The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Controversial Magazine Covers

Lil’ Wayne is covering the February issue of Rolling Stone, and when I saw the cover (above) I was reminded of Vanity Fair’s recent controversial cover featuring Tiger the Convict. Apparently the Stone’s reporter touches on Wayne’s upcoming prison bid, which may somehow explain why RS chose a picture of Weezy flashing a gang sign. However they try to “artistically” explain it, I think it’s in poor taste. But Rolling Stone is hardly the first magazine to try to boost sales through controversial covers. Read more to see other examples…  (side note: Carter 4 on the way).Terrorist Fist Bump

The New Yorker claimed sarcasm when they ran their Obama family Terrorist Fist Bump cover during the primary season. Hard to believe considering every time The New Yorker uses sarcasm it goes straight over my head.

Beauty and the Beast?

Critics said this cover of LeBron and Gisele “reinforced the negative stereotype that black men are dangerous to white women” and had many people pointing toward the picture below. I think this cover is just ‘Bron being a beast but I can see where people are coming from.

Hang Yourself, Golfweek

In the wake of golf commentator Kelly Tilghman’s remarks that Tiger Woods, “should be lynched,” Golfweek fucked up with this cover. Seems like all they were missing was a pitchfork, racist bastards.

Passion of Kanye

When “Jesus Walks” catapulted ‘Ye to the public eye, RS capitalized again on controversy. They really invoked the passion of the evangelical right with this one.

Before The Age of Photoshop

While I could make an entire post about unscrupulous magazines fucking with photoshop to alter their cover’s skin color/personal attributes, this one may just take the cake. TV Guide thought they’d help Oprah look more eloquent by pasting her head on to the body of a white woman. Oops.

Tiger the Convict

Was this Vanity Fair trying to say Tiger Woods was a victim of the media’s coverage, or that he was a prisoner of his own decisions? Nah. I think it was them just trying to move units using some controversy and dramatic photos of a hot topic.