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Vogue India Criticized for Putting Kendall Jenner on Cover

Amber Kahwaji

Vogue India Criticized for Putting Kendall Jenner on Cover

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Poor Kendall Jenner, she can’t seem to catch a break.

First it was the widespread criticism of her Pepsi ad, which was yanked off the air a mere 48 hours after its release, and now it’s the outcry against her Vogue India cover.

But this cover isn’t any cover. It’s Vogue India’s 10th anniversary cover.

In the midst of calling for and embracing more diversity in the fashion realm, the choice to put an American supermodel on the cover of Vogue India doesn’t seem like a game-winning move.

In fact, there were shoe-in choices for the cover, one of them being Priyanka Chopra. The famous Indian actress is now an international star after nabbing the lead role in the TV series “Quantico,” as pointed out by Huffpost.

Yet for some reason the choice to have Jenner grace the cover seemed like a better idea, and social media is a-buzz with thoughts.

The anniversary edition claims to be a celebration of fashion, beauty and Bollywood, yet Vogue India choose not to have a current Bollywood star, like Deepika Padukone, on the cover.

Critics are claiming the blatant disregard for featuring a South Asian actress or model is a direct correlation to the everlasting lack of diversity in the entertainment industry as a whole.

The 2016 Oscars sparked outrage and a boycott for the lack of diversity among the nominees, and incited the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite to trend on Twitter. Every actor nominated was white.

Hollywood has also been under fire for its whitewashing practices, notoriously casting white actors in roles that are historically non-white characters.

One example is the 2012 blockbuster film Argo. Based on a true story, Ben Affleck portrays Tony Mendez, who is half Mexican, and hostage Cora Lijek is actually half Japanese but was portrayed by white actress Clea DuVall.

For years casting directors have chosen to cast white actors to portray non-white characters, even when ethnic talent is in Hollywood at the ready.

Although casting certain A-listers help ensure blockbuster success, non-white talent have proved to be a driving and welcomed force by the masses.

Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, and Taraji P. Henson are just a few of today’s in-demand talent, and all are women of color.

Maybe Jenner’s Vogue cover was bad timing, or maybe it’s one more hiccup in the deliverance of more diversity in today’s entertainment industry.

You be the judge.

 

 

 

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