This Week in Racism

http://www.slate.com/id/2187797/

Well this article seemed perfect keeping on the topic of racism that we've been discussing this week. It gets to a point where you talk about something so much that there's nothing left to say; it just becomes a blur of words and opinions that have no meaning anymore. After I read this article I felt like there was nothing left to say. It just seems so ridiculous.

The article is about the cover of the latest issue of vogue. It shows basketball superstar, LeBron James roaring while clutching supermodel Gisele Bundchen in his arms. So what's the controversy? Well it seems this cover is all too similar to the old movie poster for King Kong; a giant gorilla roaring and holding a small white woman in his arms. What does this allude to? The comparison of black men to apes. So therefore this month's issue of Vogue is racist. Seriously? Is this the best they can come up with? As if there isn't enough talk about racism in politics and everything else right now. They have to stir it up anywhere they can. It's absolutely ridiculous. I highly doubt the photographer, famous celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, was thinking of the 1930's film while shooting.

This is just so completely out there to me. The author of the article said he had "racism fatigue." It does seem like it's something overly brought up. Talking about it in class today proved that too. I definitely think there is racism and a lot of times there is a double-standard and some say it isn't talked about enough. But I think the wrong aspects of racism are talked about. The author pegged it when he said :

"America will never be a 'Let's talk about race' kind of place. It'll always be a 'Let's talk about how we can't talk about race' kind of place."

Too often people bring up things that aren't racist, such as this magazine cover. Or they overexpose things to make them seem worse than they really are. It's a problem. If we're going to talk about racism let's do it the right way. Get rid of all the political correctness that we highlighted in class. Get down to the real stuff. Talk about that. I'm tired of hearing ridiculous statements of racism.