05/08/2007
Chad White Acts Out a Few Equine Fantasies
For everything in our Chad White stable, click here!
Or perhaps they're photographer Francois Rousseau's fantasies. Rousseau takes model of the moment Chad White bareback in the next issue of Out.
Let's just hope he puts that riding crop to good use.
As White moves toward complete print domination, he's also featured in new ads from Diesel and American Eagle. And yes, that may be the first time we've ever seen a smile.
Daniel Radcliffe is currently starring in Equus on the London stage. He will reportedly be replaced by Billy Elliot actor Jamie Bell. Radcliffe is set to reprise his role on Broadway. As of yet, Mr. White has not been recruited.
If you'll remember, Francois Rousseau shot the first Dieux du Stade calendar. Check out his website here.
Posted 10:00 AM EST by Andy Towle in Chad White, Fashion Men, Francois Rousseau, Magazines, News | Permalink
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Chad is gorgeous, and he will sell magazines. I wouldn't have a problem with a straight guy on the cover except for the fact that Chad is gracing Out's GAY PRIDE issue. Or maybe Out has just gone so metrosexual that it has forgotten what June is?
Posted by: Jimmy | May 8, 2007 5:17:32 PM
Yes, yes, 24play. I'm sure that Chad was the only available and qualified model in the entire world. I'm sure that Out would get absolutely no submissions from modeling agencies if they requested gay models.
It would take very little effort on Out's part to find a qualified gay model in a field like MALE MODELING! It's not like we're talking about finding an out gay NFL player or something. Jeez.
This is not about one cover. It is about Out continuing its legacy of pandering and putting mostly straight people on the cover of a GAY magazine. If one of the most widely circulated gay magazines today cannot find qualified gay talent, what does that say about the gay community in general? That we are unqualified losers who aren't worthy of media attention? Out should be celebrating gay identity, not perpetuating the "straight is better/hotter" stereotype.
I will say that, in my opinion, Out has improved overall lately. But this area of cover photography is still sadly lacking.
Posted by: Gregg | May 8, 2007 5:57:45 PM
Gregg,
Okay, way up above you snidely declared that people don't know models' names, just their bodies/faces.
I'd agree with your generalization. I ask you then: If we can't be bothered to know a model's name, do we really need to know his sexual orientation?
I'm talking in this thread specifically about models on Out's covers here, not celebrities. I would agree that, even given a dearth of talented out celebrities, Out could do a better job of choosing out actors, musicians, designers, directors, etc. for their covers. (As I've noted before on here, Out featured Scissor Sisters INSIDE the magazine when their first album was released, and didn't deem them worthy of a cover until six months later—when it could do little to boost their album sales.) But I don't give a rat's ass about the sexuality of a cover model.
From my experience, a fashion shoot is the most difficult element to pull off in a consumer magazine (with investigative pieces a distant second). There are so many variables involved, so many players, and it all has to come together in a very short window of time.
And while having the right model for a fashion shoot is critical, it's NOT about the models. It's about the fashion and the photographer. I think it would make more sense if you were all up in arms about the cover PHOTOGRAPHER not being gay, or the DESIGNER of the clothing on the cover model not being out. That's where the major talent lies, that's what the photographs are about, and that's where you might realistically expect to find your gay role model—if you so desperately need one.
As for Out perpetuating a "straight is better/hotter" stereotype, do you think there would be some other model on this cover if Chad White were an out gay man? Would they have passed over one of the hottest models today (both in terms of look AND career) because he's gay and gone with a less attractive/talented staright model? Fuck no. That part of your argument is patently false.
P.S. Looked up Bobby Boyd. Very handsome West Hollywood-type. He may get a fair amount of catalog work, but he is far, far removed from Chad White's league. And while I congratulate Instinct for having a gay-only cover-model policy, do we really want to read interview with all of them? I certainly don't.
Posted by: 24play | May 8, 2007 6:52:40 PM
"But I don't give a rat's ass about the sexuality of a cover model."
That's just it. I think a lot of gay people do care to have an actual out gay person on the cover of the gay magazine Out.
We keep hearing all sorts of excuses for why this can't be the case. For years, it was: well, we need celebrities to sell magazines. But a straight actor on a British soap on BBCAmerica is hardly a celebrity. Out's had a number of not-exactly-famous straight actors on the cover. As Gregg said, this is not about one cover; it's about a legacy of putting straight people on the cover of a gay magazine.
Now we're told Out's goal in the June Pride month issue is to cover fashion seriously. And to that aim, they put a hot straight male model on the cover.
Fine. But to be taken seriously as a fashion book, Out should aim to be ahead of, and not behind, the curve. The French gay mag Tetu had Chad on the cover of great issue way back in late '05 or early '06, and the pictures were original and amazing. His star-making turn was the June '06 L'Uomo Vogue. No offense, but it's kind of slumming to be on the cover of Out in June '07. Especially on a horse (something that Steven Klein and others have done to death for over a year). No one thinks of Out when they think of fashion. And that's because Out isn't original. New magazines with even less money than Out has regularly blow them out of the water (Fantastic Man at the moment).
Posted by: SGR | May 8, 2007 7:14:26 PM
And, yeah, I'm sure no one knew Bobby Boyd before that Instinct cover, and I'm not even sure he's a real model. But he's gay, and I want to support gay magazines that celebrate gay men. I buy fashion magazines for fashion; I buy gay magazines to read about gay people.
