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The Stonewall Brick Appears on EW's Pride Cover for Some Reason
Opinions are split on the stunning Jack Hughes illustration.
Entertainment Weekly honored some of our favorite LGBTQ+ stars for their Pride issue including Kate McKinnon, Freddie Mercury, Lil Nas X, Laverne Cox, and...the first brick thrown at Stonewall?
You read that correctly! Inspired by great murals of the '20s and '30s, illustrator Jack Hughes' cover was designed to pay "tribute to the central role LGBTQ artists have had in Hollywood from its very beginnings." The full version of the mural shows Ellen Degeneres rubbing elbows with Rock Hudson, Kristen Stewart dancing with Lily Tomlin, and more shenanigans during a glitzy party up in the Hollywood Hills.
\u201cTaking Hollywood by storm! These LGBTQ storytellers and icons are creating unforgettable work in TV, movies, music, life, and so much more! Take a peek into how they landed a spot on our June cover. https://t.co/XjBzjakcbc Illustration by Jack Hughes for EW\u201d— Entertainment Weekly (@Entertainment Weekly) 1589385673
The cover is admittedly stunning. Dan Levy, who stands next to John Waters in the full version of the image, shared it with a thanks and a joke: "What I would give to be embraced by John Waters while standing in front of Marlene Dietrich while also managing to pull off a turtleneck!"
\u201cI only wish this beautiful illustrated opening spread for @entertainmentweekly was real life. What I would give to be embraced by John Waters while standing in front of Marlene Dietrich while also managing to pull off a turtleneck! Illustration by @jackmrhughes. \ud83c\udf08\u2728\u201d— dan levy (@dan levy) 1589419469
But Twitter users were quick to point out a detail in the background of the full image...
\u201cbreathless\u201d— adam moussa (@adam moussa) 1589388219
\u201c.@EW just dropped this upcoming artwork for #Pride and the biggest standout for me is that symbolic brick for #Stonewall hidden in the background.\u201d— Ernest Owens (@Ernest Owens) 1589390817
A brick is positioned on the floor behind Lil Nas X, seemingly an homage to the historic first brick Marsha P. Johnson threw at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 which launched the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The memes came like an avalanche:
\u201c@adamjmoussa\u201d— adam moussa (@adam moussa) 1589388219
\u201ci cant stop crying. you did it kid\u201d— adam moussa (@adam moussa) 1589388219
And then came the questions...
\u201c@JudsonCollier @e_alexjung The first brick thrown at stonewall. Not Marsha P. Johnson the trans woman of colour who threw it instigating the riot that gave us gay rights.... The brick.\u201d— jud (@jud) 1589388667
Miss Brick, along with everyone else on the beautiful cover, is certainly serving! Though she might've been better served in the hand of the woman that threw her.
What do you think of the cover? Tell us in the comments!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
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