SZA requested a black photographer for a magazine cover, got denied

[ballerios 569]

ngl why artists think its okay to tell a magazine to change things up when the magazine team already prepared everything  and now they want to bring race to it .. damn what a world

[HEARTSTOP 3,151]

2 minutes ago, Monstruous said:

I’m really not sure celebs are paid to be in magazines, maybe I’m wrong but I think they’re not

If they do a shoot or interview, they are paid. If it's just an article someone else wrote, then they are usually not.

[Ziggy 11,960]

22 minutes ago, AndiGaga said:

I dont get it. She wanted a black photographer just so his skin colour is black?

She wanted one bevause there are many talented black creatives historically without opportunity to shoot for magazines. Your framing of it is reducing the intention behind it.

 

if I’m reading too much into your comment, I’m sorry  

[COOOK 76,406]

1 minute ago, ballerios said:

ngl why artists think its okay to tell a magazine to change things up when the magazine team already prepared everything  and now they want to bring race to it .. damn what a world

Negotiations with the artist come before the preparation of the shoot

[monstrosity 3,947]

Just now, HEARTSTOP said:

If they do a shoot or interview, they are paid. If it's just an article someone else wrote, then they are usually not.

I’m really surprised tbh, so celebs are paid to promote themselves 

[JustJames 1,040]

Just now, COOOK said:

It's about requesting opportunities for black people, opportunities which are often taken away from them just for being black

 

Just now, Monstruous said:

Plot twist: the non-Black photograph is still a POC 

OP: she should name the magazine, she’s right to stand up, POC still struggle immensely to find work in this field

 

So, SZA looked into this magazine before accepting the job? When she saw POC were under-represented, she refused the offer and/or used her $, resources, access, and audience reach to make changes PRIOR to showing up, performing, and accepting $?

And/or, she refused money? And/or, she's using the $ to fund education / hiring or diversity training? 

Your points are not invalid. But, why can't people (SZA in this case, I suppose, not you) be proactive and positive, vs. reactive and negative? She made a LOT of choices and lined her pockets before what amounts to little more than b*tching on Twitter. How does that help non-celebrity POC?

[Phlop 4,773]

This was unnecessary. I get it that she wanted to provide opportunities to poc but this is a magazine that already had a photographer hired and paid for this and she wanted to do a stunt. She can’t always set up her own photo shoot and get it in a magazine if that’s the case

[Hyperobject 66,771]

3 minutes ago, ballerios said:

ngl why artists think its okay to tell a magazine to change things up when the magazine team already prepared everything  and now they want to bring race to it .. damn what a world

I don't think she would talk about this situation if it was all about preparation 

[Noah 26,981]

1 minute ago, ballerios said:

ngl why artists think its okay to tell a magazine to change things up when the magazine team already prepared everything  and now they want to bring race to it .. damn what a world

Well, a Magazine Cover does not get shot 2 weeks before printing. It takes a long time and was probably something she requested. It‘s not that hard to find Black Photographers (literally, just open Instagram and put in effort). It‘s not like she just said ‚Sorry no white people allowed‘ when she came on the set. The other Magazines helped her in creating spaces for a black creative. I really don‘t know why it‘s not okay. It‘s like a Gay Artist wanting to be photographed by a queer person. It‘s just that those shared life experiences or visions align more and it helps create a space for those who are usually not given the opportunity. Think about it - how many white photographers do you know, how many black ones do you know?. It‘s not without a purpose.

[HEARTSTOP 3,151]

1 minute ago, Monstruous said:

I’m really surprised tbh, so celebs are paid to promote themselves 

It's a "collaboration". Popular celebrities pull in sales for the magazine, while also getting a bit of promotion themselves. But if it's a job that takes time of their busy schedule, yes they are paid for it.

[COOOK 76,406]

7 minutes ago, JustJames said:

 

 

So, SZA looked into this magazine before accepting the job? When she saw POC were under-represented, she refused the offer and/or used her $, resources, access, and audience reach to make changes PRIOR to showing up, performing, and accepting $?

And/or, she refused money? And/or, she's using the $ to fund education / hiring or diversity training? 

Your points are not invalid. But, why can't people (SZA in this case, I suppose, not you) be proactive and positive, vs. reactive and negative? She made a LOT of choices and lined her pockets before what amounts to little more than b*tching on Twitter. How does that help non-celebrity POC?

We know nothing of all these things, or how/when it went down...

[OMonster 14,720]

I get it but it's a bit segregative. Should only black photographers photograph black celebrities? Is that the ideal she is striving for?

That said, she has every right (and enough privilege) to set her own criteria for the work she does. That's fine. But maybe trying to 'drag' a magazine for not meeting that criteria is a bit backwards. Not every magazine will want to be dictated how to work - and that'll have nothing to do with racism. 

[FentyGa 14,340]

8 minutes ago, HEARTSTOP said:

Except if they said yes, they would probably give the job to a POC that already has plenty of opportunities because of their skills, all simply because they were black. I'm not sure where the creation of opportunity would come in this context...

but here’s the thing...they wouldn’t hire that photographer if she hadn’t requested it. most major magazines choose white photographers as the default, so by asking for a black photographer, sza is giving them that opportunity.

for context, a black photographer didn’t shoot the cover of vogue until 2018 (126 years and over 1,500 covers after the launch of the magazine), when tyler mitchell photographed beyoncé.

[Hyperobject 66,771]

Just now, FentyGa said:

for context, a black photographer didn’t shoot the cover of vogue until 2018 (126 years and over 1,500 covers after the launch of the magazine), when tyler mitchell photographed beyoncé.

[FentyGa 14,340]

6 minutes ago, OMonster said:

I get it but it's a bit segregative. Should only black photographers photograph black celebrities? Is that the ideal she is striving for?

no, she’s simply striving for more people of colour, and black people specifically, to be hired in the creative industries.

a black photographer didn’t shoot the cover of vogue until 2018 (126 years and over 1,500 covers after the launch of the magazine), when tyler mitchell photographed beyoncé