Beyonce, Monique, Gabriel Union, Michele Obama, Nia Long, Queen Latifah, Jada Pickett Smith, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Hudson. Some of the names that come to mind when I think of previous Essence Magazines.
You don’t know how many times I had to hear Citizen Wifey complain about seeing the same people on the cover. So I was shocked when I saw Reggie Bush on February’s cover. It was their Black Men, Love and Relationships Issue. Ooops!!! “Houston we have a problem!!” NFL Running Back Reggie Bush on the cover of a magazine for Black Women????
Apparently many black women had a problem with him being on the cover. The last few weeks the black blogosphere has been on fire about the subject. Black female bloggers were pissed that Essence would put a man on the cover that doesn’t even date black women. I don’t keep up with his women but I did happen to see him with Kim Kardashian. Kim – she of the Armenian Kardashian Clan. Sure she can pass for white and has a monster booty but what else makes her desirable? That’s what black women were asking when the magazine came out. They wanted to know why a guy that chases after “other” women is reppin for the sistas!!!
I have been trying to figure out what to say about this subject but I can’t come up with anything. I will let my fellow female bloggers speak for themselves but it appears that Obama’s Post Racial America is still a myth. You know that women are pissed, when they are bad mouthing a half naked black millionaire on the cover of a magazine (you too Tiger Woods – I know you don’t think so but you’re black!!!). It’s obvious that black women are still pissed when they see a black man with a white woman. The only thing I can say is that I’m married to a sista (so I won’t catch HELL like Reggie Bush). But I do have a question? What are the qualifications for being on a magazine geared towards Black Folks?
12 comments:
I actually don't have a problem with Reggie Bush on the cover of Essence. Who graces the cover of Essence Magazine is not at the center of my universe. Do we know for a fact that he hasn't EVER dated a black woman or is it that we only care about who he's dating now? He has black women in his family and probably has friends that are black women. To say that he wouldn't have any experience with love & black women simply means that you can't look past the obvious. Get a grip. It's only a magazine cover. If you don't like it, don't read it.
The problem isn't Reggie Bush. The problem is with Essence. This issue is about Black love and men so is it really too much to ask to have a Black man who is in a relationship with an actual Black woman on the cover?
A lot of people are using this as a chance to say that Black women are bothered by IR relationships. That is not the point of this.
Slow your roll brother, slow your roll. That's not just another monster booty on Kim Kardashian to go with that beautiful face. I know her father was an attorney, he had to be an architect as well because there had to be a plan there. I don't care what color she is or which planet she's from. Her ass has damned near reached centaur status.....that's quite an ass!!!
Though I digress........
I can understand why the sisters would be up in arms about this. After all, that would be like like Playboy having a picture of Richard Simmons on the cover.....that's foul.
Why would Essence do that?!? They had to know that particular choice would cause a whole boatload of consternation.
BluAssassin - Don't say that. Essence needs all the readers that they can get. Newspapers/Magazines are losing business. They don't have the option of losing followers. They have to hit a homerun out the park every month. It's the cost of doing business..
Val - And those same people will say - How can it be that some black women are upset that Reggie "is not involved with a black woman" but they aren't bothered by Interracial Relationships?
Reggie - Wow!! You said her father must have been an Architect!!! Like that joker was designing that 3rd person she calls a behind. Ha! Ha!
To be honest I don't think Essence knew. I think they just wanted something black on the cover and it's football season so why not.
@CO
Well I can't speak for every Black woman. The ones that I know however don't have a problem with Reggie dating Kim K.
And for the record I think it's an overplayed stereotype that Black women hate seeing Black men with non-Black women. Maybe amongst older Black women that's the case? But I don't recall my friends ever showing any concern about it.
Maybe the women should focus on what Kim is doing right (while the men focus on that ass).
Kim, CoCo or Beyonce - they're all interchangable.
Brother public
Well, the economic goal of a magazine is to sell. They knew black women are their primary readers and they knew that they had a low view of reggie bush. So... 1 + 1 equals 2.
The sad thing is that this does set a bad precedent for the magazine, in terms of their credibility.
But, it is no different than when the wall street journal panders to the will of rupert murdoch.
Every publication has an audience and has a standard of quality. Making money occurs between the audience and the standard.
The ownership makes the decision on what to pull towards.
I would not have if I was the owner, but the owners of essence did. They received the buzz they wanted but know have to regain quality points they lost.
and armenians are white, they are from the caucasus.
@brother reggie
I have never bought a playboy or any magazine like that, but I will pay for the richard simmons if they ever do that.
That was a hilarious comment bro:)
Val - I hear you but from the responses that I get...IT'S A PROBLEM!! The old saying if they don't use the same comb don't bring them home - is still in Full Effect!!!
UglyBlackJohn - I don't know if CoCo is interchangable. Her body looks like Chevy made it.
MK - I've heard that argument before but I don't buy that Essence is that slick. If they were Monique wouldn't be on the cover all the time. Tiger, Charles Barkley..Sarah Palins black Preacher friend..They want alot of Buzz there are plenty of other ways.
I don't like Essence and their are a majority of women who like the magazine, but I guess it is okay because this do come from the same woman that thinks that Sistaz should do "Something New," when it comes to realtionships.
The Smoking Ace - It appears the popularity of Essence is fading. I think that they need to start speaking to "regular" women and the issues that they face. Sometimes they come across like they want to be Playgirl Magazine.
Meh, its 2010 and most of us believe in interracial dating if not marriage.
Black folk need to come into the 21st century. One can't have the cake AND eat it too. We want it our way all the time. While on one hand we'll embrace a Barack Obama for his mixed heritage, then as soon as Taye Diggs or Tiger and now Reggie Bush do something it's a big problem.
And hell--Reggie is 25!!!!! He's my age. Trust me, if I had went to a white college I woulda been seen dating a white girl--at least one by this point. He's high profile and so is Kim, I mean why WOULDN'T they get together.
And for the record, no one says anything about Alfre Woodard married to her white husband for over 20 years.
Moreover, i'll just say this: black women can be quite bitter about some stuff. I just think they need to get over it. There are far more important "image" issues that need to be addressed than Reggie Bush on the cover of Essence--I mean how shallow can you get.
the uppity negro - Alfre Woodard is married to a white man????
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