African Queen?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 6th, 2013
Not.
Good morning!
Here’s a write from the Huff Po about a white woman with her skin blackened to appear to be the “African Queen” on the cover of a magazine. Yes, you read the right. I guess the editor thinks there is a shortage of real black models to play an “African Queen.” Either that or she is a _________. You fill in the blank.
Numéro Magazine ‘African Queen’ Editorial Uses White Model Ondria Hardin [UPDATE]
It was bad enough we had to report on TMagazine’s glaring lack of diversity in its relaunch issue, which was followed with an apology from its Editor-in-Chief Deborah Needleman.
Now comes this racially-insensitive gem. Jezebel’s Laura Beck has pointed outNuméro magazine‘s use of a highly bronzed white model in one of its fashion editorials entitled “African Queen.”
We’ll give you a moment to process that information and pick up your jaws.
Moment over. The young lady in the spread is 16-year-old, blond-haired, blue-eyedOndria Hardin, who is seen with her skin darkened and striking a pose for the French glossy. To start, we know there are plenty of white people living in Africa — butOndria is from North Carolina and we’re pretty sure white people in Africa don’t walk around in what could be considered a light application of blackface.With that said, the editorial serves as another sad example of how the fashion industry continually ignores or exploits ethnic diversity rather than celebrating it. And to think how easy it would have been for Numéro to select one of the countless beautiful black models (see slideshow below) and avoid this justifiable backlash and contribution to an unrelenting problem.In Needleman’s apology concerinng the lack of color in T, she stated: “a majority of fashion models are still unfortunately mostly white …” This may be true — Jezebel found that over 82 percent of the models used during New York Fashion Week were white – but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any black models available to pose as an “African Queen.”Perhaps we’re supposed to be flattered by the images, basking in the fact that our skin is so beautiful and style so sensational that even white women want to emulate it. Was that Numéro’s point? Doubt it. But if so, we’re not buying it.Beck summed it up best, writing:
It’s impossible to look at this and not ache for young women of color who want to pursue careers in modeling (and arguably, fashion by extension). When they don’t see themselves on the runway or in magazines, it could be very easy for them to think, “huh, I guess modeling isn’t for me.” Then the status quo remains, and the runways remain monotone. If jobs for “African Queen” photo spreads aren’t going to black women, what hope is there?
And we’d like to note that Beck is a white woman, which is important to point out for the simple fact that black people aren’t the only ones outraged by this issue. We’re not being overly sensitive or playing the race card. Not only does this specific instance illustrate the absence of opportunity for models of color, but it’s a clear message from the industry saying “we don’t care.”
What do you think about Numéro’s “African Queen” editorial? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.
UPDATE: Numéro has emailed The Huffington Post an apology. Click HERE to read the statement.
Readers: I don’t know about you but I am so tired of the insensitivity of people. And then when they get caught in their in thoughtless act, they seem to think that an apology means something. When the only reason why they apologized is because people called them on their shit. Otherwise, forget about it – if they can get away with it they will, and they will, and they will…How disappointing. And it isn’t the first time this magazine did this. So what is their excuse this time?
What disappoints me too is the model. Yes, she is only 16, but really…why not take a stance and refuse the job. Yes, I realize it is “money” that she is giving up, so it is not my position to play with someone else’s livelihood. But hey, isn’t that what she is doing by taking away a job that should’ve gone to a real “African Queen?”
Thoughts? Blog me.
Mike, TM: Hey there. I HOPE your issues of getting on are over.
By the way, there was some great informative comments in yesterday’s post. Thank you.
Hey Howie: How are you doing? Yes, that would give me a little extra cash in my pocket, but this isn’t a “pay to play” place. Or maybe it should be – Your bill is in the mail. :) On another note…That is very exciting news for Israel.
Zen Lill: You are just too smooth, girl. With respect to someone sitting in their car at their leisure, those people are perfectly fine with me. However, that was not the kind of person I was referring to. And actually, when I think about it, a bad comparison when comparing them to my main topic yesterday, which is just waaaayyy over the top, as you stated. Confused? :)
Ellen: Amazing. They actually recognized your daughter, called her by her name and told her to come back on the weekend. I would’ve been furious.