I disagree that the photographer or the designer make the cover. It's the cover subject. Most readers never bother finding out who the photographer is and what clothes the subject is wearing. Look at this towleroad post: it's all about Chad White.
Posted by: SGR | May 8, 2007 7:24:52 PM
SGR,
If it's really important to you that the cover model on a gay magazine be gay, well, enjoy Instinct then. Personally, I like to have some content inside a magazine.
As for comparing Out's fashion coverage to the fashion in European men's magazines, if you know when Chad White was on the cover of Vogue Homme, you know it's entirely unfair to compare American men's magazines to European ones. Europe is light years ahead of America. The audiences are hugely different. And in Europe, readers would be talking about the photographer and fashion, as well as the model, on the cover.
Posted by: 24play | May 8, 2007 7:40:57 PM
Equus in London *is* good -- just saw it tonight.
But it's closing down in June. Jamie Bell taking over the Radcliff role was just a rumour.
Posted by: Mark | May 8, 2007 7:53:19 PM
Oh my god! I just found out the horse in the photo is NOT gay. How dare Out!
How difficult is it to find a GAY horse to put on the cover of a GAY magazine? There are plenty of GAY horses out there!
Okay, enough bitchery for today. I'm off to work out at my GAY gym and ogle the GAY trainers and have the GAY porters clean up after me. The flat-screen TVs had better all be tuned to LOGO!
Posted by: 24play | May 8, 2007 8:03:12 PM
The photos look great!
But you can't deny that they also look like a rip off of Madonna's photoshoot for W magazine!
Posted by: Pussyna Caunt | May 8, 2007 11:38:45 PM
All valid points but for what it's worth Chad White is pretty much the only reason I would buy Out Magazine.
Posted by: Giovanni | May 9, 2007 1:12:50 AM
im agog. hes beautiful. regardless of what his sexuality is hes willing able and happy to be on the cover of out. i say good for him. and thank you out!
Posted by: chris | May 9, 2007 9:16:43 AM
GOOD MORNING TOWLEROAD
I AM CHAD WHITE'S AGENT, AND HAVE BEEN SINCE HE STARTED MODELING IN NYC
WHEN THIS SHOOT WAS PITCHED TO ME, IT WAS ALWAYS FRANCOIS'S VISION TO HAVE CHAD DO THIS. IT WAS NEVER FOR A DEFINITE COVER, BUT THE PROSPECT OF A "COVER TRY" WAS AN OPTION.
I MADE A CHOICE TO HAVE CHAD MISS THE FIRST DAY OF NY FASHION WEEK IN FEBUARY IN ORDER TO LET HIM SHOOT THIS STORY.
AS AN AGENT OF TOP MALE TALENT (WWW.MAJORMODELMANAGEMENT.COM)
I CAN TELL YOU, VERY FEW MODELS ARE ACTUALLY GAY, AND THE FEW THAT ARE RARELY COME OUT. IT WOULD BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE EXCLUSIVELY GAY MODELS WORKING FOR GAY PUBLICATIONS. I CHOOSE TO LET MY GUYS WORK FOR THESE MAGS (OUT, TETU, GENRE, PREF) BECAUSE THE PICS USUALLY ARE QUITE HOT, AND ITS ALL ABOUT THE MODEL..SO FOR AN AGENT, ITS ALLOWS FOR A GENIUS PIC.
I HOPE THIS CLEARS SOME OF THIS UP
BY THE WAY, LOVE THE SITE
SORRY FOR THE CAPS
JASON KANNER
DIRECTOR, MAJOR MODELS NYC
Posted by: JASON KANNER | May 9, 2007 9:40:59 AM
Er, does it matter if some mag in Europe had Chad last summer? What kind of Heidi Klum criteria is that for a magazine? One minute you're in, the next minute you're out? Chad has been a major fixture on catwalks in 2007; his moment isn't over just because fancy pants L'Uomo Vogue did him already. And fashion is 90% styling and photography; in that department Out is sometimes patchy, but there have been flashes of brilliance - the amazing lesbian photographer Cass Bird, for example, whose work has been in out three or four times in the last year.
Posted by: Toby | May 9, 2007 1:26:42 PM
24PLAY:
"As for Out perpetuating a "straight is better/hotter" stereotype That part of your argument is patently false."
The point is that Chad is straight. He is not gay, and your straw-man argument does not nullify my point.
JASON KANNER:
"I CAN TELL YOU, VERY FEW MODELS ARE ACTUALLY GAY, AND THE FEW THAT ARE RARELY COME OUT. IT WOULD BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE EXCLUSIVELY GAY MODELS WORKING FOR GAY PUBLICATIONS."
Hmmm, and why do we think that is? Perhaps because of homophobia? Homophobia perpetuated by Out magazine.
To get back to reality, we are talking about models here, not world leaders. But the issues raised still highlight how homophobia keeps gay people "in their place". Out is not helping this issue.
Posted by: Gregg | May 10, 2007 11:08:58 PM
I snipped out part of 24PLAY's post quoted above, but the way I formatted the word "snip" it disappeared from my post. Oops.
Posted by: Gregg | May 10, 2007 11:11:00 PM