"Vogue" Under Fire for Stephanie Seymour’s Choking Cover
9/14/2012
Vogue Hommes International(NEW YORK) -- Vogue Hommes International has come under fire for it’s latest cover, which features Stephanie Seymour being choked by fellow model Marlon Teixeira.
The leaders of four domestic violence and women’s rights advocacy organizations, Sanctuary for Families, Safe Horizon, Equality Now, and the New York chapter of NOW, sent a letter to Conde Nast chairman Si Newhouse and editorial director Thomas Wallace expressing their “profound opposition” to the photo.
“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,” they wrote, according to Romenesko. “Choking is not a fashion statement, and certainly not something that should be used to sell magazines.”
The always controversial photographer Terry Richardson (he of the breast-y Lindsay Lohan shots and Kate Upton video that was taken off YouTube) shot Seymour and Teixeira for the Vogue cover and photo spread, which also features Teixeira touching Seymour’s breast and Seymour grabbing the waistband of Teixeira’s pants.
It’s not Vogue’s first cover controversy. In 2008, Anna Wintour’s glossy was accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes by featuring basketball star LeBron James in a series of “savage” poses.
A representative for Vogue did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
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