, it's not innocent," he said.

O'Connell, the Vogue spokesman, declined further comment.

In a column at ESPN.com, Jemele Hill called the cover "memorable for all the wrong reasons." But she said in an interview that the image is not unusual -- white athletes are generally portrayed smiling or laughing, while black sports figures are given a "beastly sort of vibe."

For example, former NBA star Charles Barkley was depicted breaking free of neck and wrist shackles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dennis Rodman graced the cover of Rolling Stone with horns poking out of his forehead and his red tongue hanging out.

Images of black male athletes as aggressive and threatening "reinforce the criminalization of black men," said Damion Thomas, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at University of Maryland.

But others say the image show James' game face -- nothing more. And they note that Bundchen hardly looks frightened.

"James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll," said Christa Thomas, 36, a black account supervisor in Los Angeles.

"I didn't see any kind of racist overtone to it," she said. "I still don't. I think there is such a hypersensitivity to race still in this country."

That last sentence. What did I just say? Yup I thought so!

Hypersensitivity about race. I think the country is going thru it with the Jeremiah Wright story. They certainly don't like Rev. Wright's views on race in America and a lot of people who criticize him will not look at the context. Even if they do, they'll just insist that him or any other black talk about this issue in a nice calm way, instead of being an "angry black man" about it.

Still I can see the stereotype here a big black man going after him some white wimminz. I could just say that some people are still uptight about this idea of interracial dating, something I've discussed here a lot. Whether we're talking about black men and white women or black women and white men. Me personally I don't care (or at least try not to get caught up in) what two people do together, it's not my concern. I only hope that they're together for the right reasons and it's likely I'd say that for any other couple whether they're of two races, two social classes, or whatever other label one will use.