Love + Sex

Friday, December 11, 2009

User post: "Sexiest Man Alive:" A whites only club?

Apparently so, according to People magazine. Surely I cannot be the only one who has noticed this. Save for one (Denzel Washington), there has never been a man of color on the cover of the annual "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Seriously? You mean Nick Nolte actually once "graced" the cover of People as the "Sexiest Man Alive" and the likes of Benjamin Bratt, Taye Diggs, Blair Underwood, Boris Kodjoe, Will Smith, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Terrence Howard, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Edris Elba, Eddie Murphy, Welsley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes), Tyson Beckford, Rodrigo Santoro (The 300), Esai Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, um, President-elect Barack Obama, somehow don't measure up? Seriously? Isn't the adage or standard of masculine beauty "tall, dark and handsome?" So can someone please explain to me why People magazine religiously voids that on their cover, every single year? I'm not saying the Matthew McConaugheys, Hugh Jackmans or the Brad Pitts of the world aren't cover worthy (personally, I very much believe they are), but, I find it strange that we live in a country this diverse, with a plethora of options, and all, but once has the cover ever featured a man of color. There is a rich and deep pool of diversity, perhaps People magazine might want to look into using it. If not, you should just be honest as to whom your magazine is designed to address. That way I don't have to hear another misinformed white person make an Elisabeth Hassleback like statement such as: " what do you people need with Ebony magazine or BET? What if we had WET or Ivory magazine?" Seriously, they should just rename the magazine to address the People they are actually targeting, because it is abundantly clear People is not addressing all People. For goodness sakes, Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise have been on multiple covers as the "Sexiest Man Alive," so obviously there aren't that many of you (more on that later). Matt Damon, Harrison Ford and NICK NOLTE?!! For real?! I have a hard time believing if most women had to choose between that lot and the likes of any of the aforementioned men of color, that it would even be close...and no there would be no Bradley effect:-)
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Comments 91-100 of 106
  • Kenda's Avatar
    Posted by Kenda Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:10am PST

    Okay, if I read People magazine and saw what you saw then okay I would agree, but I've never allowed a magazine or anything or one else decide who I find sexy. As far as recognition goes though I'm all on your train( I agree). Men of color should definitely get more exposure and the sash for sexiest something. Maybe you should write a very strongly worded letter to the editors of People. Or have you done that already?

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  • Kenda's Avatar
    Posted by Kenda Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:25am PST

    Am I the only one who felt that the jist of the post was that "okay we know there are some sexy ass white men, but what about the rest of us don't we get to see some other color meat on the market"? People, the man just wants a little acknowledgement for the other races he didn't say the white men were all ugly...well except for Nick Nolte. Was Nick Nolte in Silver Bullet as the uncle?

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  • kourt's Avatar
    Posted by kourt Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:46am PST

    obama is so so sexy. he is intelligent, beautiful smile, and everything a woman could ask for. yum. watch out michelle.. but that is true white men always get the title.. brad pitt? matt damon? tom cruise? we get it. they are hot. but multiple times? there are so many men of color out there that are seriously gorgerous. they should be acknowledge as well not just white men.

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  • QT25's Avatar
    Posted by QT25 Sat Dec 6, 2008 8:23pm PST

    You damn right, tha president is a beautiful BLACK man dont forget that one baby. Ill take a black man any day, you seen white men when they get old. YUCK!!!

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  • weisses's Avatar
    Posted by weisses Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:24am PST

    I hope someone has pointed out that Antonio Banderas is WHITE from Spain.

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  • 's Avatar
    Posted by Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:26pm PST

    hi i m sexsi men my mailing xasuu_2317yah.

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  • 's Avatar
    Posted by Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:30pm PST

    hi i m sexsi men my mailing xasuu_2317yah.thank goodnes the more

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  • Brian's Avatar
    Posted by Brian Fri Jan 2, 2009 4:21pm PST

    jg...wrote, "And if you want to compare the way Africans were treated in America vs. the Irish… Not even a close comparison!!! (I beg you to look it up, read about it, and educate yourselves.) Yet the Irish have gotten past it, worked past it, and proved themselves. They did not ask for retribution, restitution, or special funds."

    Are you serious? Though it serves no purpose, do you really want to get into the "who was treated worse" argument?

    The best part of your passage, was the fact it came so late in your astonishingly irrelevant post. It forced people to read the garbage that otherwise would have been discarded after the first couple of lines.

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  • Michelle R's Avatar
    Posted by Michelle R Mon Jan 5, 2009 1:39pm PST

    I never noticed but I couldn't agree more! Blair Underwood is gorgeous.. Swoon.. or Will Smith. What about Mario Lopez? I think we have all thought about him before.. Discrimination in our so-called PC world is still so common! Plus I love the black men!

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  • Delaynee's Avatar
    Posted by Delaynee Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:52pm PST

    is vin deisel classed as black? *drooling over hot bod*

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