Esquire's iconic Muhammad Ali cover (page 398, Meggs) makes a visual comparison between a contemporary controversial figure and a famous image from the history of art. Describe how this approach affects the viewer by conveying a powerful philosophical statement without the use of words. Offer one contemporary example of a similar image and do a quick compare/contrast between it and the Esquire cover. (Campaign 2008 is a good stop).
This image associates Mahamad Ali with St. Sebastian. St. Sebastian as an innocent and saintly person, standing in crucifixion pose. The cover was saying "You are persecuting Mahamad for his race and religion. He is powerless. He is a victim to America, and to you. For the viewer, it is showing us how helpless and innocent he is tied up by the people of the world. All of this I can feel without even a word of text on there.
On this cover, Janet Jackson is in a very open pose, almost contrastingly accepting the critiques and world views of her. Still, this image similarly is vulnerable and in a way presents Janet as a victim. A victim of judgement and sexual desire.
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