Serena Williams' GQ Woman of the Year cover called 'weird AF' by Twitter users
![Serena Williams’ GQ cover has sparked controversy on Twitter. [Photo: Twitter]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sjHmCsXq6kRlkMqNL9YLAQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02Nzc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/433aa956a351e2454749607db6c63a01)
Serena Williams is featured on the cover of GQ magazine as their Woman of the Year – but people on Twitter are not happy about it.
The cover was released yesterday evening in a tweet by the US edition of GQ, introducing Serena alongside Men of the Year Michael Jordan, Jonah Hill and Henry Golding.
Announcing GQ’s Men (and Woman) of the Year 2018: @michaelb4jordan, @henrygolding, @jonahhill, and @serenawilliams (featuring handwriting by @virgilabloh) https://t.co/EpG3lKCJ3r #GQMOTY pic.twitter.com/6MgczSxSpq
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 12, 2018
However, social media users were quick to point out something strange about Serena’s cover – the use of quotation marks for the word “Woman”.
Okay but why is woman in quotation marks @GQMagazine
— Anna Wagner (@Anna_F_Wagner) November 12, 2018
Some pointed the disparity between this cover and Gal Gadot’s Woman of the Year cover from last year.
hmm pic.twitter.com/hG4vAtTDTE
— E. Alex Jung (@e_alexjung) November 12, 2018
Mick Rouse, who is, according to his Twitter bio, a Research Manager at GQ, soon defended the publication.
He pointed out the quotation marks were handwritten on the cover by Off-White fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who famously uses quotation marks in his creations.
Serena famously wore an Off-White tutu, in response to the catsuit ban, at the US Open this year.
Because it was handwritten by Virgil Abloh of Off-White, who has styled everything in quotation marks as of late (see Serena’s US Open apparel that he designed)
— Mick Rouse (@mickrouse) November 12, 2018
While some accepted this explanation, others were less convinced by it.
The “WOMAN” was handwritten by Virgil Abloh, who designed Serena’s US Open dress. Quotes are his “thing,” but still… 🤔
— Gibson Johns (@gibsonoma) November 12, 2018
i get the @virgilabloh reference but that quotation around woman is weird af and totally uncalled for. https://t.co/6tKReal3CP
— Ryan Mitchell (@TheSlayGawd) November 12, 2018
Someone else called it inappropriate given “the context of Serena Williams”, whose appearance has been criticised in the past.
in the context of serena williams, a person who has been mocked for her appearance and deliberately misgendered for years… this aint it, virgil. https://t.co/SfPkwEjYl5
— king crissle (@crissles) November 12, 2018
Earlier this year, Australian paper Herald Sun was condemned as after publishing a cartoon about Serena Williams which was deemed racist and sexist.
Serena has previously spoken out about the cruel comments surrounding her body, as part of a Reddit thread.
“I’ve been called man because I appeared outwardly strong,” she wrote in a post addressed to her mother.
“It has been said that that I use drugs (No, I have always had far too much integrity to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage).
“It has been said I don’t belong in Women’s sports — that I belong in Men’s — because I look stronger than many other women do. (No, I just work hard and I was born with this badass body and proud of it).”
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