Hottentot Venus or Simply Bad Choice?

See.
In an effort to out-edge one another, this is the type of photograph that gets press in a mag. One of my loyal readers GirlyGirl hit me via the electronic mail and said simply "outrageous!" And indeed, she is correct. You can see the original image, and read the rather irate comments of a viewer.

Sidebar: this is the reason why I HATE fashion mags, most of the new "culture" rags and popular clothing companies. In an effort to out-edge one another, this is the type of photograph that gets put in a mag. Can someone please tell me what in the hell this is a picture of?

The sad part: someone actually thought this was a good idea. Whoever that person is needs a swift kick in the ass. If it's about the clothes, well...um...that message is lost in the garishly outlandish look to the model. Really, it looks like someone was high, looked at a Benetton ad c. 1989-94 and decided to do the 21st Century interpretation.

It appears that this pic is running in a magazine with a very British audience (click the image to the left to see the full size image and read the inset text)  -- what that says about our Cockney cousins, I'm not entirely sure. But what is for sure is that this is perhaps the most unflattering image for a black woman that I can think of.

Apparently  this spread was for American Apparel, but I don't know if they had any editorial control over this piece. Since I'm not sure they were complicit in this foolishness, I can't tear that company a new one, but I certainly would like to kick the photog, the makeup artists, and the art director of this spread in their collective legs.

While the image may not be "racist," boy, does it come off that way. Every time I see images like this, it makes me wonder if the artist is simply being "artistic" or is there is some deep-seated bias that people project on the sistas.  Does most of the mainstream see black women as Hottentot Venus, objects to be exploited and put on display for so much amusement to the masses?

For American Apparel's sake, I hope this pic stays out of US publications.