12482: Washington Scandal…?

From USA TODAY…

Kerry Washington ‘InStyle’ cover raises eyebrows

By Maria Puente, USA TODAY

Does Kerry Washington’s latest magazine cover, on InStyle’s March issue, make her look too light?

Once again, social media lit up Thursday with another controversy over the intersection of beauty, race and Photoshopping in the media, with Scandal star Washington as the latest case-in-point.

The new cover has her brightly lit in a white, shoulder-baring dress, hands on hips, her hair fan-swept in that new artfully disheveled long-bob style.

Does her skin tone look lighter than she really is? Maybe it depends on your perspective.

Not that she was perturbed. She was “THRILLED” with the photo, she said on Instagram. “So honored. And crazy excited,” she added.

But some of her fans were not.

“I get that you’re happy to be on the cover of @InStyleMagazine ... but WHO IN THE HECK is on this cover? #Scandal #Photoshop#BadPhotoshop,” posted isthatkeyon under the photo.

“dang. why’d they do that? you don’t need photoshop,” added tamhasty.

InStyle was quick to respond with a statement denying that Washington’s skin was deliberately lightened.

“While we did not digitally lighten Kerry’s skin tone, our cover lighting has likely contributed to this concern. We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt. We are listening, and the feedback has been valuable. We are committed to ensuring that this experience has a positive influence on the ways in which we present all women going forward,” the magazine said, according to the Associated Press.

Washington approved and tweeted her thanks:

These cover contretemps are not new, not even for Washington. Lucky magazine was accused of manipulating Washington’s image for a December/January cover in 2013 that some fans also declared unrecognizable.

11547: Saturday Night White.

From USA TODAY…

‘Saturday Night Live’ pokes fun at diversity issue

Guest host Kerry Washington helped drive home the point.

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — With Kerry Washington as guest host, Saturday Night Live wasted no time poking fun at itself after receiving criticism for having no black women among its 16 regular cast members.

In the opening skit, the Scandal actress portrayed first lady Michelle Obama, talking with her husband about an upcoming state dinner at the White House.

“Michelle, this is such a treat,” said the president, impersonated by Jay Pharoah. “I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen you.”

An aide came in, saying Oprah Winfrey had arrived for the dinner and wanted to see the president. “Don’t you think you should get changed?” he asked Washington. She wondered whether cast member Kenan Thompson couldn’t play Winfrey; both Thompson and Pharoah have said recently they will no longer impersonate women on the NBC late-night comedy institution.

Washington left the stage and returned as Winfrey. She was then asked to portray Beyoncé — before the show’s executive producer, Lorne Michaels, stepped in.

Michaels said producers would like to apologize to Washington for the number of black women she would be asked to play in the show.

“We make this request both because Ms. Washington is an actress of considerable range and talent, and also because Saturday Night Live does not currently have a black woman in the cast,” he said. “We agree this is not an ideal situation and look forward to rectifying it in the future — unless, of course, we fall in love with another white guy first.”

The show has had four black women among its regular cast since coming on the air in 1975 with the last one, biracial Maya Rudolph, leaving in 2007. Both Pharoah and Thompson had recently addressed the situation in interviews with Pharoah even lobbying for a specific comic to be added — Darmirra Brunson of the OWN sitcom Love Thy Neighbor.

To drive the point home in the skit, the presidential aide announced that six different Matthew McConaugheys were there to attend the state dinner — and six different white male cast members trooped in dressed as the actor.

Then the Rev. Al Sharpton appeared on the stage.

“What have we learned from this sketch?” Sharpton said. “As usual, nothing.”

He then delivered the show’s traditional opening line of “live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”

11256: Vanity Fair Covers Washington.

11045: The Pope Factor.

From Advertising Age…

Why The TV Networks Need More Olivia Popes

4A’s Panel Says Adding Diverse Content Could Boost Ratings

By Alexandra Bruell

Adding diversity in TV content might be the ticket for networks looking to boost ratings, according to Lisa Torres, president of ZenithOptimedia’s multicultural group.

Ms. Torres and crisis communications executive Judy Smith - she inspired the Olivia Pope character played by Kerry Washington on ABC’s “Scandal” - dissected the topic of diversity on TV during a panel moderated by Sallie Mars, senior VP-chief diversity officer at McCann Worldgroup.

Following a short clip of “Scandal,” Ms. Mars asked if writers in Hollywood like Shonda Rhimes are changing “the way we watch TV.” Ms. Torres said, “They naturally write for a world they see, and for a multicultural audience. It’s not deliberate, which makes it authentic.”

“It’s creating buzz because it’s ABC, and it’s what NBC has to do now that it’s the fifth network behind Univision,” she added. “NBC should start to diversify since it needs to get its numbers back up.”

But it’s not just about adding hiring multicultural actors. “The brilliance of the characters coming out is that they’re not wearing their ethnicity straight up,” she said. “People know little cultural cues as part of an ingrained persona that just flows out of the show naturally.”

Ms. Smith pointed to an example of a “cultural cue” during an episode of “Scandal” when Olivia Pope mentioned blow-drying and suppressing her hair. “It was a small thing, but people went wild. It’s not an African-American show.”

So why are these characters important to media buyers and marketers? “The composition of an audience can drive what we pick,” said Ms. Torres. “If diversity of audience is what I want to look for, that composition will drive which show I pick.”

For some agencies, she added, that composition might be a means to break the tie among networks that tout the same ratings figures. When asked if she’s seen a bump for advertising on shows popular with multicultural audiences, she said, “not a bump, but a connection.”

“Culture is big piece. People want to see themselves or a better version of themselves on a screen,” she said. “When they see things tailored to that they’re more likely to pick that [product] in a store.”

9763: Kerry Washington Post.