Happy Saturday Everyone!
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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April 6th, 2013 at 5:51 pm
No I totally get it Mischa, wayyyy over the top was sending that stupid letter, I’m with Ellen, really I can’t pee, oh cool then I can’t give you my business ever again…(and peeing on the front stoop would just serve em’ right ; )
Luv, Zen Lill
April 6th, 2013 at 10:23 pm
What is wrong with the South? Really..what is wrong with these people?
April 6th, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Would the establishment rather have the customer pee on the floor in front of customers?
April 6th, 2013 at 11:16 pm
I’m not sure if this is right or wrong. What I am sure is that it is totally unnecessary. There are so MANY beautiful black women why go to all the trouble to doctor up a white woman to look like a black woman?
It just seems unnecessary and stupid and expensive. From a business standpoint it sure doesn’t seem smart either.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:17 pm
I think that society has become so emotionally detached that when things like this occur, it’s normal for people to just turn the other cheek. Actually there is no cheek turning.
People will see this ad and think about the fashion aspect of it and say she’s beautiful and admire the clothes, hair and accessories, but the connection with what’s really being said is drastically overlooked by majority of society today.
This is disturbing on so many levels. Not to mention that their website advertises weave and hair extensions. Black Queen? Really…?
April 6th, 2013 at 11:18 pm
Ok Earl, you wanna play that game? Paint a black woman’s face white and name her Queen of England… Now tell me how you’d feel about that.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:19 pm
im black and im not offendid its pretty yes they could have got a black model but they didn’t get over it im sorry but some black people are too sensative these days its not racism lol
April 6th, 2013 at 11:20 pm
The spread is beautiful! The model looks gorgeous! It would SEEM like an ode to dark skin and African heritage, but the principle of the matter is the fact that they could have easily used a model with African ethnicity. It would have saved time and money. Why didn’t they? Why did they go out of their way to cast a blonde haired, blue eyed model?
There is an underlying theme among many fashion industry insiders of the superiority of certain European features, including light skin and light hair. While the spread is actually physically amazing, the message behind it isn’t.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:23 pm
I bet a lot of people hate you Michelle for taking up this issue. You are so important to the sense of the world. You get it!
Most will find a way to see that this doesn’t “really” matter. But you GET IT! I love you and admire you for that. I may not always be able to get on to comment.
But I never miss it.
Lois
April 6th, 2013 at 11:25 pm
Paul #7, I’m really a black dude… not that it’s relevant. No I’m not offended, but it’s the principle of the whole thing. I guess they just didn’t want to discover anymore black models.
If you were really black, you would know that there is a whole lot of shit wrong with what they did again.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:26 pm
We did all originate from Africa, black and white people included, but whites are definitely a minority in Africa in my own native country, Malawi, you can go days without seeing a white face even in the city.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:26 pm
This is absolutely unbelievable and even more so because there are people that think this is okay. It’s not okay. Wake up people! For some reason these fashion magazines are held by some in such high regard when they shouldn’t be. They flaunt rail thin models that all look the same and now models in blackface. Really? No, Seriously?
April 6th, 2013 at 11:26 pm
Jeese… I am white and all I can say is .. wow……Can’t say anything about the complaints about this one…
April 6th, 2013 at 11:28 pm
Although I feel a black woman should have been used in this photo shoot? I have to agree with you. They did not make her appear clownish or “Al Jolson” like at all. She’s actually stunning in the photos.
Tyra Banks once did an episode on her show were she had the models done in makeup and clothes of other ethnicities and it was stunning
April 6th, 2013 at 11:29 pm
This is very disappointing, of course there are white people in Africa, but none are queens, white ancestry on the African continent is due to ravage, pilage, violence against natives and destruction, So it isn’t reverse racism for it’s just another disappointing factor of Insensitivity
April 6th, 2013 at 11:30 pm
THEY PAINTED THE CHICK! 100% offensive. Everyone that is arguing that there are non black Africans…..well why didn’t they keep her in her “natural hue”??
