French Magazine Does Blackface Spread
By Drew GrantFebruary 19th, 2010, 6:00 pmComments (16)
Way to go, L'Officiel Hommes. You are breaking that racial barrier by putting white guys in an afro and a bunch of greasepaint for your couture spread. And so totally original to...it's almost as if French Vogue didn't do the exact same awful thing a couple months ago. We're just surprised John Mayer wasn't one of the models, the way you both are totally intellectualizing the concept of a minstrel show. Blurf. Harry Connick Jr. is crying in Australia somewhere right now, and the rest of the photos are after the jump.
(Via Jezebel)
Commentarium (16 Comments)
Oh the French...smooth move
That's just soot from all the cigarettes they smoke.
Actually i kinda dig the concept. Its not a garrish Sambo blackface spread. It almost seems to show that, if you didnt know it, could you really know these guys were NOT black? it leaves little hints yes, but really the only thing i have to say negatively about these photos is how flat the skin tones are.
This is what happens when the French can't find anyone to surrender to for a few years.
hmm I'm black but i don't really see an issue with this I remember a america's next top model espiode where they made the models look like different races it was kind of cool to see the transformation. I agrree with RevTen I think the french mag could've done a few different skin tones
I don't have a problem with it to be honest...
HA!! I like it
I don't see the purpose of it personally.
black people need to get over themslves. they feel inferior which is why they're offended by everything.
you're an over generalizing idiot.
Why not just give a black model the job, though?
exactly. why paint white people black when you can have a real live naturally black person?? gasp!!
why not paint a black model white?
In reference to Jeff and his ignorant comment. Black people don't feel inferior to anyone. In fact, we laugh at how hard other races try to be like us. As you can see from the ad, everyone wants to be us in one way or the other!
yes!
i can't seem to recall, but did the Black French nationals experience slavery?
Maybe, and i am just blabbering here, the fact that Blacks in France did not go through all of the Civil Rights denials as Blacks from the US of A did, allows for the use of Art... just plain ART! i wonder if it's possible for the US of A to ever move on from these taboos. Ever heard of another French concept, a cartoon character Tin-Tin or the Mexican one Memin Pinguin? In these comix's the Blacks were portrayed in black ink in the same way an obese character is drawn in larger dimensions than their skinny counterparts, and all the while, presented in such a way as to not attach the racial baggage that you load in this review.
Afterthought:... Sorry Drew, i just went ahead and assumed, that in fact, you are based in the so-called land of the free and home of the brave.
Now you say something