Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue evoked a strong reaction after honoring only men in the annual feature celebrating stars in the industry.
The magazine released its 32nd annual Hollywood Issue on Tuesday, November 18, which spotlighted “the new generation of leading men captivating audiences and propelling cultural conversation at a moment of industry transformation.”
Vanity Fair’s Global Editorial Director, Mark Guiducci wrote in an editor’s letter about the different vision for the cover.
“Together, the actors on these three covers of Vanity Fair’s 32nd annual Hollywood Issue illustrate something different. These are not the matinee idols of early cinema, sprung fully formed, names staged and hair dyed, from the head of some Zeusian studio chief,” read the statement. “Nor do they present as puffed-up superheroes, even if occasionally they play them onscreen. Our new leading men are something much more radical: mere mortals. Often kind, sometimes vulnerable, each extraordinary — never before has a generation of actors been less performative, and more human. Have you ever wondered what an internet boyfriend becomes when he grows up? A movie star, it turns out. They are good guys rather than strongmen or bad boys — and we love them for it.”
In the comments section of Instagram, social media users had mixed reactions ranging from excitement (there are a lot of fire emojis) to questions about Vanity Fair choosing to highlight A$AP Rocky, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, Jonathan Bailey, Jeremy Allen White, Michael B. Jordan, Andrew Garfield, Paul Mescal, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson, LaKeith Stanfield and Riz Ahmed — and no women.
“We were not hearing it for the boys before?” one person asked, referring to the cover line: “Let’s Hear It for the Boys.”
While some responses showed support for the variety of leading men, others had thoughts on who they thought should have been included, asking about Jacob Elordi, Josh O’Connor and Timothée Chalamet.
Others continued to point out the lack of women. “Everyone is like where is Jacob and I’m like where is a woman?” read one comment while someone else replied, “Wait it’s all guys this year? oh ok.”
The Hollywood Issue is a longstanding tradition where Vanity Fair honors the established icons and rising stars in Hollywood. The publication has previously recognized directors, actors and more.
The tradition began in 1995 following the success of Vanity Fair‘s first Oscars party the previous year. The first issue included Nicole Kidman, Angela Bassett, Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman and more. The cover featured all women.
“Being on Vanity Fair was always a sort of benchmark of achievement,” Thurman, 55, reflected during a January 2019 interview with Vanity Fair looking back on the issue. “It was definitely always an honor that somehow or another you’ve done or been involved with some good work and it was being recognized.”
Vanity Fair also received backlash for its first Hollywood Issue because several of the women being honored posed in lingerie.
“The cover caused so much conversation and a lot of controversy about what we were wearing, that we had somehow been exploited or objectified ourselves,” Parker, 60, recalled in 2019. “In fact, it was the opposite of that. I’ve never felt that I’ve worn things in any shoot with Annie [Leibovitz] that I didn’t want to be wearing, that I didn’t feel comfortable wearing, or that I was diminished in the process. It was powerful.”
Since that first edition, the Hollywood Issue has been a main staple in the pop culture zeitgeist. Over the years, Vanity Fair has experimented with different themes. The second edition featured all men on the cover, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, David Arquette, Will Smith, Skeet Ulrich and more.
In 2001, there was the “legends” issue. Kidman, 58, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz and more graced the cover.
Last year, the Hollywood Issue theme was “modern icons.” Kidman graced the cover yet again and was joined by a series of young and talented stars, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Jonathan Bailey, Blackpink’s Lisa and more.
Following the release, Vanity Fair received criticism for the inclusion of Lisa, 28, who was gearing up to make her acting debut in The White Lotus season 3. While Blackpink fans were thrilled to see Lisa on the cover, others questioned if Vanity Fair made the right call given her limited acting experience.
Radhika Jones, who was editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair at the time, defended the publication honoring Lisa.
“It has always been interesting for us,” Jones said during a November 2024 appearance on CBS Mornings. “So to take someone like Lisa, who is a huge star in the K-pop world, less well-known in Hollywood or with a Hollywood audience. But she is going to be on The White Lotus in the new season.”
Jones stepped down from Vanity Fair earlier this year and Mark Guiducci was named the new global editorial director.
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