Mindy Kaling, Elle Magazine Respond to Cover Controversy

Publication slammed for cropping Kalings full figure and hiding her race

Elle Magazine and Mindy Kaling are responding Tuesday morning to controversy surrounding the magazines February cover photo, which critics say deliberately hide Kalings figure and whitewash her race.

Mindy looks sexy, beautiful and chic, Elle said in a statement toTheWrap. We think it is a striking and sophisticated cover and are thrilled to celebrate her in our Women in TV Issue.

Also read:Mindy Kaling Responds to Salons Republican Accusations: Im Not, It Is Bewildering!

Blogs likeHuffington Postinitially celebrated Kalings first cover of a major fashion magazine when Elle released the set of February covers on Monday which also feature Zooey Deschanel, Allison Williams, and Amy Poehler.

But others noted how the photo of Kaling who is the lone woman of color among the group and a self proclaimed size 8 was the only one in black and white and the only one cropped to her head and neck, while the others are full body, full color shots. Feminist blogJezebelcalled this another example of institutionalized inequality.

While Jezebel admitted Kalings cover is practically oozing with glamour and doesnt make Kaling look bad, others were far less forgiving with their criticism.

Also read:Seth Rogen, Mindy Kaling to Rekindle Their Romance on The Mindy Project

The fact that Kaling is a woman of color and a woman whose size defies the conventions for actresses are two traits that should never be stripped from her when slender, white women are allowed to keep their whiteness and bodies, Julia Sonenshein wrote onThe Gloss.

Elle pulls shit like this, and it perpetuates the idea that Kaling is different in the sense that different is less than. Why did Poehler, Deschanel, and Williams have full color covers showing their figures while Kaling literally was stripped of her body and color? Because somebody thought that diluting Kalings image would make it more palatable, and thats as clear a message as well get.

Also read:Mindy Kaling: Theres No Debate About Whether Women Are Funny

For her part, Kaling tweeted that she loved the cover and took the opportunity to plug a new episode of her Fox show, The Mindy Project.

This is not the first time Elle has come under fire for its photo choices when featuring women who are not model-skinny on its covers.

In Novembers Women in Hollywood cover series, critics accused the magazine of hiding actress Melissa McCarthys full figure in an oversized coat. (McCarthy later revealed she chose the coat and, like Kaling, loved her cover photo.)

Source: http://www.thewrap.com/mindy-kaling-elle-magazine-respond-cover-controversy