As Two And A Half Men creator Lee Aronsohn noted, "We are approaching peak vagina on television, the point of labia saturation." So it makes sense that Vanity Fair's Special TV issue would feature a bunch of ladies lying in bed together, as ladies are wont to do. And surely, if the editors had chosen male TV stars, they would also be lying naked (except for diamond necklaces) between silky sheets, right? Anyway. Although the beautiful and talented Colombian-born Sofia Vergara is on the cover — whether it be a small nod to diversity or mere recognition of the fact that Modern Family is a hit TV show — once again, if you're looking for black people, they're not here.
Kerry Washington joins fellow minorities Grace Park and Archie Panjabi on the inside spread of the story. The ladies pose in foundation garments — again, surely, if they were men, they would be lounging around in their jock straps — for a "Girls' Night In" portrait. Because apparently "girls" are always just hanging out together in their underwear. As a woman, I spy a significant lack of yoga pants and Pajama Jeans, but what do I know.
Of course it's supposed to be a fun, light-hearted, stylish photo shoot, not to be taken seriously. But as we saw in January with Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue, it would seem that the magazine takes great pains to insure that a black person does not end up on the cover. It's true that all of the ladies on this cover are on established programs, and Shonda Rimes' new show, Scandal, in which Kerry Washington stars, hasn't even aired yet. But given the magazine's very real history with this issue, we can't help but feel a certain sense of déja vu.
Ladies of the TV Issue: Sofía Vergara, Claire Danes, Julianna Margulies, and Michelle Dockery [Vanity Fair]
Earlier: Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue Shoves People Of Color To The Side (As Usual)
"Young Hollywood" Is White, Thin