Good morning, Monday. It's cold outside yet again and good old Mother Nature is inevitably pissed off at us for something or another. Lord knows there's plenty for her to be mad at...
And speaking of madness, I know most of us are sick to death of all the talk about whether Kim Kardashian and Kanye West should be on the cover of Vogue (our patience is short ps, it's only been a few days since we all really found out about it). Many of my friends are wondering what the big deal is, why anyone even cares because fashion magazines are no longer relevant and haven't been for years, and how if we put our energy into talking about things that really matter instead of Kim's fat ass on the cover of Vogue, the world may very well be a better place. I don't disagree.
But just seeing her in a white strapless dress with Kanye behind her (because behind every good woman is a good man) had me unhinged, and I think it's for the very same reasons people are annoyed we're giving this cover so much free publicity. Kim Kardashian, to my knowledge, has never done a single thing of merit besides getting famous for making a sex tape and having a Svengali of a mother who somehow managed to build an empire for her children, all of them with the collective intelligence of a Q Tip (although there's gotta be something there to figure out a way to be famous with little or no talent whatsoever). Kim is also one of the least stylish people I have ever seen- you can dress her in Max Mara coats and put her in Celine neutrals, but that girl has not a lick, NOT A LICK, of natural style. Really before Kanye there was Kim, wearing Bebe. That's not really here nor there, but you already know that I find Kim's "style" repugnant- she always looks vulgar to me, and just because you are trying to promote a body of a different dimension (and an ass with its own zip code) does not mean fabric is meant to be stretched so very tightly across every curve. It's just gross.
I'm not sure what Anna Wintour was thinking- I applauded her having Lena Dunham on the cover- because, like Kim, she is not built in any way like a fashion model. And also like Kim, Lena's show "Girls" is polarizing to say the least, but guess what's different? Lena has something to say, and love it or hate it, she's a revolutionary new fangled feminist who isn't afraid to be raw, exposed, and unliked. I find Lena Dunham to be brave, powerful, and extremely bright. I liked the fashion story about her as well- Lena's a quirky woman who owns it all- and to me, that's what being a modern woman is really all about.
If I try very hard, I still can't think of a single redeeming quality when it comes to Kim Kardashian. Not a single one. When I was a wee one, Vogue was a pretty big deal. My mother and I anticipated the September and March issues with fervor- in my house, both of those Herculean issues were called "The Bible" and we pored through their pages like we were starving. And it's true that the whole curator/tastemaker role of the fashion editor has changed- with everyone rocking "street style" and editors and bloggers sharing the same real estate at all of the shows, it's a different world out there. And maybe Anna is getting super Darwinian because of it. We all know it's been a while since Vogue featured actual models on its formerly iconic covers- for years it's been celebrity after celebrity, which always felt like a bit of a disappointment, but I understood fully that's what sells magazines. But to me, putting KK on the cover was Anna not only giving in, but completely giving up. Because Vogue, regardless of trying to be a provocateur or sell magazines, should still stand for taste. It's clear from this issue that the virtue of taste may be lost in this era where American style has so little to do with class or even coolness- and everything to do with something much less inspired. (Poor Grace. She can't be happy about this). To many of us, Vogue stood for something, and even if it's not relevant and has to adapt and blah blah blah, it should still stand for something. Look at Esquire for instance...evolving, but still very much a particular brand of man. I've always loved that about them. Putting Peter Dinklage on the cover of their fashion issue was an awesome move. But women are a tad more complicated when it comes to fashion and image, and we all know that. So let's go there.
As I watched the news this weekend and saw a story on Gloria Steinem turning 80, I couldn't help but pause and wonder why Anna would not reach deep within that bobbed head of hers and think about putting her on the cover of Vogue. Without Gloria, who would we be? I posted to Facebook yesterday this quote Anna gave about the cover choice:
"There's barely a strand of the modern media that the Kardashian Wests haven't been able to master, and for good reason," she added. "Kanye is an amazing performer and cultural provocateur, while Kim, through her strength of character, has created a place for herself in the glare of the world's spotlight, and it takes real guts to do that."
I think in the strength of character and guts department, Vogue could have done a way better job. Hey Anna, it's not too late to give Gloria a call, although she's celebrating 80 with a trip to Botswana- she's still legit and a perfect role model for your cover- 80 years old or not- she even had her own magazine back in the day. She's beautiful, iconic, a celebrity, and one of the bravest women to ever live. That or put a fashion model on the cover. I'll take either, but not this mediocre dreck you're passing off as going with the times. And you can hashtag that. Just because Kim is not built like a model does not mean she's "just like us", or that we want to be just like her. She's fake from head to toe- the white dress says it all. The construction of her image is just too much to bear- and I find her to be so counter to the women we have become, or wish to become. Vogue, you should grow right with us, not set us back. If you are no longer selling fantasy (it's been a long time since fashion magazines have crafted fantasy), then at least sell something better- real people that have made a difference and exude great personal style, strength, and individuality.
Oh, and I used to be a Kanye fan, too. I only really started hating him when he got with Kim. He's a punk and we all know it, but he is talented. And sadly enough, Kim really, to Anna's point, has found a place for herself in the glare of the world's spotlight, but unfortunately, we put her there. Lights off, please. And that's what's up this ridiculous Monday in the 212. Yours, in keeping it real. XO
PS- great piece on Gloria here: