Remember that Vogue-King Kong controversy that ambushed the media chattering classes back in March? Anna Wintour and Annie Leibovitz were gouged by politically correct knives for repeating a racist and stereotypical image of King Kong and a lady of liberty, making cover star LeBron James look like a screaming ape next to a helpless (though smiling!) Gisele Bundchen. Now that the dust has settled, it's time to look at how Americans at large viewed the issue. In a word, poorly.
Here’s a World War I enlistment poster (via) from 1917, famous from its era, that encouraged men to sign up with the army to fight the German enemy. (Interestingly, the Germans found it so convincing, they Nazis used the same concept for their own World War II poster.)
It’s hard to imagine Wintour or Leibovitz, or their staffs, in all their years studying photos and imagery, never came across this poster, or understood its racial ramifications with the ape carrying the helpless Lady Liberty.
• I give it six months until this beast has his own television show. Mark my words. [DListed]
• At least this hack's semen can win some. [SH]
• Kelly Clarkson takes her contentious CD and goes home. [Glitterati]
• Heidi Montag begging you to remember her new boobs. [DS]
• Old pictures of an old routine. [HT]
• Of course Tara Reid gets the elaborate Uggs. [ICYDK]
• Travolta upsetting gays—and probably critics—with his new movie. [Yeeeah]
• If the crappy tattoos weren't enough to turn you off, know that this girl calls her vagina her "pie." YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! Get out of my fantasies, second grader. [CityRag]
Jake Gyllenhaal, Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong are quite the middle-school-girl-style BFFs these days. You know, they meet and get all giddy and want to spend every second together to talk shit about all their other friends or girls and have sleepovers where they stay up all night painting each other's toenails and practicing making out. Last night the three amigos hit up the ESPY Awards where Lance was both the host and a winner.
The talented athletes and beautiful gift-bag desiring celebrities gathered in Los Angeles for the award show. Other ESPY Award non-athlete attendees included Keifer Sutherland in formal (read: black) denim, Janet Jackson, Kathy Griffin, Carmen "Publicity Monger" Elektra, and Ben Stiller. Everyone looked great, and how many other places could Will Ferrell, Danica Patrick and Ludacris get stuck in conversation together?
The annnual BET Awards took place in Los Angeles last night, bringing with it a bevy of women who were taller than their dates. An exception of course being Beyonce, who shined in a dress fashioned out of a trash bag and LeBron James whose girlfriend Savannah looks like she might still be in high school. The big winners for the evening were Kanye West, Jamie Foxx (unfortunately, someone stop giving this ego machine awards, please), Mary J. Blige, and newcomer Chris Brown. I think we can all see that the big loser of the night was whatever poor animal Andre 3000 killed and attached to his pants.
Editor
