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7 of the most controversial magazine covers ever

Entertainment magazine Rolling Stone caused outrage today by featuring the surviving Boston ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

12.01 17 Jul 2013


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7 of the most controversial ma...

7 of the most controversial magazine covers ever

Newstalk
Newstalk

12.01 17 Jul 2013


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Entertainment magazine Rolling Stone caused outrage today by featuring the surviving Boston bomber Jahar Tsarnaev on the cover of its latest issue

The article claims to chronicle "how a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster".

Facebook user Shawn Anthony shared his disgust at the magazine's decision: "I think it's wrong to make celebrities out of these people. Why give the guy the cover of Rolling Stone? TIME gave Charles Manson the cover and all the magazines carried pictures of the Columbine shooters on the covers, too. Don't make martyrs out of these people."

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Here are some other controversial cover stars of popular magazines. 

Demi Moore, Vanity Fair, 1991

Ashton Kutcher's former belle was the first woman to appear naked and pregnant on the cover of a magazine. Then 28 and carrying Bruce Willis' second child, the now famous pose has since been copied by Cindy Crawford, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson among others. 

War in Vietnam, Life, 1965

This photograph of a VietCong man taken prisoner by American soldiers helped turn the American public against the Vietnam war. The picture was taken by one of Life magazine's best photographers Paul Schutzers, who was later killed on an assignment during the Six-Day War of 1967 between Israel and its neighbouring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. 

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Rolling Stone, 1981

This iconic photo was taken hours before John Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment on December 8th, 1980. Apprently photographer Annie Leibovitz wanted to shoot Lennon on his own, but he insisted his wife be included. 

Ellen, Time, 1997

The talk show host famously came out on the cover of this issue of time in April 1997. It was to be the beginning of much contentious media coverage which would stunt DeGeneres' professional career and leave her "mired in depression".

Hitler, Time, 1939

This cover, which named Hitler as Man of the Year, featured the former leader playing “his hymn of hate in a desecrated cathedral while victims dangle on a St. Catherine’s wheel while the Nazi hierarchy looks on.” Time has had to defend this choice throughout history, and at the time defended it by stating that the “Man of the Year” was a title bestowed on the person who had most influenced events of the previous year.

Is God Dead?, Time, 1966

Considered by many as the most controversial magazine cover ever, this one received more letters to the editor than any in Time magazine's history. The featured article discussed the "death of God" movement which had gained prominence in the 1960s. It was also the first time the magazine used just text on its cover.

OJ Simpson, Time, 1994

This cover, published after Simpson was accused of murdering his wife Nicole and before he was later acquitted, was altered to make him look darker and more menacing. 

To compare, take a look at the same image used on Newsweek:


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