Vanity Fair's 24th annual Hollywood issue will hit newsstands on February 10, but spoiler alert: it's super white. In a year where Selma's near shut-out at the Oscars stung, that wasn't the only worthy film of 2014 that showed strengths of actors of color. Chris Rock gave more than a hugely engaging press tour for Top Five, it was also a hugely entertaining arthouse-tinged movie that finally gave a really engaging role for Rosario Dawson. (Top Five also grossed more than Foxcatcher, Big Eyes, and Whiplash—all of which are represented here as "Hollywood"). Kevin Hart's films grossed $274 million in America in 2014, and Dear White People introduced great new talents like Tessa Thompson and Teyonah Parris.
We're not an editorial board, but by making covers that represent Hollywood as a place with minimal diversity it reinforces the idea that Hollywood is closed to most anyone who lacks a certain paleness. It's one small thing to ask: More highlights for talented people of color, especially for issues that label themselves as definitive of the industry. And eventually with steps like making a freakin' magazine cover more inclusive then maybe, just maybe, the Academy Award luncheon won't make people of color look like they're in a Where's Waldo? book:
1.
