Is this image racist?

Not picking on her at all, I just found it weird that a girl could not spot the blatant sexism/racism in this picture, for us guys it is a bit more difficult because sex is constantly on our mind so we are easily distracted when we see side boobs and such.

Why would you assume that the image was supportive of this dynamic, though? Generally the way to challenge such dynamics is to point them out, which this image does. Why would you assume the artist/photographer intended to support the continuation/return of this dynamic, rather than simply to draw attention to its existence? That would be career suicide, hence why I find the idea that this could have been the intention absolutely ridiculous.

If the matter is simply one of aesthetic composition, with no thought as to the implications (as to how it callously ignores the position of black women in fashion) whatsoever, then yes it is stupid that at least someone involved isn't educated enough to realise that it might take the piss, as it were, of the issues surrounding black women in fashion magazines. However that's the extent of it, surely - carelessness and ignorance. They probably decided to use a shocking chair, and chose the black one because it provided a better colour dynamic in the photo. The white one would have caused the photo to lack interest.

Would you think it was racist if it was the other way around?

I haven't assumed it is supportive of this dynamic, just that, intentionally or unintentionally, the photographer made an allusion to it. Had the purpose of the editorial been to "simply to draw attention" to the existence of these dynamics, it would have been illustrated throughout as the overarching theme of the piece as is done in fashion. Since this image is the anomaly in the editorial, we can infer this wasn't the purpose.
Had it been a simple matter of colour contrast or enacting artistic licence, it would have been clearly explained in the response to this backlash. It's very common for fashion designers to excuse their exclusion of black models in their line by an assertion of their freedom as an artist. I genuinely believe this was a one-off case of carelessness and ignorance but that doesn't change the fact they've alienated a proportion of their black consumers. After all, you buy a magazine to escape and admire, not to be reminded of these tiring, racist tropes. I'm not at all insinuating that the photographer is racist but that unfortunately the product of their efforts is. It's definitely a rolling-of-the-eyes moment. Just to add, I'd respond exactly the same way if this was a depiction of a man sitting on a naked woman.

Fair enough, I haven't seen it in the context of the whole editorial. It seemed an awful lot like most of the posters here shouting 'racist' were not arguing the same point as you. They seemed to have much more simplistic and unconsidered interpretations of it.

I'm probably one of the simple people that your post is directed at. Well the image is racist. The people who approved the image were racist, from the person handling the lights to the camera man himself they all played a part in alienating black people in a tasteless way.


Your point is that the image could be drawing attention to racism in society/fashion? That's BS love.

So you think it's ok if a guy doesn't spot the racism but your having a go at a girl because you think she should have been able to spot it? Seriously, grow up. Stop making yourself out to be so weak and pathetic , not all men are ''that easily distracted' that they cant spot anything else -you must be a virgin.