Hey Juan, welcome to the conversation. Thank you so much for this link. I am going to update the post and add this link!

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/brute/

Hi Sean, welcome to the conversation. If you read the post and comments closely the "issue here" should be clear. You do not need to agree with the arguments presented, but it's not okay to diminish the the validity of those arguments because you can't/don't/won't see it. Each of us has a valid perspective on this issue shaped by our experiences with race and media. Yours is not right. Mine is not wrong. We disagree and that's fine.

When Labron is dribbling down the court, that is what he may look like. When Giselle is doing the catwalk, ditto. What is the issue here? They are showing the contrast between a large muscular body and a lean tall body. About shapes, not color. Perspective people, perspective.

Mike, I'm there with you regarding this cover not being of great consequence. But I am glad this image sparked debate. Analysis like this gets easier the more we do it. I am happy to start small and get onto the jumbo issues as soon as possible.

My perspective (I just blogged about it today) is that the stereotypes things like this perpetuate do matter. There's plenty of studies to back up the impact of stereotypes on important outcomes. But if we are going to care about stereotypes this is not where the focus should be--it needs to be in our (black community) own back yard. The negative stereotypes black folks perpetuate about ourselves far outweigh what is depicted here. The cover shouldn't be dismissed, but we certainly shouldn't spend much energy on it.

Grampa C, if they were dating, I would have probably blown my top. The sexual stereotypes would have punched me in the face. On this one, I get all sides of the argument. But mostly, on issues of race, I listen to my gut. And when I first saw this cover over at Average Bro I winced. I brought the cover here so that we could all examine it together.
And that's just what we're doing! Yay!

n-2-me-i-c, I am GLAD you pointed out Whitlock's article. There is so much information out there that I can't keep track of much of it. And Whitlock is certainly read by many people and influential.

I am working on a post about "hyper-sensitivity." I am not sure if anything is new or even intensified. I do think we are all raw and mostly because it feels like we are running in place, talking more than we should and listening less. Lord knows I have beau coup blind sides, but I am trying. You are trying. Everyone who stops by and leaves a comment is trying.

Look, Obama's closeness with Wright is a problem for me. I am not covering it day to day because I am trying to discern patterns. But another post is coming soon. Obama's speech was a breathtaking example of what dialogue can be about. But did it answer all of my questions about his relationship with Wright? Nope. Does he have to? I am not sure. That's what I am grappling with.

There aren't many rules here! Bring your ideas, your heart and your links. ;)

Dear Carmen,

I am not a Whitlock fan but I do think he has some valid points when it comes to sports figures. In this case, I agree with him as it pertains to LeBron and Vogue Magazine. Nevertheless, I could have voiced my opinion w/o Whitlock. In the future, I will do my best to stay with the aim and spirit of your blog.

I think there is a growing hyper-sensitivity to race in our country. I am worried about it. It feels like a freight train of madness that is gaining speed. To me, everything is being put under a magnifying glass when it comes to Blacks and Whites. Maybe it's because I am caught up in this Democratic Party mess and still struggling with the rhetoric of Rev Wright.

I hope the real problem merely lies within my mind,.. that once again, I am imagining a catastrophic event that will never happen.

Peace.

Wow! The buzz from this picture is really crazy! I hadn't heard the 'King Kong' reference until now! There actually may be racial stereotyping at play here, but I would argue that it's not what everyone thinks (or hopes, I imagine).

This is apparently Vogues' 'Shape Issue', with a byline - 'Secrets of the Best Bodies'. Now, if I turn my pc-sensitivity meter to high, I can see that what what should insult me as a left-leaning American is that the race and gender play a role in what's considered to be 'the Best Bodies'. So in this sense, we have gender AND race classifications.

But what if they were dating? What if they were married? If it wasn't common knowedge, but came out later, what face would this debate take on then?

I guess in a week or so, the outrage will be forgotten due to some Brittney Spears baby scandal . . .