Vanity Fair’s New Hollywood Issue Is Another Celebration of White Supremacy

Vanity Fair magazine has unleashed its annual Hollywood issue and the usual suspects have been lined up for the occasion with no surprises in tow – well…maybe one – Channing Tatum?

The main cover features Channing Tatum, Amy Adam and Reese Witherspoon while the full spread is sprinkled with Oscar hopefuls – Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, and Benedict Cumberbatch with a couple of lesser known talents (Oscar Isaac and Miles Teller) who are undoubtedly on their way to loosing their anonymity.

Actress Sienna Miller who is riding high from her association with the movie of the year – American Sniper also makes an appearance.

In the midst of the blanket of whiteness – there is David Oyelowo who was lauded for his incredible performance in Selma, but failed to garner a best actor nod from the Academy. Clearly Bradley Cooper was given that slot based on the uber popularity of American Sniper, despite the criticism the film has been receiving due to the questionable validity of the main character Cooper portrays.

As always photographer Annie Leibovitz was back for more as she chose to cast her subjects in a more intimate vibe by shooting them up, close and personal.

The end result is brilliant enough but perhaps it would have been even more stunning and revelatory if actresses like Tessa Thompson, Carmen Ejogo or Gugu Mbatha-Raw had been invited to the party. Yes, they are black actresses who happened to have had quite a good year in 2014 and deserve to be recognized for it.

Thompson garnered rave reviews for her turn in the delightfully controversial independent film, Dear White People and followed that up with a role in Selma where she played civil rights activist Diane Nash.

Mbatha-Raw kicked off 2014 with a starring role in the period drama Belle and received critical- acclaim for her stunning performance. She later continued her winning streak in Beyond the Lights, a love story that centered on the emotional angst of the character she portrayed.

Ejogo, the veteran of the bunch has proven her acting chops through a variey of films but her recent turn as Coretta Scott King in Selma is a dignified and understated performance that serves as a testimony to her endurance.

There are others that could be added to the list but the fact that none of these actresses were considered for the cover is demonstrative of Hollywood’s reluctance to extend their belief system – preferring instead to continue feting their brand of white supremacy.

Until the rules are broken or stretched enough to include more than just the standard fare, talents of color will continue to be regulated to the sidelines as they watch their white counterparts occupy their regular spots – centerstage.