Move Over Kimye! The 15 Most Controversial Magazine Covers Of All Time

Anna Wintour made a splash by slapping Kanye West and Kim Kardashian on the cover of Vogue, but she is hardly the first editor to court controversy on a magazine cover. Kimye, we​'ll let you finish ... but these are the most controversial magazine covers of all time!

Demi Moore, Vanity Fair – August 1991

Before Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears bared their naked baby bumps, Demi Moore caused America’s collective jaw to drop by posing naked, while heavily pregnant on the cover of Vanity Fair. Annie Leibovitz took the picture when the actress was seven months pregnant with her second daughter, Scout.

Britney Spears, Rolling Stone – March 1999

Dressed as a sexy schoolgirl and singing “hit me baby one more time,” a teenage Britney Spears was always pushing the envelope. But for some, she went way too far by appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in a push-up bra and polka dot panties, while clutching a Teletubby. It was only a hint of what was to come from the young pop star!

‘Boston Bomber’, Rolling Stone – August 2013

Do killers deserve the celebrity treatment? Rolling Stone faced a fierce backlash for putting accused Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its front cover. Despite the controversy – and even though it was banned from some outlets – it was a winner for the rock mag, selling twice as many issues at the newsstand than its average.

‘Boston Bomber’, Rolling Stone – August 2013

Do killers deserve the celebrity treatment? Rolling Stone faced a fierce backlash for putting accused Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its front cover. Despite the controversy – and even though it was banned from some outlets – it was a winner for the rock mag, selling twice as many issues at the newsstand than its average.

Miley Cyrus, Vanity Fair – April 2008

Miley Cyrus didn’t have to stick out her tongue or twerk to ignite a firestorm when posing for Vanity Fair in 2008. Instead the then 15-year-old Hannah Montana star just had to pose half naked, clutching a sheet to cover her chest, while staring seductively into a camera held by Annie Leibovitz.

Breastfeeding Mom, Time – May 2012

Seeing a woman breastfeeding in public rightly or wrongly makes some people queasy at the best of times. Seeing a mom breastfeeding her three-year-old son while he stands up on a chair to reach her, staring back at you from a Time cover, is a whole other thing. “Are you mom enough?” the magazine asked as the rest of America prepared to weigh in.

The Obamas, The New Yorker – July 2008

What do you do when a popular African-American politician, with the middle name Hussein, is leading the presidential race during an election year? If you're the editor of The New Yorker you put a cartoon of he and his wife on the cover, fist bumping in the Oval Office, while dressed like Islamic terrorists with a portrait of Osama Bin Laden hovering in the background. Barack Obama’s camp said the cover was “tasteless and offensive,” while the editor defended it as being satirical.

The Obamas, The New Yorker – July 2008

What do you do when a popular African-American politician, with the middle name Hussein, is leading the presidential race during an election year? If you're the editor of The New Yorker you put a cartoon of he and his wife on the cover, fist bumping in the Oval Office, while dressed like Islamic terrorists with a portrait of Osama Bin Laden hovering in the background. Barack Obama’s camp said the cover was “tasteless and offensive,” while the editor defended it as being satirical.

OJ Mug Shot, Time – June 1994

Wherever OJ Simpson goes controversy is sure to follow…even if that’s the cover of Time. In June 1994, the magazine faced a barrage of criticism – not for putting the mug shot of the accused murderer on its cover – but because of the way it was done. They made the former footballer look darker, leading to accusations of racism and counter-accusations that, by saying that darkening Simpson’s skin made him look more sinister, is itself racist.

OJ Mug Shot, Time – June 1994

Wherever OJ Simpson goes controversy is sure to follow…even if that’s the cover of Time. In June 1994, the magazine faced a barrage of criticism – not for putting the mug shot of the accused murderer on its cover – but because of the way it was done. They made the former footballer look darker, leading to accusations of racism and counter-accusations that, by saying that darkening Simpson’s skin made him look more sinister, is itself racist.

Azealia Banks, Dazed and Confused – September 2012

Strangely there is something about a woman pretending to smoke a blown up, pink condom on the cover of a magazine that just makes some countries want to ban the issue entirely. In August 2012 the following message appeared on the UK magazine’s Twitter page: “Just been told our upcoming @AZEALIABANKS cover has been banned from 7 countries so far. Thank God for the Internet, huh?”

Azealia Banks, Dazed and Confused – September 2012

Strangely there is something about a woman pretending to smoke a blown up, pink condom on the cover of a magazine that just makes some countries want to ban the issue entirely. In August 2012 the following message appeared on the UK magazine’s Twitter page: “Just been told our upcoming @AZEALIABANKS cover has been banned from 7 countries so far. Thank God for the Internet, huh?”

Glee, GQ – November 2010

The Parents Television Council was up in arms when GQ released their November 2010 issue, featuring a racy shot of Cory Monteith sandwiched between a scantily clad Diana Agron and Lea Michele. Members were horrified that the Glee stars appeared in the Terry Richardson photo. While GQ’s editor defended the cover, Agron took to Tumblr to apologize saying that “these photos do not represent who I am.”

Noose, Golfweek – January 2008

This cover was so controversial that the editor was fired after it created widespread outrage. In January 2008, Golfweek featured a hanging noose on its cover to publicize their article about Golf Channel host Kelly Tilghman’s use of the word “lynch” in reference to Tiger Woods. Dave Seanor, who lost his job as a result of the “racially provocative” cover, told the New York Times: “Sitting in the editor’s chair in this day and age is sort of like walking a tightrope.”

Noose, Golfweek – January 2008

This cover was so controversial that the editor was fired after it created widespread outrage. In January 2008, Golfweek featured a hanging noose on its cover to publicize their article about Golf Channel host Kelly Tilghman’s use of the word “lynch” in reference to Tiger Woods. Dave Seanor, who lost his job as a result of the “racially provocative” cover, told the New York Times: “Sitting in the editor’s chair in this day and age is sort of like walking a tightrope.”