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Entertainment June 18, 2018
Magazine covers often objectify, but sometimes they liberate.
Magazines have undoubtedly shaped the women’s movement. The covers of magazines have changed our culture, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. They’ve objectified women but have also worked to liberate them.
The magazines which have set records, broken barriers and set women free are important to remember so we can continue creating covers in their images. Despite the dropping popularity of magazines, images are still worth 1,000 words. Here are five of the best magazine covers that have moved women’s empowerment forward.
This iconic cover features Harvard undergraduate student Katiti Kironde. After winning Glamour’s “Best Dressed College Girls” contest, Kironde became the first African American woman to be on the cover of a US fashion magazine. Kironde recently recalled the experience and shared her thoughts on black women in the fashion industry: “We’re not where we need to be. But we’re so much farther than where we were, because, believe me, I’ve lived it… The celebration of black beauty is something that is very, very new, and has a long way to go.” This is one of the best magazine covers not only for women’s empowerment but for intersectional feminism.
This is one of the most famous and best magazine covers of all time. John Lennon was murdered only hours following the cover photo shoot. The photo is a poignant reflection of the couple’s unique love. Renowned photographer Annie Lebowitz recounts John’s insistence that Yoko be included in the shoot, although it was supposed to be a solo shot of John.
Aside from the famous final moments of love that this cover portrays, the nudity of the photo is monumental. When Yoko felt uncomfortable undressing, Lebowitz allowed her to leave all of her clothes on. The role reversal where a woman is clothed and a man naked is significant, as most magazine covers exploit naked or scantily clad dressed women to sell copies.
After Ellen DeGeneres came out on her sitcom, audiences were confused. This cover made everything crystal clear. The cover gave her a platform to come out in a non-fiction form to the entire world.
The cover was especially brave considering the negative reaction to the coming out of DeGeneres’ fictional character. Multiple advertisers broke their connection with the sitcom to condemn homosexuality. The backlash to the Time cover was similar, as one reader called it “an affront to decency in general.”
Despite the mixed reactions by the nation, DeGeneres’ career survived and today she is one the loudest voices in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Her bold cover changed our culture.
Considered the most famous magazine cover in country music history, this Dixie Chicks cover reached far more than just country fans. Weeks before the shoot, lead singer Natalie Maines spoke out against then-President George W. Bush at a concert in London: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.”
The group received hate mail for following the statement. Moreover, fans and numerous radio stations boycotted the group. In the bold entertainment weekly cover, the band appears naked with actual comments they received written on their skin.
This was a historic moment in music. To this day, some radio stations still refuse to play the band’s music. This cover stands as a moment in history when women with influence chose to speak their minds and refused to apologize.
This most recent magazine cover received its fair share of backlash. When Caitlyn Jenner shocked the world by coming out as a trans woman on the cover of Vanity Fair, she nearly broke the internet.
Soon after the release of this cover, Caitlyn received the ESPY courage award.
Today, much of the trans community finds issue with Jenner’s political beliefs. Some don’t think she is the right icon for trans rights. Nevertheless, her coming out story is remarkable and this Vanity Fair cover will go down in history as one of the best magazine covers for women’s empowerment.
