Fearless Magazine
The March issue of Vanity Fair’s magazine cover included a group of talented Hollywood actresses.
Many people had negative things to say about the magazine’s cover because there was no diversity (i.e., women of different colors, shades, shapes, weight, etc…). The title read “A New Decade, a New Hollywood!” Recently, Fearless magazine came out with a cover that included a very different group of talented actresses in Hollywood. They titled their issue “The Fearless Class of 2010.” The magazine is scheduled to hit newsstands soon.
- Vanity Fair Magazine Cover
Of course blogs weighed in on the March Vanity Fair issue and many questioned whether Vanity Fair is just a magazine made up of a bunch of racist editors who simply refuse to note that Hollywood is made up of more than just white, thin women. On some of the more conservative blogs, readers expressed that it has nothing to do with race or being racist. Collectively, their thought was that we live in a capitalistic society and Vanity Fair simply caters to a particular market—and the group on the cover of the March issue is simply representative of that particular market.
So is it that Vanity Fair is a racist magazine with a bunch of racist white editors, or do we simply live in a capitalistic society where companies market to particular audiences – audiences that will help sustain them as a company?
In my opinion, if you REALLY want to stay relevant, you should try to appeal to more than one group of people. Secondly, EVERYTHING can’t be racist. There are other explanations for these types of situations. So, I disagree with those who think the magazine is racist or has racist views. Third, of course, Vanity Fair could have shown some diversity and included a Hollywood actress who looks different in size, shape and/or color. However, as a private company, they didn’t have to (and they never have to). More importantly, women of color should stop expecting them to. In this world, if you want to see something different, YOU have to create it! This is exactly why Essence and Ebony exist.
Lastly, I have to give a big thanks to Fearless magazine for their beautiful magazine cover. They clearly understand the importance of showing young women of color that they can be anything they want to be in this world and that people before them, who look like them, have achieved exactly what they are trying to achieve.
Women of all races should have more than just the Vanity Fairs of the world to look to for all things related to women, fashion and beauty. Why? Because everyone doesn’t look like Vanity Fair’s March issue. Without beauty and fashion magazines that show more than just white, thin women, people may begin to believe that there is only one standard for beauty (and success in Hollywood), and that’s just not true. The beauty of a woman comes in many shapes, colors and sizes -not just one.
