Stereotypes

Next month on the cover of Vogue magazine Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen will be on the cover. Lebron is the first black male to ever be on the cover. For some this is a special moment, for other it has become controversial. 

Some are saying the photo is perpetuating racial stereotypes. The way James is growling, showing his teeth, one hand with a basket ball, and the other around Gisele, is King Kong like. Tamara Walker is quoted with saying " It conjures up this idea of a dangerous black man." Samir Husni is quoted with saying "it screams King Kong," "So when you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting white woman, its not innocent," he said. Damion Thomas assistant, professor in Department of Kinesiology at University of Maryland, said this images of black male athletes as aggressive and threatening "reinforce the criminalization of black men." Christa Thomas a 36 black account supervisor in Los Angeles said this " James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll." 

I like the picture, I don't think is has any racial undertones. It looks to me as two people having fun, goofing off in front of the camera. We as Americans have got to get over these racial stereotypes. Is the cover of a magazine  all we have to worry about in America? We just can't let things be without some sort of controversy.  GET OVER IT PEOPLE.