King Kong Ain't Got S@#% on Me!

Lebron James holds many distinctions in today's sports landscape. High school basketball phenom. Tiger Woods's equal as Nike spokesman. MJ's heir apparent. Prolific scorer. First African-American Vogue cover model. Who would think that of all those achievements, holding Gisele Bundchen in his left arm would bring the most ire and controversy? How dare Tom Brady allow his significant other to portray herself so provocatively!

Speaking of Tiger Woods, remember when he was called to task for not responding 'appropriately' to Kelly Tilghman's lynching comments? Just imagine what Al Sharpton and the black community will say in lieu of James's portrayal of a 'gorilla-like black man?'

As quoted in the Associated Press: “[The cover] conjures up this idea of a dangerous black man,” said Tamara Walker, 29, of Philadelphia. From the lips of Samir Husni, respected analyst of Vogue magazine: “When you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting white woman, it’s not innocent." Jemele Hill, the utterly inadequate proxy for Jim Rome this past week, said that 'blacks are always portrayed with a beastly sort of vibe,' while whites are always conveyed as the 'smiling and laughing type.' Bitter? Party of one?

The most obvious comparison one came make relates to Lebron's moniker and Kong's larger-than-life title: Lebron 'King' James and 'King' Kong, two icons of their respective forums. Immediately, in the eyes of those infuriated by this controversy, comparing titles becomes akin to comparing physical features. With such mentality, racial stereotype becomes an issue, simply because James is shouting like a typical 'angst-riddled black man' in the photograph, his left arm gripping a beautiful white woman 'he's looking to prey on.' All forms of art are open to interpretation, seeing as I just took Atticus Finch's advice and 'stepped into the shoes' of an overly sensitive onlooker to this magazine cover 'scandal,' so as to observe things from his perspective. Even despite my attempts to understand this mentality, I simply cannot see the racial injustice here, seeing as how Lebron is only mimicking his in-game persona for a photo shoot. Lebron took it upon himself to appear on the cover and looked like he had fun in the process. I highly doubt that the immensely successful and insightful people at Vogue would sacrifice their readership and desecrate the occasion of placing a prominent black figure on the cover for the first time. I chalk America's perception up to one word that has dictated the portrayal of blacks and whites in the media for decades: ubersensitivity.

Now let me enjoy Lebron dominate the NBA with prowess and grace without having to hear that the 'King' is adding to 'the criminalization of black men, ' as Damion Thomas of the University of Maryland so wrongfully and spitefully puts it.

And Ms. Hill, observe how Magic Johnson IS and HAS ALWAYS HAS BEEN portrayed in sports media: he doesn't look so 'beastly' to me. Leave the analysis to experts like Two Live Stews, who CONSTANTLY outshine you on ESPN's First Take (no sexist undertones intended).