Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Black Hollywood, after all that you have done. Why aren't you on the cover?


Here we go again!! It’s Black History Month 2010 and black folks are still complaining about being snubbed in major print magazines. Apparently Vanity Fair has decided to do an “All White” Actress cover for their March “Hollywood” issue.


Citizen Ojo’s clarification: That means no sistas that act in Hollywood are on the cover.


Once again we are crying foul because we were left out of the “Big Game.” I don’t believe for a second that they couldn’t find black actresses for this cover. They just didn’t want to. And as a black man, only speaking for myself - “that is alright with me.” I get so tired of black folks belly aching because we are not accepted by the mainstream. Who gives a damn!! We have been conditioned to believe that if we are not loved by Madison Ave, Hollywood, Wall Street and every award show (minus the Country Music Shows) we are nothing. If these mainstream rags don’t want us on the cover, we shouldn’t be upset. Duh! That’s what Ebony, Jet and Essence are supposed to be about. We are so busy trying to be accepted that we don’t realize we have our own platforms. We just need to support them. Black magazines are having a difficult time right now. But what have black folks done as a way to remedy the situation? How many of us have magazines that come to the house that have people on the cover that don’t look like us? I get on Citizen Wifey about a particular magazine that comes to the house that had Beyonce on the cover last year. One person a year!!! Why support people that don’t support you?


And before you label me as some black separatist, pump your breaks. If you like the way the magazines look at your house then disregard everything I have said. But if you are tired of being dissed on the cover of your favorite magazine – stop supporting it!! I know Essence has been coming up short as of late. It seems as if Kittie, from “Let’s Talk About Pep,” has been writing the articles as of late. These days after reading Essence you need to wipe down with a towel. And we all know about Ebony and their financial problems. Someone should have hip them to the online game way back. If you are just selling magazines without an online companion……#Fail. Black magazines need to step their game up. Their content now has to speak to the 21st century black person. But we have the power to make these magazines relevant again!!! We need to give them the same prestige we give to the mainstream magazines. That means black Hollywood needs to give black magazines access i.e. the 1st interviews and 1st exclusives. That also means that “we” the readers need to buy and support these magazines. And if we don't like their content, we tell them. Let’s do something different this Black History Month. Let’s actually tackle a problem and fix it. I know it sounds radical but it really isn’t. Just like the mainstream magazines are about business i.e. putting people in their magazines that readers recognize in order to sale products. We need to be about business too.

16 comments:

Val said...

I totally agree with you. And the people complaining about Black actresses being left out of this are the same ones that talk junk about Ebony/ Jet, etc.

Nothing beats having your own.

RainaHavock said...

I agree with you. Like I said before I don't need the damn media to validate me.

Shady_Grady said...

This was a good post. Vanity Fair is not marketed to Black people.

uglyblackjohn said...

These magazines cannot go "Too Black" because they feel it would diminish their brand.
Look what happened to Tommy Hilfiger.
Tommy thought his brand could compete with Polo until too many Blacks started wearing his clothes.
His brand became a "Black" brand. - and not one of the socialy elite.

The odd thing is: all cool things, people and music are Black.
(Even country. Didn't Hootie win for best new artist or something at the CMA's?)

If people were not so ashamed of being Black we would be a lot better off.

the uppity Negro said...

typical Negroes complaining.

I bet it was black women hollering the loudest--but then you complain about Essence.

See, those are the folks who just complain to be complaining. Just like that one church lady who complains about everything just because she can and wants things her way. Like you complain about not having enough light in the sanctuary, but then when they remove the faux stain glass paneling, you say it's too bright and you get distracted by the people walking by the church---

oops...did I go there.

Oh well, you get my point.

Dylan B. said...

Man, good post OJO. You were dead on about this. If you can't support your own, then why cry foul when the one that don't care for supporting you do not support you?

Citizen Ojo said...

Val - I wouldn't be suprised if some of the black actresses themselves knocked the magazines.

RainaHavock - If a person is waiting on the media to validate them they will be waiting along time.

Shady_Grady - You think? Ha! Ha!

UglyBlackJohn - Blacks lowering a Brand..mmmm That opens up a whole new conversation. I like that...

the uppity negro - church folk do complain. Lord Knows.....

The Smoking Ace - My thing is why continue to give them your business??

Debo Blue said...

The comments in your post bring to me an article by Camille Cosby that was in Essence a few years ago. In the article, Mrs.Cosby admonished Black women for supporting brands and companies that didn't advertise in our black publications. I took that to heart and for the longest time I only bought those brands -Estee Lauder (Clinique & Prescriptives), and of course Kraft, Wal-mart and those.

To date I can never remember seeing Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, Kenneth Cole, Michael Kors or any of the other major designers or brands advertise in Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise or Jet.

I have seen the above-listed names advertise in gay and Asian publications.

So because I work hard for my money, and because I want to feel I'm supporting Black business, I don't buy brands that don't feel I'm valuable enough to advertise to.

And I agree w/Ugly, we don't need to be on their publications. We're cool all by ourselves. Give Black people something and we'll change the world. Ask our ancestors.

Debo Blue said...

PS- Go Colts!

Citizen Ojo said...

Debo Blue - If Tommy Hilfiger didn't want black folks wearing his wears he shouldn't have been hanging around with Russell Simmons.

Anonymous said...

This is sad...they could have had a mix....we are in 2010 I'm sure someone would have accepted it...
Jada...
Hudson...
Halle..
the list goes on ..
Beyonce

I am serious though...they should have done better ...boycott!

Citizen Ojo said...

corvedacosta - Thanks for stopping by. You send them a message by not buying their mags and shifting the importance to a mag of our choice.

Nik said...

I hear what you're saying and I respect your thoughts. I might even go as far as agreeing with you in some aspects.

The article I read about how very "light" this cover was, wasn't written by another "angry Black woman" bitching about not being represented by Hollywood. I'm not sure what her race/ethnicity is, but she wasn't Black. So it's not only Blacks who noticed and are talking about it.

Citizen Ojo said...

Nik - thanks for stopping by. The person that I first read complaining was a black male. I don't know how "Female Black Hollywood" feels. Either way I'm sure they can't talk about it in public. But other than that I haven't heard any women complain in public.

Eye D. VS Mel O. said...

OJO- I concur. Whatever piece of media that lacks representin' the melanin... I just keep it movin' and don't support. I'm not wasting any more breath complaining.

PS- Don't exclude the Country Music Awards...Charlie Pride broke down barriers!!! lol

Citizen Ojo said...

Eye D. vs Mel O. - Charlie Pride....I keep forgetting about him. If rappers sampled his work back in the 80's and early 90's he would be in the know...ha ha ha