Africa Is a Country

Livetweet Recap: NYT (and Vogue Italia) “Rebrands Africa” (again)

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Livetweet Recap: NYT (and Vogue Italia) “Rebrands Africa” (again)

By
Elliot Ross


From a series of tweets I did on the New York Times story “Rebranding Africa” which you can read here.

  1. AfricasaCountry
    Coming up: Elliot livetweets a read-through of @NYTimes latest infuriant, “Rebranding Africa” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/fashion/15iht-fafrica15.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1337010111-kaoVJMBzdBP2Ilyfay7RvQ h/t @siddhmi
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:45:32
  2. AfricasaCountry“The continent is entering the fashion arena”. What? It wasn’t in it already? Is this like when it hadn’t “entered history”?
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:49:10
  3. AfricasaCountry
    Oh, I see, this is a remix of Sarkozy’s Hegelian mash-up in Dakar, but for fashion. Great idea @NYTimes!
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:50:21
  4. AfricasaCountry
    Apparently Africa is entering fashion because of “the quality of its handwork”. Nope, me neither.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:53:21
  5. AfricasaCountry
    I wonder what else Africa might be about to “enter”? Planet Earth? The Solar System? Suggestions to @NYTimes
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:51:55
  6. AfricasaCountry
    On the plus side, Suzy Menkes is right to identify early on that Africa is, in fact, a continent.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:52:36
  7. AfricasaCountry
    Key is the “Rebranding” of Africa. Yawn! For fuller critique of this kind of guff see https://editor2.jacobinmag.com/africa-is-a-country/2012/04/26/positive-news-from-africa/
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:55:32
  8. AfricasaCountry
    Rebranding constitutes no kind of “change in attitude/perception” because it offers Africa for consumption/ exploitation as of old
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:56:36
  9. AfricasaCountry
    This month’s Vogue Italia is dedicated to Africa. Well that’s nice. Why is @NYTimes reporting on it? Seems like a very long plug?
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:57:28
  10. AfricasaCountry
    And the cover star of that Africa edition of Vogue Italia. It’s the obvious choice: Ban Ki-Moon. African style icon, for sure.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 12:58:08
  11. siddhmi
    @Okwonga @AfricasaCountry It read like an unabashed press release for Vogue Italia, didn’t it! Just absurd.
    siddhartha mitter
    Mon, May 14 2012 14:12:11
  12. AfricasaCountry
    Oh God isn’t Africa so confusing? What with the poverty AND the creativity in THE SAME PLACE? You’d never find that in, say, New York City
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:00:02
  13. AfricasaCountry
    Ban ki-Moon is a Goodwill Ambassador for Fashion4Development “to support the UN’s wider issues in helping Africa”. Nonsense on stilts.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:01:50
  14. AfricasaCountry
    Uh-oh> ” For Ms. Sozzani, “positivity” is the key word in taking an uplifting attitude to a nation where “the image is so low.” “
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:02:48
  15. AfricasaCountry
    Did the @NYTimes just refer to the nation of Africa? I think it did you know!
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:03:36
  16. AfricasaCountry
    Attn @NYTimes fact-checkers. A minute ago Africa was a “continent”. Now it’s a “nation”. We’re as confused as ever.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:05:00
  17. Okwonga
    @siddhmi I know, eh! Copy editor should be hanging his/her head in shame. @AfricasaCountry
    Musa Okwonga
    Mon, May 14 2012 14:30:56
  18. AfricasaCountry
    Sozzani: “All the pictures are made in a glamorous way — there is nothing sad, trashy or poor”. Well that’s a relief!
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:05:50
  19. AfricasaCountry
    Very important to ensure that the poor are never photographed in Vogue Italia. Sorry poor people, you’re just not cool enough.
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:07:38
  20. AfricasaCountry
    Sozzani:”if we can give an uplifting image it is helping people who wouldnt have considered Africa at all” Yes vital that those ppl get help
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:08:33
  21. AfricasaCountry
    [Also helping with rebranding]: “the lush beauty of the country & its allure as a tourist destination”
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:10:36
  22. AfricasaCountry
    All so confusing Africa fluctuating wildly b/w status as country and continent. Surely crucial to establish prior to confident “rebranding”
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:12:17
  23. AfricasaCountry
    “The emergence of Africa as a source of fashion creativity is about more than elegant images.” What, you mean they have clothes?
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:15:05
  24. AfricasaCountry
    There was I with the idea that Western fashion houses had been appropriating African style/design for ages. Welcome to fashion, Africa!
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:17:40
  25. kweligee
    @AfricasaCountry I’m so glad we’ve been let in now. All we need is an African For Us By Us. Yes, I know, FUBU made ugly clothes.
    BringMeTheAfricanGuy
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:19:56
  26. siddhmi
    @BBCAfricaHYS @AfricasaCountry Menkes repeat rebrander: ’09, Africa’s “sculpted geometric shapes & rich, spicy colors” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/fashion/31iht-fafrica.html
    siddhartha mitter
    Mon, May 14 2012 14:17:30
  27. AfricasaCountry
    Is “rebranding” really the best way to think about, for example, no longer believing in loads of racist, supremacist myths?
    Africa is a Country
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:20:29
  28. BeyondAid
    @AfricasaCountry World Economic Forum taught us last week that Africa is “a clean sheet of paper” http://bit.ly/JdWW7Q
    Beyond Aid
    Mon, May 14 2012 13:12:33

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