Vanity Fair Covers Missing Cultural Diversity -- Or Not??

Posted on February 3, 2010 - 3:15pm by becky [caption id="attachment_70207" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="March 2010"][/caption]

Maybe it was an oversight, or maybe just a terrible editorial decision.  Or maybe it's just how they do it.

The March cover of Vanity Fair looks beautiful, doesn't it?  It's their annual "Hollywood Issue" featuring all of "the fresh faces of 2010"; Abbie Cornish, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall, Mia Wasikowska, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood, and Anna Kendrick.

Vanity Fair writer Evgenia Peretz found the most accurate words to describe these beauties: with their "button nose[s]", "downy-soft cheeks," "patrician looks and celebrated pedigree," their "dewy, wide-eyed loveliness," and "Ivory-soap-girl features."  All very beautiful girls and all very....white!  Actually, this very cover is being heavily scrutinized for its lack of color, and we don't mean that drab, boring wardrobe either.

Not sure what happened with this years cover, but Vanity Fair has done alright in the past with their "New Hollywood" covers.  Take a look for example at 2008's cover:

This is not an all white cover!....Oh whoops! That wasn't the picture!

How about this one:

[caption id="attachment_70208" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="March 2008 Spread"][/caption]

Yes, that's more like it.

Actually, this years "Hollywood" cover looks a lot like every other years.  I'm not saying that VF isn't a good magazine.  It has great writers, stories and fashion pages, everything that makes up a good base for readership.  It's just when it comes to their covers they are a little skewed and rarely pick celebrities that are not white or not slender.

Annie Liebovitz has done the photography for these "Hollywood" covers since it debuted in 1995.  Take a look at VF's past spreads.  As you do, ask yourself: Is it really all VF's fault? Or does Hollywood maybe have something to do with the selection of its leading ladies?  You make the decision yourself and tell us what you think in that handy comment box below, because, well that's what it's their for.

And while you're at it...who do you think should have made this years cover?

[caption id="attachment_70236" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2007"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70244" align="aligncenter" width="552" caption="2006"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70228" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2005"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70241" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2004"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70225" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2003"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70224" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2002"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70223" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2001"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70222" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="2000"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70221" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="1999"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70220" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="1998"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70219" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="1997"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70218" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="1996"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70217" align="aligncenter" width="653" caption="1995"][/caption]