# Is this cover of Vogue promoting violence towards women? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 23, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577 "2012-09-23T06:07:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/1 "2012-09-23T06:07:20Z")
Here is the cover of the recent French Vogue magazine: [Link](http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oetrvwD.eKcnydO7YyuVuQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MDA7cT04NTt3PTMxNg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/blogs/partner/2507520.jpg) Apparently some women’s groups have taken exception to it: > [@](#): > > Sanctuary for Families, Safe Horizons, NOW NYC and Equality Now have complained to Conde Nast chairman Si Newhouse and editorial director Thomas Wallace about this Vogue Hommes International cover. > > September 14, 2012 > > ``` > Dear Mr. Wallace and Mr. Newhouse: > > We write to express our profound opposition to your decision to feature a photo of Stephanie Seymour with Marlon Teixeira’s hand wrapped around her neck on the cover of Vogue Hommes International. This truly disturbing image of a woman being choked sends a dangerous message to anyone who sees this magazine – that choking is a sign of passion rather than of violence. > > ``` > > SOURCE: [http://jimromenesko.com/2012/09/14/groups-protest-vogues-choking-photo/](http://jimromenesko.com/2012/09/14/groups-protest-vogues-choking-photo/) Personally I am not seeing it and I think these women’s groups are making a fuss over nothing. All I see is a passionate embrace. I see no “choking”. The woman is obviously not in distress and the man is clearly not attacking her or remotely choking her. His hand is on her throat but that does not equate to choking. On more than one occasion I have done something similar with my female partners and never, not once and not even close, was the woman remotely distressed. It was fun sexy time for both. No violence whatsoever. That said perhaps I am missing something so figured to ask for opinions here. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/2 "2012-09-23T06:12:36Z")
By that logic, she’s also being sexually assaulted since his other hand is on her breast. She’s obviously not being choked, but even if she was it wouldn’t matter–as long as it’s consensual. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/3 "2012-09-23T06:13:00Z")
It really doesn’t look very violent or shocking to me. Honestly, from the description, I was expecting something much more blatantly offensive than that. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/4 "2012-09-23T06:18:56Z")
In fact his hand looks totally relaxed. More of a caress. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/5 "2012-09-23T06:32:30Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Honestly, from the description, I was expecting something much more blatantly offensive than that. Me too! The link that led me to this had me expecting worse as well. In fact the title of the link (which I forget now) was not even alarmist. It merely noted that there was some controversy. So, I expected to see something controversial. Not a sexy picture displaying passion. I think these women’s groups do themselves and women in general a disservice by making a fuss over something like this. To be sure violence towards women is a problem and bringing awareness of it to the public is an important part of trying to stop it. This is crying wolf though and diminishes these group’s credibility. Worse, it obscures what is real violence and makes it easier to dismiss them when they point out legitimate acts of violence. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/6 "2012-09-23T07:01:23Z")
Meh. Pretty much a standard “man being affectionate to woman” scene. They might as well claim a kissing scene is violent because he might be biting her lips off. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/7 "2012-09-23T08:11:43Z")
Feminist here. The hand on the neck _is_ a bit disconcerting, but the expression on the woman’s face makes it pretty clear she isn’t suffering in any way. I’m sure there are far more offensive things inside the magazine. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/8 "2012-09-23T08:36:57Z")
Misogynistic male chavanistic pig here. The only time I could have seen that as promoting violence againt women is if had borne the legend “beat the shrew until she becomes docile”. And even then, I would have been puzzled at why they selected a picture with such an affectionate pose. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/9 "2012-09-23T09:16:06Z")
Corpse of a person killed by strangling here. I **wish** my assailant had done that. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/10 "2012-09-23T11:55:39Z")
Promoter of violence against women here. Damn… they can’t get anything right. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/11 "2012-09-23T12:14:08Z")
bored woman on the cover here. sigh, gay models. even when told to grab my boobs, all he’s interested in is licking his own finger away in lala land. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/12 "2012-09-23T12:56:06Z")
Choking: you’re not doing it right. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/13 "2012-09-23T15:32:17Z")
Woman here - kinda turns me on ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/14 "2012-09-23T16:19:14Z")
I have my own theory about why it happened, and why it looks a little off. > [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > In fact his hand looks totally relaxed. More of a caress. I think in that sort of arrangement, he’d be more likely to caress her cheek. However, the magazine paid big bucks to get a model on the cover, and they’re not going to want any part of her face to be hidden. And so we get a slightly odd pose of the guy’s hand on her neck. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/15 "2012-09-23T16:20:02Z")
Rush Limbaugh here. Protests and complaints like this are the reason I have a tiny penis. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/16 "2012-09-23T16:45:44Z")
Rape-Clown here. This does nothing for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/17 "2012-09-23T18:30:35Z")
Seems to me that the grayscale color scheme pretty clearly suggests an “artistic” “_homage_” to the current blockbuster chick-lit bondage porn “novel” _50 Shades of Grey_. So I vote no, _Vogue_ is just jumping on the consensual-BDSM bandwagon that that piece of “writing” has inexplicably launched. (_Can_ you launch a bandwagon?) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/18 "2012-09-23T18:36:49Z")
Class clown here: He better be getting ready to stick that finger in her ear. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/19 "2012-09-25T09:47:35Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > By that logic, she’s also being sexually assaulted since his other hand is on her breast. > > She’s obviously not being choked, but even if she was it wouldn’t matter–as long as it’s consensual. Looks to me like neither hand is really touching her, but maybe I need to see an optometrist. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577/20 "2012-09-25T11:55:33Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Class clown here: He better be getting ready to stick that finger in her ear. Looks to me like he’s shitfaced and about to puke in her hair. Is that something women fantasize about? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cover-of-vogue-promoting-violence-towards-women/635577.md?page=2)