Vanity Fair Cover Analysis

The year 2015 has been quite a memorable year for the LGBTQ community. There have been many Life-changing decisions made that will affect millions of people within the United States and the rest of the world. Caitlyn Jenner -who became a symbol of masculinity and strength at the 1976 world Olympics-, graces the cover of Vanity Fair’s July issue. She poses in a cream coloured satin bustier with arms held behind her back to show a softer, more delicate side. Her womanly features are accentuated such as her chest area. She faces the camera with a sexy pout that restates her femininity. The cover is simple yet bold. The background is silenced and draws attention to the center. The image was taken against the wall in a corner to provide a sense

People of all ages will be intrigued by the story of former Gold-medallist, turned reality star, turned face of the transgender community. The older generation who watched and rooted Bruce on to win the Gold back in 76’ as well as our newer generation who may have only known him as Kim Kardashian’s step-father. The intended audience is meant for teens and older. I believe that Vanity Fair targeted the mainstream population in order to grasp as much attention from this cover as possible. They reimagined a popular figure in order to reach new limits of participation. It was not only Vanity Fair doing all the work, once this cover was available; it was news everywhere on social media, television, radio shows, and print. Since many people in the LGBTQ community may be going through similar struggles as Caitlyn, Vanity Fair targeted them and used this cover as a symbol of hope and acceptance. There may not be many stereotypes presented in this cover, but one that came to mind was how, in order for Caitlyn to be recognized as a women, she had to be half-naked and seducing. As I mentioned above, she is dressed quite sultry and submissive. All of her past masculinity was stripped of her in order to ensure no reminders. I think that this is the most obvious way to approach a transgender cover, but I would have preferred if her past accomplishments were included since they were a part of her identity for so long. The