April 6th, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Paul, First of all the model not being African-American is not the issue. It’s offensive because they painted a white female to portray an African queen who was black. There are many beautiful black models all over the world the magazine could have used instead. If you don’t understand that you are obviously too far removed from the sensitive nature of the matter.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Paul #14, if you are the Paul in #7, then you are most certainly not black. You are a white boy pretending to be an ignorant black.
Get a life asshole.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Paul either one, #7 or #14. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”
April 6th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
This is offically the grosses shit I have ever seen… White folks have clearly gotten way to comfortable and have over extended there sense of entitlement.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:52 pm
Here’s my take on this. All this talk by white people that white people are born in Africa and therefore not all Africans are black, Okay my position on that is this:
If you white people want to continue going around taking over and looting OTW countries, I say okay as long as you can muscle the military might to do it. But once the people in those countries gain the power to overthrow you even if it takes 100 years to do it, ONCE they do, then every white motherfucker in their country will be put to death by the cruelest means possible.
Hence if I were Mandela, I would have ordered every white in that country out with just the clothes on their back and if they could not find a country to take them by a year, I would kill every fucking one of them.
That way there would be NO white bastards born in South Africa and no white could say today, that he/she was from South Africa, not and still be alive in that country.
They way you bastards want to have it, sucks. Basically you are saying the criminal and or his issue gets to profit form the crimes committed to gain the wealth they have and the rest of us are supposed to just go brain dead and accept the shit.
I say, NO fucking way! I don’t care if it was their father or great, great, great grandrelatives that did it. ONCE the OTWs can take back control of their country, you white imperialist, rapists and murderers have to be dealt with in a way that says to other whites, if you do this, neither you nor your issue will profit from it when we take it back.
Now, tell me again why there are whites who can claim they are from Africa.
Alycedale
April 6th, 2013 at 11:55 pm
I’m white and I read the article, and couldn’t see one reason why they had to use a white girl for the shoot. Not one. You can’t tell me there were no AA models available.
It seems we see so much of this tone-deaf (at best) and outright racist (at worst) behavior and I have to wonder if we’ve learned even one thing in the past 50 or so years in this country
April 6th, 2013 at 11:55 pm
A sixteen-year-old just got her break of a lifetime and people can’t wait to find fault.
Who cares what race she is or that they painted her skin? This is high fashion, where even Beyonce has had her skin painted darkly to be “African”.
http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2522063/beyonce-lofficiel-03/
April 6th, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Alycedale, you may have a point, but you are certainly one cruel bitch. I am damn glad you are not Mandela.
April 6th, 2013 at 11:59 pm
I don’t understand how this keeps happening. Like, this shit happens every fucking week. Do people on fashion not read? Do they just not care? Do they think this is a great way to to get some publicity?
Like, who, in 2013, goes “yeah, article on ‘African Queens’….I know! Let’s put a white girl in it! Now, I’ve heard blackface is racist, but BrozerFace is probably fine!”
April 7th, 2013 at 12:05 am
Alycedale, You may come off cruel, but you are right. Reading the comments on this blog it is easy to tell which come from whites.
You may come off harsh, but I can understand your bitterness. Most of us whites will never though. But those are the same ones that argue for the Death Penalty. Let the penalty fit the crime.
But when you propose EXACTLY that, they recoil and call you mean, racist, or just cruel.
I say the penalty does fit the crime. You are allowing the innocent to leave. I take it that those who you know without a doubt did terrible things will be put that “cruelest death” possible without the possibility of getting to go to a country who will take them.
If that is so, I say, yes, the penalty does fit the crime.
April 7th, 2013 at 12:06 am
I think they just don’t care. That’s white america for you!!
April 7th, 2013 at 8:30 am
It’s call art.
April 7th, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Yeah, if you are white, otherwise it is called racism practiced by pieces of shit.