The Picture and Pose

Thursday, March 10, 2016

 
The actor Michael B. Jordan, recently known for his starring role in the movie 'Creed' and director Ryan Coogler (who directed Creed) made waves on the Internet a few days ago due to a photo that sparked conversation and controversy.  The photo was taken for the March issue of Vanity Fair magazine which features an interview with the pair. Jordan and Coogler also worked on the 2013 film 'Fruitvale Station'.  Some on the Web are saying that the photo is quite suggestive and brings into question the sexuality of the two. 

Friends of mine have commented that perhaps this is just a simple innocent big brother, little brother moment captured through a lens.  Which could be conceivable considering that Michael B. Jordan has been acting for a majority of his life and Ryan Coogler is a newcomer to the Hollywood scene.  Nothing more, nothing less just two black men embracing one another in kinship.

Want to know what I think?  Glad you asked.

When I first saw the photograph it definitely got the wheels in my head turning and I had a variety of thoughts.  My first thought was I wonder what was the frame before this published photo and what led to that pose.  Second, perhaps they [Jordan and Coogler] were going for a more artsy vibe and not the same predictable photo shoot as to push the envelope and invoke conversation.  If that is what they were going for then they certainly succeeded.  I was also thinking while I was reading all of the comments on the Internet and messages from my friends that society has become so oversexed.

Two men taking a picture together whether sexually suggestive or not it causes an uproar.  That same photo during a different era would not have caused such a ruckus.  However, I do understand that society has gone through major reconstruction and deconstruction from decades past.

In my opinion, this photograph is artistic in nature and just like art the viewer is allowed to interpret the work anyway that they choose.  I believe there is nothing more to this photo but two black men standing and one has the others hand on his head. 

On a lighter note, I surely hope that they are both heterosexual due to their attractiveness.  Although I will not end up with either one of them, I wouldn't want things ruined for the women that do.  But a girl can dream, can't she?

Thanks for reading!
(John 3:16)

Edited by: Craig Bennett