Vogue under fire for “whitewashing” Kamala Harris in the cover photo
Jan 12, 2021
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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For its February cover, Vogue chose photos of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris – and both of them have sparked outrage. People have been calling out Vogue for making Harris’ skin lighter, but also for “bad lighting”, a “questionable” photo, even for the Converse sneakers she’s wearing.
Tyler Mitchell took the photos, and Vogue published them both on its Instagram, as well as in the interview the Vice President-elect gave for the magazine. One of them shows Harris in formal attire, while in the other she’s dressed more casually, wearing Converse Chuck Taylors.
When the photos were published, people were fast to criticize. Some comments on Instagram are pretty harsh, saying that the casual photo is “questionable,” “terrible,” and “disappointing.” But if you think people on Instagram are cruel, take a look at those on Twitter:
What a mess up. Anna Wintour must really not have Black friends and colleagues. https://t.co/8oCpEPkltU
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) January 10, 2021
No shit, & it goes well past just the lighting. It's not focused, the art direction is hideous & in no way speaks to Kamala Harris. The photographer/ crew clearly didn't establish a connection w/ her because she looks uncomfortable, who the hell shot this? Huge fail from Vogue.
— flanders field (@elizabethwick8) January 10, 2021
https://twitter.com/DebJHolley/status/1348121428458090497
https://twitter.com/MackeyAlana/status/1348113566310678531
Folks who don't get why the Vogue cover of VP-elect Kamala Harris is bad are missing the point. The pic itself isn't terrible as a pic. It's just far, far below the standards of Vogue. They didn't put thought into it. Like homework finished the morning it's due. Disrespectful.
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) January 10, 2021
And I’m really surprised how much some people are bothered by Converse sneakers:
they really put kamala harris VP in conVERSE for VOGUE 🥴🥴?!
— Gia :) (@_gia_bia) January 10, 2021
How dare you wear converse sneakers to a Vogue shoot. VOGUE. #KamalaHarris
— 𝒻𝑒𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒾𝒶 💎 (@xofmt) January 10, 2021
As Phil Mistry explains, all the details in the controversial informal photo have their story. The pink and green backdrop was selected “as a nod to her Alpha Kappa Alpha the first historically African American sorority.” This is also the reason why she’s wearing pearls. As for Harris’ Chuck Taylors, they have become the trademark of her style, which Vogue itself recognized in an earlier piece. And I personally like that she’s wearing them. But then again, I don’t know much about fashion.
This certainly wasn’t the first time people called out Vogue. In 2018, it got under fire over giving Gigi Hadid “a blackface.” In July 2020, there were two other scandals. People were mad at Vogue Portugal for “romanticizing mental health” on the cover. Around a week later, Vogue got under fire again for not hiring a black photographer to take photos of gymnast Simone Biles.
Thankfully, there are also many people (including myself) commenting on the fact that Harris is a great choice for the Vogue cover. She’s the first woman and woman of color to be the Vice President of the USA. Also, there are more important things than Chuck Taylor sneakers on a Vogue cover to worry about.
As for the photos themselves, I like them. I would choose the one in the suit for the cover, I think it’s an overall better photo and Harris looks more comfortable in front of the camera in that one. But I also like her style in another photo even though it could have been better. I like the symbolism of the colors and pearls, and I think that this photo and her casual style makes her seem more approachable.
What do you think of this whole fuss? Was Vogue supposed to try harder to represent the Vice President-elect or you like the photos?
[via PetaPixel; image credits: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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15 responses to “Vogue under fire for “whitewashing” Kamala Harris in the cover photo”
This lady is just so ugly that no amount of Photoshop will help… Lipstick on a pig is still a pig…….
Mark Stevens
Not even getting into the “whitewashing”; I compare with the design of other covers…. and this one looks like something I could put together on my basement. ?
I don’t mind her wearing converse, or the backgrounds per se, but why is she just awkwardly standing on a scrunched up curtain? Could have easily had that further back with a nice wooden floor. Maybe her sitting in a nice chair?
And lit by someone who has a clue about lighting would have been nice.
https://t.co/ZPWeSXGavc?NrK9JHmHwX
The truth is who is taking the photo is as important as who is in the photo. The photo is a after thought.
https://t.co/hOhlYaEIL9?SKz6y1
Jesús Cristo, do I have to take a course in gender studies and oppression to understand what is wrong in the pictures? Apart from the ugly backgrounds and awkward poses?
Yup, gotta hide this post
I do like them both, but feel the one with arms crossed is more appropriate.
Lighting is weird. Her eyes are too dark. And there are too many stuff that distract from her, is like she is not the point in the picture, specially the one in converse shoes. U can so better if u change the lights
We argue over really stupid crap. Don’t like it move on. No need to whine.
The light blue suit image almost works. The body language is wrong. Arms crossed at the chest is usually is a defensive/protective posture, and it stresses the jacket fabric. It’s not a relaxed pose. That’s strange. Full front isn’t flattering to anyone either. The gold draping in the back stops mid hip? The lighting is formulaic. Top 3/4 front and that’s it. It’s flat, pastel, and lifeless.
I’m a bit surprised. I’ve seen a lot of the Anna Wintour influence as a photographer (now retired). She has a great touch with styling and fabrics. Maybe I’m not getting “her vision” on this.
Kamala Harris photographs so well. Maybe that’s the problem here. This is a very dynamic person in a very static studio set.
When did people’s opinions start running big businesses, making decisions for them? To think your opinion is law and gospel only shows you suffer from ingrownus eyeballous. And when you want to punish others who disagree with you, only shows the hatred that lies in your heart. What is with people these days? I think people need a slice of humble pie,
What strikes me is that people (competent ore not) are comparing photo’s made reportage style ‘on stage’ with stage lights, which aren’t correctly colour balanced and by this haven’t a correct colour reproduction index, and other photo’s made in a professionally controlled environment, a studio, equipped with correctly balanced studio lights.
One can hardly imagine what different light sources can do with skin tonality!
And, of more importance, colour is only skin deep, it’s the ‘innerer mensch’ that is relay important. I am convinced that with mrs Harris, the USA is on the right track…
Is the printed reproduction of a nuance of skin tone really so important that we might forget wat’s on stake here? The socio-political importance of your vice-president elect stands far above the the ephemeral cover of a magazine.
Consider this as a (humble-) insight of an European looking at the USA with a mixture of unbelief, surprise, doubt and some anxiety.
I wish all the Americans a better 4 years to come.