LeBron James; unnecessary controversy

Kim Pham

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is known for his dominating play on the court, exhibiting exceptional offensive play and solid upper body strength. But the basketball superstar has taken on a new challenge; modeling for Vogue.
For their April issue, the uber trendy magazine had James grace its' cover alongside international bombshell Gisele Bundchen. He joins the ranks of Richard Gere and George Clooney, the only other men to have done so in the influential fashion magazine's history. And more notably, James is the first black man to adorn Vogue's front.
But amidst all the cheer and admiration, controversy still managed to plague James' debut as a cover model. The photo depicts a gorilla-like James dribbling a basketball and clutching the tiny Bundchen around the waist, posed mid-scream. In the eyes of many critics, Vogue is seemingly perpetuating the racial stereotype of a dangerous, reckless black male. Magazine analysts and columnists nationwide decry the image as deliberately provocative and memorable for all the wrong reasons. James' “King Kong” Vogue cover is just another representation of aggressive and threatening black sports figures, something that “reinforces the criminalization of black men,”said Damion Thomas, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at University of Maryland.
No offense, Professor, but are you (expletive) kidding me?!
There is absolutely no racist overtone to the cover; it is simply a showcase of the contrast between a powerful, masculine strength (James) and a gentle, feminine beauty (Bundchen). Race shouldn't even be in the equation, as Vogue is just trying to set the backdrop for their Shape Issue, which will give readers the “Secrets of the Best Bodies [from] the World's Top Models and Star Athletes.”
This notion that white athletes are generally portrayed as smiling or laughing while black sports figures are given a beastly vibe is utterly absurd. These posed pictures are merely an expression of their athletic personality. People are delving much too deeply by accusing the magazine of exhibiting racial stereotypes in their covers. In the Vogue cover, James is just demonstrating his game face; nothing more, nothing less.
Political correctness is getting out of hand, with people censoring and condemning anything that can be perceived as even remotely hurtful to the public. This ridiculous hypersensitivity to race is slowly stifling artistic expression and it needs to be stopped!