Vogue/(America?): Brown is the Same Old Ugh

Image from Jezebel

Vogue 2010 covers. Image from Jezebel

Another year gone by, another 12 months of diversity-be-damned-WE-know-what's-beautiful literally whitewashed (which ever definition you use) covers from the mighty Vogue. Fashin did a great job of breaking down the stats of all the editions in terms of favorite model, designer, photographer etc, but all I need is the above.

In case you're having trouble with the image, there was only one person of color chosen to grace the cover of American Vogue, Halle Berry. First reaction: How is it possible they couldn't find one more Latina, Asian or Middle Eastern woman let alone (and yes, I have to go there) a Black woman with a bit more melanin? The people at Vogue are complete and utter a**holes. SAMO. Case closed

Second reaction: That's just a small part of the problem. Unlike its international counterparts, American Vogue's covers are dominated by celebrities not models. And, honestly I couldn't think of too many genuine non-Caucasian celebrities currently involved in something exciting worthy of promoting. And I definitely couldn't think of one for every ethnicity.

It's 2010 and there haven't been any Chinese-American pop stars. I still think it's near impossible to have a midnight complexion and become a Hollywood beauty. And let's not get into the nonexistence of Middle Eastern and South Asians in the mainstream.

As much I want to rail against the evils of the mag and as much as I hate cliches, the truth is just a mirror of us, of American culture, my culture.