FHM Philippines has pulled the cover to its latest issue and shot a new one after a media uproar emerged complaining that the cover was racist. The photo, introduced on Facebook, showed a white skinned Bela Padilla in a bikini posing between two dark skinned models in bikinis with the tagline, “Stepping Out Of The Shadows.” Hours later, people started calling FHM racist. FHM eventually posted an official statement to their website.
On Saturday, February 25, we uploaded the March issue with Bela Padilla on the cover on our Facebook page. Just hours later, a slew of comments on the supposed “racism” of the cover image and cover line flooded the magazine page, prompting the editorial team to re-examine the cover so that we could put into context its execution and assuage the concerns of our readers and non-readers as well who’ve weighed in on the issue.
We took all the points into consideration and have decided to take the side of sensitivity.
When FHM hits the stands in March it will have a different cover. We deem this to be the most prudent move in the light of the confusion over the previous cover execution.
We apologize and thank those who have raised their points. We apologize to Bela Padilla for any distress this may have caused her. In our pursuit to come up with edgier covers, we will strive to be more sensitive next time.
Granted, the cover wasn’t too racist. That is until you listen to Bela Padilla’s interview with BBC where she says the two girls were actually Filipinos in black face. Someone should really tell Padilla that she’s not helping.