Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Model Diatribe



The latest Vogue catwalk report introduces us to the new Model Tribes and tells us that, The loveliest girls fell into four categories this spring.... Pouty Girls, Tough Girls, Smiley Girls and Black Girls, with an accompanying quote from model, Jourdan Dunn, ' It was good to come back from two seasons off work and see a lot more black models being used - and not just one shade of black either. I still think there need to be a lot more but I think we're getting there!'

Getting there? With this kind of patronising nonsense, when being black is just a quirk, like being pouty or smiley or tough? Can models not be black and pouty, black and smiley, black and tough? Is it just me or does anyone else think that this is completely inappropriate and more than a tad offensive?

23 comments:

Penny Dreadful said...

Vogue have really excelled themselves with offensiveness this month. They also suggested charging something to your husbands credit card which made me rage. I think Vogue UK is inane and irritating so I don't even read it, but Veshoevius wrote about it on her blog:

http://taxonomyofmywardrobe.blogspot.com/2011/01/anti-fashion-resolutions.html

Lilacs In May said...

Beyond belief in 2011.

Veshoevius said...

Oh. My. God.
Did the journalist not put her brain into gear when coming up with that slogan?
That really REALLY takes the cake in offensiveness!

Paula said...

Smiley girls are unusual on the catwalk ... pouty women (after plastic surgery) become far too common. I feel like the editor had a blank page he/she needed to fill with anything. no matter what ...

Katie said...

Wow – they really have outdone themselves this month! Do they not realise that in the real world, the idea that black models are a ‘category/tribe’ is incredibly offensive?! I stopped subscribing to Vogue a few years back as I felt I was reading about fashion from very rich, out of touch women who I'd never look to for style inspiration… & I was bored of seeing Kate Moss on every other cover!

fabriquefantastique said...

Getting where?

Becky said...

Totally unbelievable - I can't believe they would actually print something like that - how truly offensive.

Deja Pseu said...

You're absolutely right. We should be well beyond this.

Vintage Vixen said...

And people think I'm odd for hating fashion mags.
Veshoevius did a brilliant post about this waste of a tree last week. xxx

GoldenGirl said...

Pitiful

That's Not My Age said...

Penny, Veshoevius & Vix - yes, I saw the post, but only got round to looking at the magazine over the weekend. Wish I hadn't bothered!

DP - I think we are beyond this it's just the fashion industry that's lagging behind.


Thank you all for your comments.

Fashionistable said...

Gob and smacked. I am with you 100%. Xxxx

Terri said...

Yes, it IS offensive. Very similar to a bad habit many Americans have of referring to Africa as a country, rather than a continent. Reveals more about their minds...

WendyB said...

*cringing*

Rosina at Middle Ageless said...

Oh dear. That's just sad. A tad like one of my older relatives coming up with, "I'm so glad you coloured girls are getting more accepted these days..." I just abouit died and the poor girl wanted to know what "coloured" meant.

Elizabeth said...

It certainly sounds flip, and we're not "getting there" if there are five black models in a sea of 100 white ones. There's a long way to go, I think.

Tiffany said...

Inappropriate, offensive and inane - what a trifecta.

Sensible Footwear said...

Can't believe that got printed. I'm stunned.

LYDIA HOPE said...

I didn't realise just how narrow-minded these publications can be?! What a load of trollop!

Silver Strands said...

Yup. I'm completely with you on this one!
oxoxo
Denalee

Diana Mieczan said...

OMG I cant believe that they even printed this out...Wow..Kisses, my dear

ps: I am hosting a sweet necklace GIVEAWAY today :) ... Please, join in!

Shopgirl said...

Vogue seems to represent a world that exists only within a very small circle to which no one but the Vogue staff belongs!

I had a little (!!) dig at the More Dash Than Cash feature earlier this week.

It just seems so out of touch!

Great post - thanks! :)

Coco's Tea Party said...

Oh my god I totally missed this page! That is ridiculous. And the month before they told us to have our "cotton shirts pressed weekly on your husband's account" they've started talking total nonsense, but this is beyond.