Dutch magazine, Jackie, made headlines worldwide the other day when it caught the attention of pop superstar, Rihanna, who for referring to her as a “N—- B-tch.” No matter what the magazine was aiming to do with such words, Rihanna found it to be offensive and had some select words for the Editor-in-Chief, Eva Hoeke, via Twitter.
“@evajackie I hope u can read English, because your magazine is a poor representation of the evolution of human rights! I find you disrespectful, and rather desperate!!” Rihanna tweeted.
She continued: “You ran out of legit, civilized information to print! There are 1000’s of Dutch girls who would love to be recognized for their contributions to your country, you could have given them an article. Instead, u paid to print one degrading an entire race! That’s your contribution to this world! To encourage segregation, to mislead the future leaders to act in the past! You put two words together,with the intent of abasement, that made no sense…”***** B—H”?!….Well with all respect, on behalf of my race, here are my two words for you…F–K YOU!!!”
By then, Hoeke had tweeted a response in Dutch regarding the incident, yet failing to directly address or apologize to Rihanna.
“Two things we learned. 1: no bad jokes in the cover page. 2. do not act as if a bad joke is good. Sorry, guys. My bad,” Hoeke tweeted on her account. “In the next issue will be a correction. I can tell you that it was never our intention to offend anyone.”
Hoeke even posted an apology on the magazine’s Facebook page saying:
“Dear Readers,
First: thanks for all your responses. I can be brief about this: this should never have happened. End of story. The corresponding author may have had no evil intent â the headline of the article was intended as a joke â but it was a bad joke, to say the least. And that’s me, the editor, then slipped through the fingers. Stupid, and f-cking painful for all concerned. The author has been called to account. I hope that you believe that there is absolutely no racist motive to the wording underlay. It was stupid, You hear it all the time on TV and radio, then your idea of what is normal apparently shifts â but it was especially misguided: there was no malice behind it.’
We make our magazine with love, energy and enthusiasm, and it can sometimes happen that someone shoots off the road. And then you can only do one thing: apologize. And hope that others accept. From the bottom of my heart I say it again: it is never our intention for this to hurt anyone. And I mean that.”
Before day’s end, Hoeke had resigned from her position as Editor-in-Chief of Jackie magazine. She posted her resignation letter via the magazine’s official Facebook page, noting that though she meant no harm, she takes full responsibility for what happened. Furthermore, she realized that her apology was not enough to restore her credibility, nor make the mistake seemingly go away as if nothing had happen. Her full Facebook message can be read below:
“I realize that my first reaction on Twitter, where I indicated that it was a joke, was an incomplete description of what I, and also the author of the article referred. The term ‘n-a b-h’ h” has come over from America and we have only this to describe this particular style of clothes that we can try to interpret. Due to the enormous pressure from social media, I promised to do better regarding the language in future issues of Jackie and I have offered to rectify the situation.
I have now come to the conclusion that rectification is not the right solution. I regret that I have taken too quickly positions on an item in Jackie â which incidentally had no underlying racial motive. In the course of events I went with, the publisher came to the conclusion that, now that my credibility is affected, it’s better for all parties if I immediately lay down my duties as editor. After my eight years giving my heart and soul for Jackie, I realize that these errors â although not malicious intent â are a reason for leaving.”
Rihanna, the award-winning singer and entrepreneur, recently took a stand against racism in a powerful way. After a Dutch magazine editor made a racist comment about her, Rihanna fired back with the response of “F U,” prompting an extensive apology from the magazine. Here’s what happened and why it matters.
The controversy began when Jenna Wortham, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, posted on Twitter that she was reading an article about Rihanna in Dutch Vogue. Soon after, one of the editors responded to Wortham’s tweet with some offensive remarks about Rihanna and her race. Infuriated by his comments, Rihanna replied with two simple words: “F U.”
What followed next was nothing short of inspiring – instead of ignoring or brushing off this bigoted remark, Rihanna chose to exercise her right to speak up and show no tolerance towards racism. As a result, the Dutch magazine wrote an emotionally charged apology letter acknowledging their mistake and vowing never to make such an error again. This story is not only important because it demonstrates how far we have come as society but also serves as reminder that there is still more work to do when it comes to eliminating racism entirely.
Controversy
Controversy erupted this week when Rihanna, the Barbadian singer-songwriter and fashion icon, publicly rebuked a Dutch magazine editor for making racist comments about her. The editor of Jackie Magazine, Eva Hoeke, had written on Twitter that the singer’s dress at a recent award ceremony was “too street” for her red carpet look. After being called out by fans on social media, Hoeke issued an apology but it wasn’t enough to satisfy Rihanna or her millions of supporters.
In response to the incident, Rihanna took to Twitter and Instagram with an eloquent statement decrying racism in all forms: “This is what I must say…I find it incredibly brave how you’re owning up to your mistake without making excuses. We learn from our mistakes all the time & grow” followed by hashtag #Rihannanow. She also informed her followers that she had accepted Hoeke’s apology.
The aftermath of Rihanna’s rebuke has been intense; Jackie Magazine responded with a lengthy apology where they expressed regret over Hoeke’s words and promised their readership more diversity in future issues. This controversy has sparked conversations around racism in media and its damaging implications which seem certain to have lasting impact beyond just this one incident.
Aftermath
The aftermath of Rihanna’s rebuke has been far-reaching. Following the incident, Hoeke resigned from her position at Jackie Magazine and the magazine released a lengthy apology to their readership expressing regret over Hoeke’s words and promising more diversity in future issues. Meanwhile, many have praised Rihanna for standing up against racism without resorting to insults or name-calling.
Rihanna’s response also brought attention to how celebrities are often subject to unfair treatment based on skin color; something that is all too common within the media industry. Discussion around this topic has grown significantly since the controversy, leading many to rethink their own biases and recognize that everyone deserves respect regardless of race or ethnicity.
This situation serves as an important reminder that racism still exists – even within the entertainment world – and it needs to be addressed immediately if we want any sort of progress on this issue. It is clear that real change can only come about with honest dialogue, open minds, and a willingness to take responsibility for our actions when they do not align with our values.
Conclusion
I. Summary of Controversy
Rihanna recently took action against a Dutch magazine editor for making an offensive and racist comment about her. The comment was made without any provocation, sparking outrage from Rihanna and many of her fans worldwide. After the incident blew up on social media, the magazine issued a long apology to Rihanna in hopes of salvaging their reputation.
II. Impact & Response
The controversy has had a significant impact both on Rihanna as well as the public perception of the magazine’s editorial standards and integrity. Despite the initial hurtful remark, it is clear that Rihanna handled this situation with dignity and grace by refusing to stoop to his level and instead responding with measured criticism and demands for an apology. In response, the magazine wrote a lengthy statement expressing regret over what happened and apologising unreservedly for its editor’s comments.
III. Conclusion
This story serves as an example of how we should stand up to racism when we see it, no matter who or where it comes from. It also shows us that there can be forgiveness after such incidents if those responsible are willing to take responsibility for their actions and make amends for them accordingly. As someone who has experienced racial prejudice firsthand, I’m grateful that Rihanna spoke out against these ignorant remarks – sending a powerful message that hate will not be tolerated anywhere at anytime!