Fashion Discussion: Black Men as Props

Fashion industry jumping sharks, perhaps?

There was also an editorional called The Black Allure in Vogue Italia. You can see pictures here:
http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2011/02/vogue-italia-black-allure.html

Is it just me or does it seem that the standard degree of muscularity for black males in fashion is set higher?

I have to say that it’s not really the same when a black female model (Chanel Iman) is next alongside a black man. I don’t see it as objectifying– whereas it’s much more disturbing, racist, and objectifying to see a white woman being surrounded by black men, or even worse, a white woman dominating a black man (yuck). becaase you know, white women are prized above all other women of races and ethnicites!! *rolls eyes* Barf.

You know, I was just thinking about the Gisele shoot last night. Then I saw the first picture in this post and that “Again??” I’m so fucking sick of this shit. Black people aren’t actual people, we’re just props or even worse, commodities to be used and discarded once “normal” people are done satisfying their fetishes.

it’s really shocking more people aren’t up in arms about this…

Tyra Banks did this sort of photo shoot on an episode of AMNT way back… I think it was in the earlier seasons. I’m not surprised, but lack of surprise doesn’t in any way augment my disgust. Fashion in general just spawns this enormous amount of objectification, dehumanization, and racism/sexism/all other isms as a whole. It’s hard to find a magazine that would feature people of all genders, all colors, all ages, all abilities, all sexual orientations, all religions (et al.) modelling clothing in a respectable way.

I don’t see how this relates to the topic at hand at all. The topic is the use of Black men as props…

Make me yak….

Male models in general are always used as props. Its not race…

Ummm…what-

No, I don’t think it’s just you. Asian/Latino/White male models seem to have a completely different standard right now than Black male models. Not entirely sure what the reason is…to still subtly portray black men as overly fertile and threatening?

It is race when a Black male model is dressed in a loincloth and held by chain by a White female model. Also, fashion photographers are notorious for using all POC as background props in fashion editorials. This isn’t some new phenomenon.

I think you’re visitin the wrong site then or not payin attention

,Juan

Didn’t you know? Black men come only in one shape: muscular. Anything else and you’re just imagining things /snark

Perhaps, but there is also the connection of muscle to athletic performance and the belief that blacks are more adept to sports than members of other races due to our supposedly uniform set of physical characteristics. It’s like there’s some sort of screen that filters out all of the non-athletic black males from the public consciousness, leaving a race of Ronnie Coleman’s (google him for a kick) in the collective psyche of the American mainstream. I know that as a teenager, I was certainly aware that in order for me to be considered passingly attractive as a black male, I would need a statuesque physique.

It should be noted that male models in general are used as props and are often half naked. What makes it racist is how the black men are placed in a overly sexual and overly masculine way.

I have seen slim and non-muscular white male models. However whenever they use black models he is very buff and hyperexualized. I mean the chainned black male is offensive.