Obama illustration/The New Yorker: Illustrator Barry Blitt's cover called "The Politics of Fear" featured Barack and Michelle Obama in stereotypical images designed to "satirize the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama's campaign," according to The New Yorker's press release. Many did not get the joke; Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton called it "tasteless and offensive."
Sarah Palin/Us Weekly: Republican Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin landed on the cover of celeb magazine Us Weekly under the headline “Babies, Lies and Scandal” and an outrage of readers and the media ensued. Critics pointed out that other celebrity magazines like OK! magazine and People used less inflammatory headlines like "A Mother's Painful Choice" with the same photo.
Madonna/Guy Ritchie Us Weekly: Us Weekly broke the news that Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie were on the brink of divorce on a July cover story. The magazine speculated an affair between the pop singer and Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez although Madonna denied the allegations. However, in October 2008, Madonna’s rep confirmed to People magazine the singer and Ritchie were divorcing after over seven years together.
Gisele Bundchen/LeBron James Vogue: Vogue's cover featuring NBA star LeBron James and supermodel Gisele Bundchen caused a lot of chatter over whether their King Kong-like pose perpetuated racial and sexual stereotypes.
Jennifer Aniston & Angelina Jolie feud/Vogue: Celebrity magazines buzzed with stories of a feud when Vogue magazine quoted Jennifer Aniston on its December cover, “What Angelina did was very uncool.” Nearly four years after Aniston and Pitt divorced over rumors of a Jolie-Pitt affair, the topic remains a hot one.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and baby photos/People magazine: A few months after the Jolie-Pitt twins appeared on celebrity magazine People’s cover, media insiders alleged People magazine comprised their editorial practices to appease Angelina Jolie; the New York Times ran an expose and accused People magazine of submitting to Jolie’s requirement of “positive coverage” only.
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